With its many meanings and uses, the word really signifies the most wonderful connection between a really "dead" past and all the learning of today. Babylonia, Chaldea, Assyria, Accadia - these are words with which to conjure the records of all learning, and, indeed, the origin of much of it.

Ideographs here first held the place of language; and here the Cuneiform characters first had their meaning, at last extended into many hundred (700) characters.

Literature, Art, Science, had here their wonderful stronghold. By conquest almost all the then known nations became vassals, and at last were incorporated into the Empire, or were afterward set free by the Semitic victories; but the learning was distributed from Babylon to all the nations of the Earth:

To Jerusalem through the captivity of the Jews.

The Chaldeans were learned in Astronomy (Astrology), and through their mysteries all of the lore of their "Wise Men" was held sacred.

Because of luxury and corruption, because of excesses in every direction, the name (Babylon) came to be a name of reproach - especially among the Jews, especially the Israelites - and in later days any city exhibiting great love of display, great wealth, great luxury, as well as great learning, was named "a modern Babylon."

But it must be remembered that this record and opprobrium have come from the enemies of those Ancient people; and while we deplore in every age the abuses of prosperity, such as luxury, glamour of wealth and all kinds of excess, "Babylon," "the confusion of tongues" and in the world at large all opprobrious terms and epithets applied to the ancient meaning of the name, must be considered as belonging to a state or condition. The lapse from learning and sobriety to worldly luxury and splendor may be with equal correctness applied to any metropolis of ancient or modern times.

We must revert to Babylon as the holder, preserver and largely the founder of all the learning that existed in the world for thousands of years and long, long before the Christian Era.

Babylon really formed the connecting Splendor between Modern and Ancient Civilizations (the latest and previous Dispensations), and undoubtedly held within her walls the learning and the mystic and sacred records that would have been lost to outward history had they not been so preserved. But the people "scattered to Babylon" were also "scattered from Babylon" and bore the sacred names and symbols with them.