Mourning into Dancing.
"By the Rivers of Babylon": BoneyM -
Probably 1980's and 1990's kids might have listened to this popular song, "By the rivers of Babylon" by BoneyM band. This was a Rastafari song but by changing a few words the German disco band BoneyM made it repopularised. Most know that the lyrics for this song are taken from the Psalms 137 and 19 in the Holy Bible.
The lyrics (the hook line and refrain) go like this -
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion ... They carried us away in captivity requiring of us a song ... Now how shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" Psalm 137:1-4 and
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight..." Psalm 19:14.
The Chronology of the Events -
The complete destruction of the temple at Jerusalem happened in 586 BC, by Nebuzaradan, the official incharge of guards under the king Nebuchadnezzar-2 (2Kings 25:8-10). And 2Kings 25:11 reads, he also lead away the people as prisoners. The deportation of people actually started with the Israelites long back the destruction of the temple. 2Kings 15:29, king Tiglath Pilser-3 (745 -727 BC) of Assyria took the people of Israel as prisoners. His son king Shalmaneser-5 (727 - 722 BC) attacked Samaria (725 BC) and took Israelites as prisoners to Assyria (2Kings 17:5). Some historians view that Sargon-2 (722 - 705 BC) the son of Tiglath Pilser-3 overthrow his brother Shalmaneser-5 rule and became king; who also may have oversaw some deportations of Israelites to Assyria (2Kings 17:6). Sargon-2' son king Sennacherib (705 - 681 BC; Isaiah 37:38) took charge and invaded every walled city in Judah (701 BC) except Jerusalem (2Kings 18:13). King Esarhaddon (681 - 669 BC) youngest son of Sennacherib took over (2Kings 19:37). King Ashurbanipal-2 (or Ashurbanipal) (669 - 627 BC), inherited the throne of his father Esarhaddon, king of Assyria. King Cyaxares (623 - 584 BC) the third king of Medes, collaborated with the Babylonians to destroy the Assyrian empire. His wife was the daughter of Nabopolassar (626 - 605 BC), the founder of Babylonian empire. Nabopolassar' son Nebuchadnezzar-2 or Nebuchadnezzar the Great took charge (605 - 562 BC). In his reign he took control of Judah. He sent troops to attack Jerusalem (597 BC) soon after king Jehoiachin of Judah became king. He arrested Jehoiachin, his mother, his officers as well as he cut the temple articles into pieces that king Solomon had dedicated to the temple (2Kings 24:10-13) [Read 1Kings 6 - 8:13 to know about Solomon's Temple]. He also deported all the best soldiers, craftsmen, metalsmiths, thousands of captives to Babylon (2Kings 24:14). In the year 586 BC, king Nebuchadnezzar-2 destroyed the temple at Jerusalem, took the treasures and led the people of Judah as prisoners and left only the poorest back in the land of Judah (2Kings 2:8-17).
