Babylon was one of the empires that conquered the ancient Middle East. Since it originally started as a city-state named Babylon, both the name of the country and the name of its capital are the same: Babylon.
The Old Babylonian Empire (famous for the Code of Hammurabi, the Tower of Babel, etc.) is said to have been built by Nimrod, the grandson of Ham.
After its destruction by the Hittites, the Middle East was conquered by the Assyrian Empire, which was notorious for its reign of terror. After Assyria fell due to successive rebellions by the indigenous people of the occupied territories, Babylon became the empire that ruled this region of Asia Minor. This period is called the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
The main figures related to this place in the Bible are as follows:
- Daniel: He was taken to the Babylonian Empire but rose to a high position, even becoming a prime minister.
- Nebuchadnezzar: Nebuchadnezzar II, who defeated Egypt in war and destroyed the Kingdom of Judah. He destroyed the temple built by Solomon. See Babylonian Captivity.
- Belshazzar: He was king after Nebuchadnezzar. He was killed when King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon.
In the Book of Revelation, it is used as a name representing the evil forces that rule the world in the last days.