10. The nucleus of his empire was Babylon . . . in the
land of Shin'ar] It is not said that Nimrod founded these
four cities (ct. v.11). The rise of the great cities of Babylonia
was not only much older than the Kaššite dynasty, but
probably preceded the establishment of any central government;
and the peculiar form of the expression here may be
due to a recollection of that fact. Of the four cities, two
can be absolutely identified; the third is known by name,
but cannot be located; and the last is altogether uncertain.
(
Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] the Heb. form of the native Bāb-ili = 'gate of God'
or 'the gods' (though this may be only a popular etymology). The
political supremacy of the city, whose origin is unknown, dates from the
expulsion of the Elamites by Ḥammurabi, the sixth king of its first
dynasty (c. 2100 B.C.); and for 2000 years it remained the chief centre
of ancient Oriental civilisation. Its ruins lie on the left bank of the
Euphrates, about fifty miles due S. of Baghdad.
(Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] the Bab. Uruk or Arku, now Warka, also on the
Euphrates, about 100 miles SE of Babylon. It was the city of Gilgameš
(v.s.).
(Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters): cf. (Hebrew characters) and (Hebrew characters))] The name (Akkad) frequently
occurs in the inscriptions, especially in the phrase 'Šumer and Akkad,'
= South and North Babylonia. But a city of Akkad is also mentioned
by Nebuchadnezzar I. (KIB, iii. 170 ff.), though its site is uncertain.
Its identity with the Agadé of Sargon I. (c. 3800 B.C.), which was
formerly suspected, is said to be confirmed by a recent decipherment.
Del. and Zim. suppose that it was close to Sippar on the Euphrates, in
the latitude of Baghdad (see Par. 209 ff.; KAT3, 4222, 4238; ATLO2, 270).
(Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] Not to be confused with the (Hebrew characters) of Am. 62 (= (Hebrew characters),
Is. 109), which was in N Syria. The Bab. Kalne has not yet been
discovered. Del. (Par. 225) takes it to be the ideogram Kul-unu (pronounced
Zirlahu), of a city in the vicinity of Babylon. But Jen. (ThLz.
1895, 510) asserts that the real pronunciation was Kullab(a), and proposes
to read so here ((Hebrew characters)).
(Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters)[(Greek characters)](Greek characters))] apparently the old Heb. name for Babylonia proper
(112 141. 9, Jos. 721, Is. 1111, Zec. 511, Dn. 12), afterwards (Hebrew characters) or
simply (Hebrew characters)[(Hebrew characters)]. That it is the same as Šumer (south Babylonia: v.s.) is
improbable. More plausible is the identification with the Šanḫar of TA
Tab. (KIB, v. 83) = Eg. Sangara (Müller, AE, 279); though Wi. (AOF,
i. 240, 399; KAT3, 31) puts it N of the Taurus. Ǧebel Sinǧar ((Greek characters):
Ptol. v. 18. 2), W of Nineveh, is much too far north for the
biblical Shin'ar, unless the name had wandered.
11, 12. The colonisation of Assyria from Babylonia.—
11. (Hebrew characters)] 'he went out to Asshur' (so TJ, Cal. and all moderns).
The rendering 'Asshur went out' (GVSTO, Jer. al.) is grammatically
