Babylon
/ˈbæb.ɪ.lɒn/noun
An ancient Mesopotamian city and empire, later a symbol of wealth, decadence, and exile.
Did you know?The Bible’s ‘Babylon’ helped turn the city into a lasting symbol of corruption and captivity, which is why the name still carries apocalyptic weight in religious and occult imagination.
Etymological Timeline
Akkadian period
Akkadian
Bāb-ilim
“‘Gate of the god’ — the city’s likely Semitic name in Mesopotamia.”
Old Babylonian
Akkadian
Bāb-ilāni
“‘Gate of the gods’ — a later interpreted or reanalyzed form of the city name.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Babylṓn
“The Greek form of the famous Mesopotamian city name.”
Latin
Latin
Babylon
“The standard Roman name for the city.”
Old English
English
Babylone
“The biblical and historical city name in Middle English/early English usage.”
Modern English
English
Babylon
“The ancient city and, figuratively, a place of luxury, confusion, or moral corruption.”
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