Nebuchadnezzar-2' son Evil-Merodach (2Kings 25:27) also known as Amel-Marduk (562 - 560 BC) took over the reign. After him Neriglissar (560 - 556 BC) probably who married the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar-2 reigned over. After his death his son Labashi-Marduk, a child king took over for two or three months (556 BC). Nabonidus (556 - 539 BC), probably who married one of the daughter's of Nebuchadnezzar-2 was the last official king to reign over Babylon, though he was never on the throne. His son, crown prince Belshazzar (539? BC) was partying when Cyrus the Great or Cyrus-2 conquered Babylon (King of Persia 559 - 530 BC; King of Media 549 - 530 BC). In the first year of his reign, the first decree was given for Jews to return and to build the temple at Jerusalem (2Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). He was succeeded by his son Cambyses-2 (530-522 BC). Cambyses-2 forbade Jews to build the temple (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11, Chapter 2.2.26-30 and 4.6.97). Since he was childless, he was succeeded by his younger brother (son of Cyrus-2), Bardiya or Smerdis (522 BC). Bardiya had only one daughter, Parmys, who married his successor Darius-1 or Darius the Great (522 - 486 BC), who already married Atossa and Artystone, daughter's of Cyrus-2. Ezra 4:24 reads, "the construction of the temple at Jerusalem was forced to stop until the reign of Darius-1". He rediscovered the initial order by King Cyrus in Ecbatana (Ezra 6:2) to construct the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem. So, in his second year, he gave a decree to start to rebuild the temple again [which actually was under construction even before the decree of king Darius-1, under the prophetical encouragement of prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1,2,5)]. The temple of the Lord was dedicated in the year 515 BC (March 12th?), in the reign of King Darius-1. He was followed by his son Xerxes-1, (or as the Bible suggests him as "Ahasuerus", the king of the Book of Esther) (486 - 465 BC). Xerxes-1 was murdered; and his son Darius was killed by his brother Artaxerxes-1. After Xerxes-1, his brother Artaxerxes-1 (as some commentators suggest him also as "Ahasuerus", the king of the Book of Esther) succeeded the throne (465 - 424 BC). Till his time the enemies of Jews hindered the progress of the temple of the Lord (Ezra 6:4). A total of 70 years passed on from the year of temple's destruction by king Nebuchadnezzar-2 in the year 586 BC to till it's dedication in the reign of King Darius-1, in the year 515 BC. This happened exactly as Jeremiah prophesied (Jer 25:11,12) and as the chronologist record (Ezra?) in 2Chronicles 36:21 says.
The Flip Side of Psalm 137 -
The author of this Psalm is unknown. Some commentators say that this song was sung by the Jews in the Babylonian captivity and some say that this was written or sung after the exile remembering the hardships and the humiliation that they had gone through while in Babylon.
Verse 1 - Jews who sat at the channels between the river Euphrates and Tigris, facing Jerusalem grieving about the destroyed temple and the city.
Verse 2 to 4 - The Babylonians asked them to sing a song with their musical instruments and to make them merry.
Verse 5 to 6 - Rabbi Meir Leibush Ben Yehiel Michal also known as Malbim (1809 - 1879) says, "No one can think of functioning without the use of one's right hand, and that it is inconceivable to forget Jerusalem. In fact, for a Jew to forget Jerusalem would be tantamount to forgetting God, for Adonai has always been at Israel's right hand".
Verse 7 - This is what the Lord had for Edom, as sons of Esau, rather than helping their brothers, sons of Jacob in the time of need, they left them for distruction (the kingdom of Judah as well as the temple). And the Lord avenged His anger.
"Because you robbed and killed your brothers, the descendants of Jacob, ...You stood aside on that day when enemies broke down their gates. You were as bad as those strangers who carried off Jerusalem's wealth and divided it among themselves. You should not have been glad on the day of their ruin. You should not have laughed at them in their distress. Edom what you have done will be done to you. ...more bitter cup of punishment ...and vanish away." Obadiah 1-16 (TEV).
"I am your enemy, mountains of Edom... You were Israel's constant enemy and let her people be slaughtered in the time of her disaster. ...death is your fate, and you cannot escape it. You are guilty of murder, and murder will follow you. I will make the hill - country of Edom a waste..." Ezekiel 35:3,5-7 (TEV).
"..and Edom a ruined waste, because they attacked the land of Judah and killed it's innocent people. I will avenge those who were killed; I will not spare the guilty" Joel 3:19,20 (TEV).
"Laugh on, people of Edom and Uz; be glad while you can. Your disaster is coming to you.." Lamentations 4:21 (TEV).
The fulfillment of the prophecy - Judas the Maccabeus (167 - 160 BC) made a war with Edom (Idumea) and dealt with them heavily, despoiled and humbled them. ....Then Judas and his brothers went out and fought the descendants of Esau (Edom) in the land to the south (1Maccabees 5:3,65).
In the year 126 BC, Edom was conquered by John Hyrcanus the Hasmonean and he forced the Edomites to convert or to follow the Jewish customs to stay in the land (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 13, Chapter 9.1.257,258).
Herod the Great was himself an Idumean (Edomite). Edom disappeared by sixth century AD, as the Arab nomads followed, who later became to be known as Nabateans, with Petra as it's capital.
