bylon. After he and his posterity [done by Darius's orders, for speaking had retained it about sixty years, in favour of the Babylonians, he fled Nabopolasser, perhaps a descendant over to them, and was readily adof Baladan, revolted, and set up for mitted. He so bitterly inveighed himself. He, with Cyaxares the against the cruelty of Darius, that Mede, began the overthrow of the they made him captain of some Assyrian empire, and his son Nebu- troops, and at last governor of their chadnezzar completed it. This last city. This, on the first opportunity, carried the Babylonian empire to its he treacherously surrendered to his summit of glory. His conquests ex-master; who, to reward his successtended from Media on the north-east, ful stratagem, loaded him with hoto Ethiopia beyond Egypt on the nour and wealth. Three thousand south-west, comprehending the king-of the principal revolters were sedoms of Assyria, Persia, Syria, Phoe-verely punished with impalement ; nicia, Canaan, North Arabia, Idumea, the walls of the city reduced oneEgypt, &c. Jer. xxv. xxvii. xlvi. third or one-fourth of their former xlvii. xlviii. and xlix. After his death height; and the brazen gates carried the empire of Babylon began to dwin-off. About 40 years after, Xerxes dle into ruin. Evil-Merodach his son pillaged the temples, and destroyed succeeded him. Neriglissoror, a son- the idols of Babylon.-When Alex. in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, murder-ander was here, about A. M. 3672, ed him; and he and his infant son Babylon was still large and wealthy, Laboroschard reigned a few years; and he intended to restore it to its the last being murdered, Belshazzar, former splendour, and make it the the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar by seat of his empire; but, soon after, Evil-Merodach, mounted the throne; Seleucus Nicator having drained under whom, after a long war with about 500,000 persons from it, to peothe Medes and Persians, Babylon ple his new city of Seleucia, 40 miles was taken by Cyrus; when a terrible northward, it gradually dwindled into slaughter ensued, and the whole royal a desert. family were ignominiously cut off, A. M. 3468.

The following description of this place, given by a gentleman who About fifteen years after, the Baby-passed by it in 1574, will show how lonians, enraged that the royal resi-exactly the predictions of Isaiah and dence was transferred to Shushan in Jeremiah have been accomplished. Persia, and for other grievances pre--" The village Elugo (says he) is tended or real, prepared to revolt; now situate where heretofore Babyand, after four years preparation, lon of Chaldea stood. The harbour avowed their rebellion. Darius Hys-where people go ashore in order to taspis, king of Persia, with a mighty proceed to Bagdad, is a quarter of a army, marched to reduce them.-league distant from it. The soil is Trusting to their walls, they shut so dry and barren, that they cannot themselves up in their city, where till it, and so naked, that I could they had amassed great stores of pro- never have believed that this powervision; and, that this might not be ful city, once the most stately and consumed by useless mouths, they as-renowned in all the world, and situsembled their old people, their wives ated in the fruitful country of Shinar, and children, and strangled every could have stood there, had I not body unfit for arms, except one be-seen by the situation of the place, by loved wife and a maid for every many antiquities of great beauty family. After Darius had, without which are to be seen round about, success, invested the city almost two and especially by the old bridge over years, Zopyrus, one of his generals, the Euphrates, whereof some piles cut off his own nose, and mangled kis and arches of incredible strength are face; pretending that all this had been still remaining, that it certainly did

stand there.

The whole front of the scripture, viz. in Psalm Ixxxiv. 6. village Elugo, is the hill upon which where it may be considered as referthe castle stood, and the ruins of its ring to the valley of Rephaim, where fortifications are still visible. Be the Jews in their journeying to their hind, and some little way beyond, solemn feasts at Jerusalem, stopped is the tower of Babylon, which is for refreshment, both because it was half a league diameter, but so ruin- so well shaded, and also as it aboundous, so low, and so full of venomous ed with springs of water. The text, creatures, which lodge in the holes it is asserted, may be correctly read, which they make in the rubbish, that" who passing through the valley of no one durst approach nearer to it Baca, make him a well," and nothing than within half a league, except can be more beautifully descriptive during two months in the winter, of the consolation, refreshment, and when these animals never stir out of support, which "the men, whose their holes." Compare the above strength is in the Lord," (see ver. 5.) with Isa. xiii. 19-22. Jer. 1. 13. will find in the God of Jacob. 3. BABYLON, or Babylonia, was also BACHUR, or BAHURIM, choice, the name of the country round about warlike, valiant, a village near Jeru this famed city and sometimes also salem, in the way towards Jordan, of Chaldea, Psa. cxxxvii. 1. Here where Shimei, the son of Gera, met Christianity was very early received David in his flight from Absalom, by the Jews and others. Here the and loaded him with imprecations apostle Peter wrote one, if not both of and abuse, 2 Sam. xvi. 5. his epistles, to his dispersed brethren BACK, the hinder and strongest of Judea; here the Jews, since the part of our body. God's back parts, destruction of their capital, have had denote the less glorious manifestafamous synagogues, by one of the tions of his presence, Exod. xxxiii. Rabbies of which their large Talmud 23. He casts our sins behind his was framed, Psa. lxxxvii. 4. 1 Pet. back, when he fully forgives them, v. 13. This province contained the Isa. xxxviii. 17. with Psa. xc. 8. cities of Babylon, Vologesocerta, Jer. xvi. 17. He shows men the back Borsippa, Idiccara, Coche, Sura, and and not the face, when he refuseth to Pombeditha. show favour to them, Jer. xviii. 17.

