The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 6 MAY 2013

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.