That's how the Edomites were completely "vanished away" as prophesied by prophet Obadiah (Obadiah v16).
Verse 8 to 9 - God destroyed Babylon and its offspring for their proud assualt against Him and His kingdom. The Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon in 539 BC. Many of those captives lived on to see the victory. Ezra 3:12 reads, "But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of the temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy" (NIV). The phrase about the infants is harsh because the psalmist is crying out of judgement: "treat the Babylonians the way they treated us." Verse 9 is the harshest brutality of all warfare. Prophet Elisha (850 - 798?) foresaw the events of Israel atleast by two hundred years, 2Kings 8:12 - "I know the evil you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with sword. You will dash their children to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women". Or is it justified in asking this retaliation because Exodus 21:24,25 reads, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound." Even prophet Isaiah (740 - 681 BC(?)), in his "pronouncement concerning Babylon", (Isaiah 13:1,16,17), prophesied the same things to happen to Babylonians. "Their children will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; houses looted; wives raped. Look! I am stirring up the Medes against them."
The Book of Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51 speak about the vengeance of God upon Babylon. Jeremiah's ministry as a prophet began in 626 BC(?) and ended probably after 586 BC(?). He went to Babylon with king Zedekiah (Jer 51:59). Jeremiah told Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud... When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates river. Then say, 'In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again'..." (Jer 51:61-64). "Israel is a stray lamb, chased by lions. First... by king of Assyria; the last... was king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon" (Jer 50:17). Why such vengeance on Babylon by God, because "..according to her (Babylon) deeds; just as she has done, do the same to her, for she has acted arrogantly against the Lord..." (Jer 50:29). This is exactly what the Psalmist of 137:8,9 is desiring/asking of God. In the first instance by king Cyrus-2 (559-530 BC) and later by king Darius-1 (523 - 486 BC), taking on Babylon, impaled three thousand men, killed some including the king of Babylon, Belshazzar too (for more read Appendix). As prophesied by Jeremiah, in the midst of Belshazzar's party came the death call from God. "I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they celebrate. Then they will fall asleep forever and never weak up" (Jer 51:39; Daniel 5th Chapter). King Nabonidus (556 - 539 BC) father of Belshazzar, lost the battle of Opis on the banks of river Tigris to king Cyrus-2. Belshazzar and his nobles thought of partying within the palace of Babylon, trusting its fortifications, though king Cyrus-2 was waiting for an invasion on the banks of river Euphrates. According to Herodotus, the Greek historian, the city was a square in its plan. Each side was 14 miles long (14*4=56 miles in all). Around the city was a deep and broad moat full of water. It's walls are 311 feet high and their thickness would be something 87 feet. The walls were so thick that several chariots could drive side by side on them. The city was built on both sides of the river Euphrates with a running wall along with it's banks forming a defence wall. But God's vengeance was even more strong, "Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens, and fortify her tall fortresses, destroyers will come against her from Me", "Babylon's thick walls will be totally demolished and her high gates set ablaze" (Jer 51:44,53,58) (read Appendix). Is this invasion planned by king Cyrus-2? Who planned this anyhow? It's God Himself. "The Lord has roused the spirit of the kings of Medes because His (the Lord) plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her", "Babylon, I (the Lord) laid a trap for you, and you were caught, but you did not know it" (Jer 51:11; 50:24). "For it is the Lord's vengeance, vengeance for His temple" (Jer 51:11). The plan of God worked out so well that in the end whatever the Babylonians took away from the temple were been returned back (Ezra 1:7; 6:5). As prophet Jeremiah prophesied in 51:44, "I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him vomit what he swallowed." God's vengeance was so strong that, He not only made the king Cyrus to send back the articles that king Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem, but also made Bel, the strom god Enlil, later popularised as Marduk (chief god of Nippur), who had housed the articles of the Lord till now, had to return them back to the place where they came from. We don't know whether king Nebuchadnezzar gave these articles as an oblation or not. If given as an oblation, then, this is like making the god and king vomit out what they have engulfed or had in control till now. Although the plot (Daniel 5th Chapter) of God was not given it the Bible, Greek geographer and historian Herodotus, and Greek philosopher and historian Xenophon records it in their annals about the plan of God and it's execution (read Appendix). The king, nobles, or none knew of this happening (Jer 51:39).