4. Rome is called Babylon, to Christ's giving his back to the smiters, show the idolatry, superstition, lewd- and his cheeks to them that plucked ness, abused wealth, and bloody per-off the hair, implies his ready and secution of the people of God, that cheerful exposure of himself to sufferhave taken place in the Antichris-ing for our sake, Isa. i. 6. Men turn tian state, Rev. xiv. 8. xvii. and the back when they flee from a field xviii. of battle, Jer. xlviii. 39. Their To BABBLE, to utter a vast deal of turning their back on God or his temsenseless and unprofitable talk, Prov.ple, their looking back, going back, xxiii. 29. Acts xvii. 18. A babbler, drawing back, turning back, sliding unless restrained by fear or favour, back, from him, means their contempt will do mischief to men's characters of him; their gradual, and often inor interests, with the multitude of his sensible revolt from the knowledge, unadvised words, Eccl. x. 11. The love, profession, and practice, of his vain babbling, which ministers ought truth, Jer. ii. 27. and xxxii. 33. to shun, is all empty noise about Their casting him or his laws behind words, sentiments, and customs, not their back, imports their contempt and allowed by Christ, nor calculated to abhorrence of both, Ezek. xxiii. 35. promote the edification of men, 1 Neh. ix. 26. The church hath her Tim. vi. 20.

BACA, this word signifies mulberry-trees. It occurs but once in

back plowed on, when her members are cruelly oppressed and persecuted, Psalm cxxix. 3. The Jews, since

their crucifixion of Christ, have their BAD, EVIL, useless, disagreeable, back bowed down alway; the strength hurtful, Matt. xxii. 10. of their nation, their government,

XXV. 23.

BADGER, a four-footed beast that and great men, are gone; and they burrows in the earth. Some authors, are grievously oppressed with afflic-perhaps from their mere fancy, detion and sorrow, Rom. xi. 10: scribe a dog-badger; but that which BACK, or BACKWARD. In the is best known is the hog-badger, metaphorical language, to go or turn or brock. Its body is short, its hair back or backward, denotes apostacy long, and stiff as bristles, that on from God, Isa. i. 4. Jer. vii. 24. and the back is grayish, that on the side xv. 6. To be driven, turned, or fall yellowish, that on the legs black. Its backward, means disappointment; legs are short, and have sharp claws and sudden, unexpected, and fearful, on the two fore-feet. Its face is tridestruction, Psa. xl. 14. and lxx. 2. angular as that of a fox, but oddly Isa. xxviii. 13. and xlv. 25. To marked with white and black. Its turn judgment backward, is violently eyes are small, and its teeth and snout to pervert good laws and their sanc- like those of a dog. It feeds on small tions, in order to promote and main- animals and roots of vegetables, and tain wickedness, Isa. lix. 14. bites very hard. Its flesh is not disBACKBITE, to speak evil of one agreeable to eat. The hair is useful in his absence. The Hebrew word in pencils for painters and gilders; for it signifies, to go to and fro, to and the skins being an excellent, gather and spread calumny, Prov. though coarse preservative against rain, the uppermost covering of the BACKSLIDE, is gradually and vo- sacred tabernacle consisted of them; luntarily to turn from the knowledge, and might signify the outwardly mean faith, love, profession, and practice, of appearance of Christ and his church, religion, Jer. iii. 6-14. Hos. iv. 16. Exod. xxvi. 14. and xxxvi. 19.It seems to be a metaphor taken from Badger-skins were also used for beasts that are unaccustomed to the shoes, Ezek. xvi. 10. But perhaps yoke, or are slothful, and unwilling to those skins, in both cases, pertained draw in it; a striking emblem of to an animal different from our badbacksliders, who, through an unhal-ger. Some render the Hebrew TAlowed desire of comfort, rather than HASH, by blue, purple, or scarlet. purity, shrink from the cross which BAG, a sack or pouch, Deut. xxv. they ought to take up, and the duties 13. 1 Sam. xvii. 40. Treasures of they should perform: or, by yielding heavenly blessings that cannot be to slothfulness of spirit, neglect the scattered, lost, or fade away, are practice of self-denial. Backslidings called bags that wax not old, Luke xii. reprove one, and he is filled with them, 33. Riches, blasted by the curse of when the punishment due to them is God, are wages put into a bag with Jaid upon him till he is convinced of holes; they profit not the owner, but his guilt, or is terribly oppressed with are secretly, insensibly, and unexthe weight of it, Jer. ii. 19. Prov. xiv. 14. Backslidings are healed when they are freely forgiven, and one is recovered from them to a course of holiness, Hos. xiv. 4. A backslider in heart, is one who, however se- BAHURIM, a city of the Benjacretly, allows himself in a deliberate mites, about a mile, or perhaps concourse of revolting from God, Prov. siderably more, to the north-east of xiv. 14. To be bent to backsliding, is Jerusalem. It it said to be the same to be strongly set upon revolting as Almon; but it is certain, that thus from God, and disposed to take all far Phaltiel attended his wife Michal opportunities of doing it, Hos. xi. 7. in her return to David her first hus

