Ishtar Gate Notes

Pergamon Museum and the Ishtar Gate

The Ishtar Gate

  • Located in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
  • Originally one of eight double gates in the walls of ancient Babylon.
  • Enormous size, inspiring awe in both its time and today.

Nebuchadnezzar II and Babylon

  • Nebuchadnezzar II, a king of biblical fame, rebuilt Babylon.
  • Babylon's roots trace back to the third millennium BC.
  • Became a significant political center under King Hammurabi in the 1700s BCE.
  • Nebuchadnezzar II's building campaign included:
    • Fortifying 11 miles of wall around the city.
    • Reconstructing the Great Ziggurat with the Temple of Marduk (likely the basis for the Tower of Babel story).
    • Building palaces.
    • Creating the Ishtar Gate.
    • Creating hanging gardens, considered one of the wonders of the world.

Biblical Significance

  • Nebuchadnezzar is featured in the Book of Daniel.
  • He conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and exiled the Jews.
  • His power enabled vast construction projects.

Ishtar Gate Details

  • The gate on display is the smaller of the double gates.
  • The larger gate is too large to display in the museum.
  • The gate was the entrance to a long processional way.
  • The Processional Way was lined with lions, symbolizing pride, power, and Nebuchadnezzar's rule.
  • Lions represent Ishtar, a Babylonian goddess of war, wisdom, and sexuality.
  • The lions were raised to eye level and slightly smaller than life-size.
  • Their snarling appearance evokes fear, suggesting control by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Animal Motifs on the Gate

  • Lions: Represent Ishtar, goddess of war, wisdom, and sexuality.
  • Aurochs: Ancient bulls, symbolizing fierceness.
  • Mesopotamian Dragons: Composite beasts associated with Marduk, the patron god of the city.
    • Lion front paws.
    • Snake/serpent head and neck.
    • Eagle hind legs.
    • Scorpion-like stinger tail.
  • Aurochs: Represent Adad, the god of storms, fertility, and harvest.
  • The animals symbolize protection and provision for the city.

Design and Color

  • Symmetrical and orderly representation of animals.
  • Originally brilliantly colored in blues and greens.
  • The vibrant colors would have been striking against the arid desert landscape.
  • Mesopotamia lacked native stone, so buildings were made of brick from the river valley clay.
  • The brilliant blue glaze is a faience technique using copper.

Inscription of Nebuchadnezzar

  • Nebuchadnezzar's inscription describes the gate's construction.
  • He laid the foundation down to the groundwater level and built it with pure blue stone.
  • The walls are adorned with bulls and dragons.
  • He aimed to create splendor for all mankind to behold in awe.

Nebuchadnezzar's Legacy

  • He understood his place in history and asked future rulers to rebuild his structures.
  • Saddam Hussein began rebuilding parts of Babylon, including his palace near the Ishtar Gate.
  • Hussein's efforts were interrupted by military actions and his eventual deposition and death.
  • Saddam Hussein's motives were to reclaim Nebuchadnezzar's power for his own political purposes and to associate himself with the power of ancient Mesopotamia.