The Restoration -
After the Babylon was conquered by Cyrus-2 in 539 BC, Ezra records (1:3; 6:3-5), king Cyrus decree in his first year (538 BC) that, "Any of His (God's) people among you ...may he go to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord". Some of them left Babylon (2nd chapter) and started building the temple (3:2,8,10) in 537 BC. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin tried to stop the construction by bribing the officials from the time of king Cyrus-2 till king Darius-1 (4:4,5). 1Esdras an Apocryphal writing and Flavius Josephus works, adds more details to the pre and post decree of Darius-1. "Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11.3.2.33", records, "in the first year of the king's reign, Darius(1) feasted those that were about him, and those born in the house, with rulers of the Medes, and princes of the Persians, and the toparchs of India and Ethiopia, and the generals of the armies of his hundred and twenty-seven provinces..." (the same can be read in 1Esdras 3:1 too). After the feast, Darius-1 asks three of his guards to give the best answer from his enquiries, whoever gives the best answer will be rewarded with the best things and he shall be called "my cousin" by him (Josephus Antiques of the Jews, Book 11.3.2.34-36 and 1Esdras 3:3 - 4:41). Out of which Zerubbabel gave the best answer. The text in 1Esdras 4:43-45, reads, "..he (Zerubbabel) said to the king (Darius-1), remember the vow that you made on the day when you became king, to build Jerusalem, and send back all the vessels that were taken from Jerusalem, which Cyrus(2) set apart when he began to destroy Babylon, and vowed to send them back there, which the Edomites burned when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans". "In the second year of the reign of Darius(1)... a letter was written by Sisinnes, the governor of Syria and Phoenicia and Sathrabuzanes and their associates.... when they asked (Jews) about on whose orders you are building this house... (they answered) We are the servants of the Lord... when our ancestors sinned against the Lord.. he gave them (us) into the hands of king Nebuchadnezzar... they pulled down the house and burned it. But in the first year that king Cyrus(2) wrote that this house should be rebuilt... (till now) it has not yet reached completion. O king if it seems wise to do so, let search be made in the royal archives of our lord in Babylon; if it is found that the building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was done with the consent of king Cyrus(2), and if it is approved by our lord the king, let him send us directions concerning these things" (1Esdras 6:1-22). King Darius-1 inquiring about the offical decree of king Cyrus-2 which he found at Ecbatana archives, and decreed not to stop the construction of the temple (Ezra 6:1-8). Did king Darius-1 really forgot what he has promised in the first year of his reign as king? Almost 18 years have spanned from the first year of king Cyrus-2 to second year of king Darius-1. Right from the start of his reign, Darius-1 was busy with the internal revolts within the Achaemenid empire, leaving the empire in turmoil (Darius the Great, Wikipedia).
However, the best and the happiest part is this, after the incident of the feasting, i.e. in the first year of king Darius-1 as promised to Zerubbabel (as read above), "he wrote letters to all the governors of Coelesyria and Phoenicia and to those in Lebanon to Jerusalem about not to obstruct the Jews and their temple, but to help them with cedar timber. He sent back everything that king Cyrus-2 has brought from Babylon with Jews to Jerusalem including his own gifts and alleviation (Ezra 6:4, 8-10; 1Esdras 4:47-57). Zerubbabel took these letters from the king and travelled back to Babylon to share this joyous moment with his fellow Jews. This news brought joy, and in addition to this, as they started back to Jerusalem according to their tribes, 1Esdras 5:2,3, reads 'Darius sent with them a thousand cavalry to take them back to Jerusalem in safety, with the music of drums and flutes; (and) all their kindred were making merry. And he made them go with them'" (1Esdras 4:48-5:3). "Josephus Antiques of the Jews, Book 11.3.9.67", also reads of the same, "Darius sent along with them, and making noise with songs, and pipes, and cymbals. The rest of the Jewish multitude also besides accompanied them with rejoicing". How long or how far did they travel with them? Till they reached Jerusalem, and we can understand from Ezra 7:9, that the time taken by Ezra travelling from Babylon to Jerusalem is five months. So, the music of drums, flutes, pipes, cymbals, songs of praise, rejoicing with merry lasted five months.