pectedly consumed, Hag. i. 6. God seals and sews up men's iniquities in a bag, when he exactly remembers every act and circumstance of it, in order to punish them for it, Job xiv. 17.

band, 2 Sam. iii. 16. Here David from the truth, not a stranger to it. passed in his flight, just as the rebel-On the other hand, it is remarked, lious Absalom entered Jerusalem, and that he belonged not to Israel, among was grievously cursed by Shimei, one whom the knowledge of the true of the inhabitants; and here Ahi-God was, in a great measure, conmaaz and Jonathan hid themselves in fined: That he came from Aram or a well as they carried information to Mesopotamia, out of the mountains David, 2 Sam. xvi. 5. and xvii. 18. of the east, a country famous for BAJITH, a temple, or city where soothsayers and diviners, Isa. ii. 6. one was, in the country of Moab, That his mode of worship was conwhither the king unsuccessfully went trary to the law of Moses; he built up to bewail the state of his nation, seven altars, Numb. xxii. 1, 2. and and supplicate his idol's assistance went to seek for enchantments, against the Assyrian invaders, Isa. Numb. xxiv. 1. and is expressly XV. 2. It is possibly the same as called a soothsayer, Josh. xiii. 22. Let the reader judge for himself.—

Baal-meon.

BAKE. The baking of bread with It is abundantly evident, that the human dung, signified the extreme knowledge of the true God was not distress which the people in Jerusa- confined to the Jews: he revealed lem would feel in the siege which himself to Abimelech, Gen. xx. to took place shortly after, Ezek. iv. Pharaoh, Gen. xli. and to Nebuchad12. Ten women baking the bread of nezzar, Dan. ii. What striking lana nation in one oven, imports great guage do we find in the book of Job! scarcity of provisions, Lev. xxvi. The principal events recorded con26. The baker of the Israelites, who cerning Balaam, are the following: slept all night, might signify their The king of Moab and the elders of secure and indolent kings, who did Midian, alarmed by the powerful not attend to the danger the state appearance and deeds of Israel, and was then in of being inflamed with anxious to stop their progress, sent contentions, and destroyed by an messengers to Balaam, promising him Assyrian invasion, Hos. vii. 6. a valuable reward, if he would come

BALAAM, swallower of the people, and curse the Hebrews; which, they a noted prophet, or soothsayer, of hoped, would render them an easy the city of Pethor on the Euphrates, conquest. It was a very general was the son of Beor or Bosor.-His practice among the nations of antihistory, as recorded in scripture, has quity, to devote their enemies to deoccasioned much controversy. Whe-struction at the beginning of their ther Balaam was a prophet of the wars. Even the Romans had public Lord, or merely an enchanter, whose officers appointed to perform this powers originated with Satan. On ceremony; and the form of their exethe one hand it is observed, that, in crations is still preserved; see Ma2 Pet. ii. 14. he is called a prophet; crobii Saturnalia, Lib. III. cap. 9. he calls the God of Israel, The Lord Covetousness, we have good authomy God, Numb. xxii. 18. So high rity to say, (Jude 11. 2 Pet. ii. 15.) was his character, that Balak en-was a ruling lust with him; anxious forced his message by saying, "I to comply, he desired the messenwot that he whom thou blessest is gers of Balak to lodge with him that blessed, and he whom thou cursest is night, labouring, if possible, to serve cursed," Numb. xxii. 6. The man- God and Mammon. He, however, ner in which God spake to him, was dismissed them, because of the Lord's as if he had been accustomed to such refusal to let him go. Balak, more revelations; most important disco- and more anxious, sent other, and veries were made to him; and lastly, still more honourable, princes, inby what Peter and Jude say of him, creased his promises, and entreated they consider him as an apostate that nothing might hinder his com