A little distance below this point the Arakhtu canal left the Euphrates, and passing through the southern wall rejoined the river. In the northern part of the city there was situated what is called the North Palace on the east side of the Euphrates, which passed through the city. In spite of what ancient writers say, certain scholars maintain that they grossly exaggerated the size of the city, which was comparatively small, especially when considered in connection with large cities of the present era. The mounds covering the ancient city have frequently been explored, but systematic excavations of the city were not undertaken until 1899, when Koldewey, the German excavator, began to uncover its ancient ruins in a methodical manner. The organization of the empire by Hammurabi, with Babylon as its capital, placed it in a position from which it was never dislodged during the remaining history of Babylonia. This resulted in the closing of the political history of the Sumerians. The seat of power was then transferred permanently from the southern states. The city evidently played a very unimportant part in the political history of Babylonia of the early period, for besides these references it is almost unknown until the time of Hammurabi, when its rise brought about a new epoch in the history of Babylonia. In the time of Dungi we learn that the place was sacked. That monarch laid the foundations of the temple of Annnit, and also those of the temple of Amal. The earliest mention of Babylon is in the time of Sargon I, about 2700 B.C. This, he writes, was surrounded by a moat or rampart 300 ft. He says that the city was a great square, 42 miles in circuit. Herodotus, the Greek historian, has given us a picture of Babylon in his day. It was also called Su-anna (which is of uncertain meaning) and Uru-azagga, 'the holy city.' Ka-ding'irra, which also means 'gate of god,' was another form of the name in Sumerian. The name in Sumerian ideographs was written Din-tir, which means 'life of the forest,' and yet ancient etymologists explained it as meaning 'place of the seat of life' (shubat balaTe). This name they considered came from the' root, balal, 'to confound' ( Genesis 11:9). Ba'-bel, bab'-i-lon (Topographical): Babylon was the Greek name of the city written in the cuneiform script of the Babylonians, bab-ili, which means in Semitic, 'the gate of god.' The Hebrews called the country, as well as the city, Babhel.

Where was babylon