102 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



The principal one, now called the Birs Nimrod, 

 is supposed to be the temple of Belus. Ker 

 Porter says that, in passing this barren tract, 

 his eyes rangwl on all sides, for something to 

 point out the remains of this once imperial city ; 

 but all was withered and gone, and comparatively 

 level with the horizon, except where the gigantic 

 Birs Nimrod presented itself, " standing in the 

 solitary waste, like the awful figure of Prophecy, 

 pointing to the fulfilment of her word." 



The two other mounds of ruins are supposed 

 to be the citadel and the palace. The former is 

 of an oblong shape, and flat at the summit ; and 

 several excavations which have been made in it by 

 the Turks, when searching for hidden treasures, 

 are now occupied by wild beasts. In his second 

 visit, his party suddenly halted, on seeing several 

 objects moving about the summit, which they at 

 first imagined to be Arabs ; but which were soon 

 discovered to be lions. 



What numerous reflections this sight must have 

 produced ! Those savage animals thus wander- 

 ing amidst the towers of Babylon, and dwelling 

 within the cavities of her once magnificent 

 palaces, proved how faithfully the prophecies 

 had been fulfilled, which relate to her fall, and 

 how exactly the words of Isaiah have been veri 

 fied, " wild beasts of the desert shall lie down 

 there, and the houses shall be full of doleful 

 creatures " 



