The city evidently played a very unimportant part in the political history of Babylonia of the early period, for besides these references it is almost unknown until the time of Hammurabi, when its rise brought about a new epoch in the history of Babylonia. In the time of Dungi we learn that the place was sacked. That monarch laid the foundations of the temple of Annnit, and also those of the temple of Amal. The earliest mention of Babylon is in the time of Sargon I, about 2700 B.C. This, he writes, was surrounded by a moat or rampart 300 ft.

He says that the city was a great square, 42 miles in circuit. Herodotus, the Greek historian, has given us a picture of Babylon in his day. It was also called Su-anna (which is of uncertain meaning) and Uru-azagga, 'the holy city.' Ka-ding'irra, which also means 'gate of god,' was another form of the name in Sumerian. The name in Sumerian ideographs was written Din-tir, which means 'life of the forest,' and yet ancient etymologists explained it as meaning 'place of the seat of life' (shubat balaTe). This name they considered came from the' root, balal, 'to confound' ( Genesis 11:9). Ba'-bel, bab'-i-lon (Topographical): Babylon was the Greek name of the city written in the cuneiform script of the Babylonians, bab-ili, which means in Semitic, 'the gate of god.' The Hebrews called the country, as well as the city, Babhel.

Where was babylon