398 
RUINS OF BABYLON. 
whence the heavens were explored ; and in the larger and lesser 
mounds, and other vestiges of building, the remains of former 
temples, mansions, &c. belonging to the Sabian philosophers, 
prophets, and other sages, with their disciples attendant on the 
knowledge of the stars. We read of such establishments for 
“ the sons of the prophets” in Judea, in places distinct from the 
capital ; and that there were similar colleges in Babylonia, under 
especial rulers, and apparently beyond the walls of the great 
city, seems also deducible from the Scriptures. Daniel writes, 
“ And the king commanded, to call the magicians, and astrologers , 
Qc. to shew the king his dream and when they could not ex¬ 
plain it, “ he was furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise 
men of Babylon. And Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, 
went forth to slay the wise men.” And Daniel said to him, 
“ Destroy not the wise men: bring me in before the king, and I 
will shew unto the king the interpretation .” After the interpre¬ 
tation, “ then the king made Daniel a great man : and made him 
ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the go¬ 
vernors over all the wise men of babylon !” Indeed it does 
not appear unreasonable to suppose that the pursuits of such 
orders of men, would require abstraction from the noise of a 
great city. 
But let A1 Hymer and its dependencies have been what they 
may, by no calculation in our possession can we bring them 
within the estimated walls of Babylon. For allowing the city 
to have been equally divided by the Euphrates, and to have 
occupied the largest granted extent on each side of the river, 
namely seven miles and a half, we should still have these 
structures half a mile beyond the bounding wall. But, if we 
receive the more moderate dimensions of the city, according to 
