The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon
An Elusive World Wonder Traced
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- £14.99
Publisher Description
Where was the Hanging Garden of Babylon and what did it look like ? Why did the ancient Greeks and Romans consider it to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World? Renowned Babylonian expert Stephanie Dalley delves into the legends filled with myth and mystery to piece together the enigmatic history of this elusive world wonder.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Was the Hanging Garden actually located in Babylon? Was the ancient wonder merely a fiction, or was it a real place, built by an ancient king? In this carefully researched book, Dalley, an expert on ancient Mesopotamia, combs through archaeological evidence, cuneiform tablets, and literary clues to address these and other vexing mysteries. Until recently, most scholars believed Josephus's first-century C.E. account stating that the garden was indeed located in Babylon and built by King Nebuchadnezzar. Yet after sorting through numerous ancient texts describing the construction and design of the gardens, Dalley concludes that the garden was in Assyria and was built by the Assyrian King Sennacherib, perhaps around 700 B.C.E. In meticulous detail, she demonstrates how Sennacherib used a gravity-defying water screw (aka Archimedes' screw, a technology still used today) to carry water uphill to irrigate the plants. Dalley convincingly argues that the gardens, set directly next to the palace, symbolized the king's wisdom, "his control over nature... his role as a propagator of fertility." Dalley's fascinating look at doubts concerning the garden's existence, as well as the ongoing speculation regarding its design and construction, brings to life this ancient man-made paradise. 90 illus. & 8 color plates.
