Babylon: A Test Case in Prophecy [Part II] [EDITOR’S NOTE: Part
I of this two-part series appeared in the November issue. Part
II follows below, and picks up where the first article ended.]
In the preceding article of this two-part study, I began an
investigation of certain Old Testament prophecies that focused
on the famous city of Babylon. Three major points were
discussed: (1) the prophets emphatically declared that wicked
and arrogant Babylon would fall; (2) the providential instrument
of the Lord, employed in the initial destruction of the city,
would be the Medo-Persian regime; and (3) the immediate fall,
and ultimate deterioration, would come after the Hebrews had
languished seventy years in Babylonian captivity. In this
article, I would like to highlight a number of particulars that
are reflected prophetically in the biblical record. The works of
Herodotus and Xenophon are the two principal sources of
historical confirmation. Herodotus (484-425 B.C.), known as the
“father of history,” produced the fir