Return of Exiles from Babylon with Music and Praise, by William Brassey Hole (1846-1917).
The Promise and Hope -
Wow! How marvelous that could have been to watch or to imagine, a great crowd with big drums, music, and with songs of praise for the Lord travelling, guarded by the king's soldiers for a span of five months on the same path that they travelled back in the past to Babylon as captives in shame; but now heading back to the promised land with pride, rejoicing and merry. Just imagine the joy as they walk through the cities and its people who saw them going as captives to Babylon are now watching them returning back with majesty. What a God we have, who avenge our enemies. "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is Mine to avenge; I will repay", says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
Appendix -
Cyropaedia of Xenophon, Book-7 (The Life of Cyrus the Great), Section 5, 1-2; 7-34.
[7.5.1] When Cyrus appeared before Babylon he stationed his whole force about the city and then rode around it himself in company with his friends and the staff-officers of the allies;
[7.5.2] but when he had taken a survey of the walls, he prepared to draw off his army from the city. But a deserter came out and told him that they were going to attack him as soon as he began to draw his army off. "For," the man went on, "your lines looked weak to those who observed them from the walls." And it was no wonder that they appeared so; for, encompassing walls of such extent,1 the lines necessarily had but little depth.
[7.5.7] When they had encamped, Cyrus called together his staff-officers and said: "Friends and allies, we have viewed the city on every side. But I am sure I cannot see how any one could take by storm walls so massive and so high; but the more men there are in the city, the sooner they can, I think, be brought by famine to capitulate, seeing that they will not come out and fight. Therefore, unless you have some other method to suggest, I propose that we use this method of laying siege to those gentlemen."
[7.5.8] "But," said Chrysantas, "does not this river flow through the midst of the city? And it is more than two stadia in width.""Aye, by Zeus," said Gobryas, "and its depth is such that two men, one standing on the other's shoulders, would not reach the surface of the water, so that the city is better defended by the river than by its walls."
[7.5.9] "Chrysantas," Cyrus answered, "let us not trouble ourselves with that which is beyond our powers; but we must apportion the work among ourselves as quickly as possible, to each contingent its proper share, and dig a ditch as wide and as deep as possible, so that we may require only as many men on guard as are absolutely indispensable."
[7.5.10] Accordingly, he took measurements in a circle round about the city, leaving just enough room by the river for the erection of large towers, and began on either side of the city to dig an immense trench; and the earth from it they threw up on their own side of the ditch.
[7.5.11] First of all, he began to build towers by the river, laying his foundations with the trunks of date-palms not less than a hundred feet long--and they grow even taller than that. And they were good material for this purpose, for it is a well known fact that date-palms, when under heavy pressure, bend upward like the backs of pack-asses.
[7.5.12] These he used as "mud-sills," in order that, even if the river should break into his trench above, it might not carry his towers away. And he erected many other towers besides upon the breast-works of earth, so that he might have as many watch-towers as possible.
[7.5.13] Thus, then, his men were employed, while the enemy upon the walls laughed his siege-works to scorn, in the belief that they had provisions enough for more than twenty years.Upon hearing of this, Cyrus divided his army into twelve parts as if intending each part to be responsible for sentry duty during one month of each year;
[7.5.14] but the Babylonians, in their turn, when they heard of that, laughed much more scornfully still, at the thought of Phrygians and Lydians and Arabians and Cappadocians keeping guard against them, for they considered all these to be more friendly to them than to the Persia.
[7.5.15] At last the ditches were completed. Then, when he heard that a certain festival had come round in Babylon, during which all Babylon was accustomed to drink and revel all night long, Cyrus took a large number of men, just as soon as it was dark, and opened up the heads of the trenches at the river.
