in bitumen, and
were further guarded by two walls of brick, which skirted them along
their whole length. In each of these walls were twenty-five gates,
corresponding to the number of the streets which gave upon the river;
and outside each gate was a sloped landing place, by which you could
descend to the water's edge, if you had occasion to cross the river.
Boats were kept ready at these landing-places to convey passengers from
side to side; while for those who disliked this method of conveyance
a bridge was provided of a somewhat peculiar construction. A number
of stone piers were erected in the bed of the stream, firmly clamped
together with fastenings of iron and lead; wooden drawbridges connected
pier with pier during the day, and on these passengers passed over; but
at night they were withdrawn, in order that the bridge might not be used
during the dark. Diodorus declares that besides this bridge, to which he
assigns a length of five stades (about 1000 yards) and a breadth of 30
feet, the two sides of the river were joined together by a tunnel, which
was fifteen feet wide and twelve high to the spring of its arched roof.

The most remarkable buildings which the city contained were the two
palaces, one on either side of the river, and the great temple of
Belus. Herodotus describes the great temple as contained within a square
enclosure, two stades (nearly a quarter of a mile) both in length and
breadth. Its chief feature was the _ziggurat_ or tower, a huge solid
mass of brick-work, built (like all Babylonian temple-towers) in stages,
square being emplaced on square, and a sort of rude pyramid being thus
formed, at the top of which was the main shrine of the god. The basement
platform of the Belus tower was, Herodotus tells us, a stade, or rather
more than 200 yards, each way. The number of stages was eight. The
ascent to the highest stage, which contained the shrine of the god, was
on the outside, and consisted either of steps, or of an inclined plane,
carried round the four sides of the building, and in this way conducting
to the top. According to Strabo the tower was a stado (606 feet 9
inches) in height; but this estimate, if it is anything more than a
conjecture, must represent rather the length of the winding ascent than
the real altitude of the building. The great pyramid itself was only 480
feet high; and it is very questionable whether any Babylonian building
ever equalled it. About half-way up the ascent was