[7.5.16] As soon as that was done, the water flowed down through the ditches in the night, and the bed of the river, where it traversed the city, became passable for men.
[7.5.17] When the problem of the river was thus solved, Cyrus gave orders to his Persian colonels, infantry and cavalry, to marshal their regiments two abreast and come to him, and the rest, the allies, to follow in their rear, drawn up as before.
[7.5.18] They came, according to orders, and he bade his aides, both foot and horse, get into the dry channel of the river and see if it was possible to march in the bed of the river.
[7.5.19] And when they brought back word that it was, he called together the generals of both infantry and cavalry and spoke as follows:
[7.5.20] "My friends," said he, "the river has made " way for us and given us an entrance into the city. Let us, therefore, enter in with dauntless hearts, fearing nothing and remembering that those against whom we are now to march are the same men that we have repeatedly defeated, and that, too, when they were all drawn up in battle line with their allies at their side, and when they were all wide awake and sober and fully armed;
[7.5.21] whereas now we are going to fall upon them at a time when many of them are asleep, many drunk, and none of them in battle array. And when they find out that we are inside the walls, in their panic fright they will be much more helpless still than they are now.
[7.5.22] "But if any one is apprehensive of that which is said to be a source of terror to those invading a city--namely, that the people may go up" on the house-tops and hurl down missiles right and left, you need not be in the least afraid of that; for if any do go up upon their houses, we have a god on our side, Hephaestus. And their porticoes are very inflammable, for the doors are made of palm-wood and covered with bituminous varnish which will burn like tinder;
[7.5.23] while we, on our side, have plenty of pine-wood for torches, which will quickly produce a mighty conflagration; we have also plenty of pitch and tow, which will quickly spread the flames everywhere, so that those upon the house-tops must either quickly leave their posts or quickly be consumed.
[7.5.24] "But come, to arms! and with the help of the gods I will lead you on. And do you, Gadatas and Gobryas, show the streets, for you are familiar with them. And when we get inside the walls, lead us by the quickest route to the royal palace."
[7.5.25] "Aye," answered Gobryas and his staff, "in view of the revelry, it would not be at all surprising if the gates leading to the palace were open, for all the city is feasting this night. Still, we shall find a guard before the gates, for one is always posted there.""We must lose no time, then," said Cyrus. "Forward, that we may catch the men as unprepared as we can."
[7.5.26] When these words were spoken, they advanced. And of those they met on the way, some fell by their swords, some fled back into their houses, some shouted to them; and Gobryas and his men shouted back to them, as if they were fellow-revellers. They advanced as fast as they could and were soon at the palace.
[7.5.27] And Gobryas and Gadatas and their troops found the gates leading to the palace locked, and those who had been appointed to attack the guard fell upon them as they were drinking by a blazing fire, and without waiting they dealt with them as with foes.
[7.5.28] But, as a noise and tumult ensued, those within heard the uproar, and at the king's command to see what the matter was, some of them opened the gates and ran out.
[7.5.29] And when Gadatas and his men saw the gates open they dashed in in pursuit of the others as they fled back into the palace, and dealing blows right and left they came into the presence of the king; and they found him already risen with his dagger in his hand.
[7.5.30] And Gadatas and Gobryas and their followers overpowered him; and those about the king perished also, one where he had sought some shelter, another while running away, another while actually trying to defend himself with whatever he could.
[7.5.31] Cyrus then sent the companies of cavalry around through the streets and gave them orders to cut down all whom they found out of doors, while he directed those who understood Assyrian to proclaim to those in their houses that they should stay there, for if any one should be caught outside, he would be put to death.
[7.5.32] While they were thus occupied, Gadatas and Gobryas came up; and first of all they did homage to the gods, seeing that they had avenged themselves upon the wicked king, and then they kissed Cyrus's hands and his feet with many tears of joy.
[7.5.33] And when day dawned and those in possession of the citadels discovered that the city was taken and the king slain, they surrendered the citadels, too.
[7.5.34] And Cyrus at once took possession of the citadels and sent up to them guards and officers of the guards. As for the dead, he gave their relatives permission to bury them. He furthermore ordered the heralds to make proclamation that all Babylonians deliver up their arms; and he ordered that wherever arms should be found in any house, all the occupants should be put to the sword. So they delivered up their arms and Cyrus stored them in the citadels, so that they might be ready if he ever needed them for use.
Herodotus, Book-3 (Thaleia).150 to 160.
150. When the fleet had gone to Samos, the Babylonians revolted; for which they had made very good preparation; for during the reign of the Magian, and the rebellion of the seven, they had taken advantage of the time and the disorders to prepare themselves against the siege; and (I cannot tell how) this was unknown. At the last they revolted openly and did this: — sending away all the mothers, they chose each one woman from his own household, whom he would, as a bread-maker; as for the rest, they gathered them together and strangled them, that they should not consume their bread.
151. When Darius heard of this he mustered all his power and led it against Babylon, and he marched to the town and laid siege to it; but the townsmen cared nothing for what he did. They came up on to the bastions of the wall, and mocked Darius and his army with gesture and word; and this saying came from one of them: "Why sit you there, Persians, instead of departing? You will take our city when mules bear offspring." This said the Babylonian, supposing that no mule would ever bear offspring.
152. A year and seven months passed and Darius and all his army were vexed by ever failing to take Babylon. Yet Darius had used every trick and every device against it. He essayed the stratagem whereby Cyrus took the city, and every other stratagem and device, yet with no success; for the Babylonians kept a marvellous strict watch and he could not take them.
153. But in the twentieth month of the siege a miraculous thing befell Zopyrus, son of that Megabyzus who was one of the seven destroyers of the Magian: one of his food-carrying mules bore offspring. Zopyrus would not believe the news; but when he saw the foal for himself, he bade those who had seen it to tell no one; then taking counsel he bethought him of the Babylonian's word at the beginning of the siege — that the city would be taken when mules bore offspring — and having this utterance in mind he conceived that Babylon might be taken; for the hand of heaven, he supposed, was in the man's word and the birth from his own mule.
154. Being then persuaded that Babylon was fated to fall, he came and inquired of Darius if he set great store by the taking of the city; and when he was assured that this was so he next looked about for a plan whereby the city's fall should be wrought by himself alone; for good service among the Persians is much honoured, and rewarded by high preferment. He could think of no way of mastering the city but to do violence to himself and then desert to the Babylonians; so he accounted it but a little thing to mishandle himself past cure; cutting off his nose and ears, shaving his head for a disfigurement, and scourging himself, he came in this guise before Darius.
155. The king was greatly moved at the sight of so notable a man thus mishandled. Leaping up with a cry from where he sat he asked Zopyrus who had done him this outrage and why. "There is no man," answered Zopyrus, "save yourself, who could bring me to this plight; this, O King! is the work of none other but myself; for I could not bear that Persians should be mocked by Assyrians. Darius answered, "Hardhearted man; if you say that it is to win the city that you have mistreated yourself past cure, you do but give a fair name to a foul deed. Foolish man! think you that our enemies will yielded the sooner for this violence done to you? Nay, you were clean out of your wits to destroy yourself thus." "Had I told you," said Zopyrus, "what I was minded to do, you would have forbidden it; as it is, I have considered with myself alone and done it. Now, then, matters so stand that if you but play your part Babylon is ours. I will in my present plight desert into the city, pretending to them that you have done this violence upon me; and I think that I shall persuade them that this is so, and thus gain the command of an army. Now, for your part, on the tenth day from my entering the city do you take a thousand men from that part of your army whereof you will least rue the loss, and post them before the gate called the gate of Semiramis; on the seventh day after that, post me again two thousand before the gate called the gate of the Ninevites; and when twenty days are past after that seventh, yet four thousand again before the Chaldean gate, as they call it; suffering neither these, nor the others that have come before them, to carry any weapons of war save daggers; leave them these. But immediately after the twentieth day bid the rest of your army to assault the whole circuit of the walls, and post the Persians before the gate of Belus and the gate called Cissian. For I think that I shall have achieved such exploits that the Babylonians will give into my charge the keys of their gates, and all else besides; and it will thenceforward be my business and the Persians' to do what is needful. save daggers; leave them these. But immediately after the twentieth day bid the rest of your army to assault the whole circuit of the walls, and post the Persians before the gate of Belus and the gate called Cissian. For I think that I shall have achieved such exploits that the Babylonians will give into my charge the keys of their gates, and all else besides; and it will thenceforward be my business and the Persians' to do what is needful. save daggers; leave them these. But immediately after the twentieth day bid the rest of your army to assault the whole circuit of the walls, and post the Persians before the gate of Belus and the gate called Cissian. For I think that I shall have achieved such exploits that the Babylonians will give into my charge the keys of their gates, and all else besides; and it will thenceforward be my business and the Persians' to do what is needful."
156. With this charge, he went towards the city gate, turning and looking back as though he were in truth a deserter. When the watchers posted on the towers saw him, they ran down, and opening half the gate a little asked him who he was and for what purpose he was come; he told them that he was Zopyrus, come to them as a deserter. Hearing this the gate-wardens brought him before the general assembly of the Babylonians, where he bade them see his lamentable plight, saying of his own work that it was Darius' doing, because that he had advised the king to lead his army away, seeing that they could find no way to take the city. "Now," said he in his speech to them, "I am come greatly to aid you, men of Babylon, and greatly to harm Darius and his army and the Persians; not unpunished shall he go for the outrage he has wrought upon me; and I know all the plan and order of his counsels." Thus he spoke.
157. When the Babylonians saw the most honoured man in Persia with his nose and ears cut off and all bedabbled with blood from the scourging, they were fully persuaded that he spoke truth and was come to be their ally, and were ready to grant him all that he asked, which was, that he might have an army; and having received this from them he did according to his agreement with Darius. On the tenth day he led out the Babylonian army, and surrounded and put to the sword the thousand whom he had charged Darius to set first in the field. Seeing that his deeds answered his words, the Babylonians were overjoyed and ready to serve him in every way. When the agreed number of days was past, he led out again a chosen body of Babylonians, and slew the two thousand men of Darius' army. When the Babylonians saw this second feat of arms, the praise of Zopyrus was in every man's mouth. The agreed number of days being again past, he led out his men to the place he had named, where he surrounded the four thousand and put them to the sword. After this his third exploit, Zopyrus was the one man for Babylon: he was made the captain of their armies and the warden of their walls.
158. So when Darius assaulted the whole circuit of the wall, according to the agreed plan, then Zopyrus' treason was fully revealed. For while the townsmen were on the wall defending it against Darius' assault, he opened the gates called Cissian and Belian, and let in the Persians within the walls. Those Babylonians who saw what he did fled to the temple of that Zeus whom they call Belus; those who had not seen it abode each in his place, till they too perceived how they had been betrayed.
159. Thus was Babylon the second time taken. Having mastered the Babylonians, Darius destroyed their walls and reft away all their gates, neither of which things Cyrus had done at the first taking of Babylon; moreover he impaled about three thousand men that were chief among them; as for the rest, he gave them back their city to dwell in. Further, as the Babylonians, fearing for their food, had strangled their own women, Darius provided that they should have wives to bear them children, by appointing that each of the neighbouring nations should send a certain tale of women to Babylon; the whole sum of the women thus collected was fifty thousand; these were the mothers of those who now inhabit the city.
160. There never was in Darius' judgment any Persian before or since who did better service than Zopyrus, save only Cyrus, with whom no Persian could compare himself. Many times Darius is said to have declared that he would rather have Zopyrus whole and not foully mishandled than twenty more Babylons. Very greatly the king honoured him; every year he sent Zopyrus such gifts as the Persians held most precious, and suffered him to govern Babylon for all his life with no tribute to pay, giving him many other things besides. This Zopyrus was father of Megabyzus, who was general of an army in Egypt against the Athenians and their allies; and Megabyzus' son was that Zopyrus who deserted from the Persians to Athens.
