As the chief fane in the land after Babylon became the capital， and the type of many similar erections， ê-sagila， the temple of Belus， merits just a short notice.According to Herodotus， it was a massive tower within an enclosure measuring 400 yards each way， and provided with gates of brass， or rather bronze.The tower within consisted of a kind of step-pyramid， the stages being seven in number (omitting the lowest， which was the platform forming the foundation of the structure).A winding ascent gave access to the top， where was a chapel or shrine， containing no statue， but regarded by the Babylonians as the abode of the god.Lower down was another shrine， in which was placed a great statue of Zeus (Bel-Merodach) sitting， with a large table before it.Both statue and table are said to have been of gold， as were also the throne and the steps.Outside the sanctuary (on the ramp， apparently) were two altars， one small and made of gold， whereon only unweaned lambs were sacrificed， and the other larger， for full-grown victims.
A Babylonian description.
In 1876 the well-known Assyriologist， Mr.George Smith， was fortunate enough to discover a Babylonian description of this temple， of which he published a /précis/.According to this document， there were two courts of considerable extent， the smaller within the larger--neither of them was square， but oblong.Six gates admitted to the temple-area surrounding the platform upon which the tower was built.The platform is stated to have been square and walled， with four gates facing the cardinal points.Within this wall was a building connected with the great /zikkurat/ or tower--the principal edifice--round which were chapels or temples to the principal gods， on all four sides， and facing the cardinal points--that to Nebo and Ta？m？t being on the east， to Aa or êa and Nusku on the north， Anu and Bel on the south， and the series of buildings on the west， consisting of a double house--a small court between two wings， was evidently the shrine of Merodach (Belos).
In these western chambers stood the couch of the god， and the golden throne mentioned by Herodotus， besides other furniture of great value.
The couch was given as being 9 cubits long by 4 broad， about as many feet in each case， or rather more.
The centre of these buildings was the great /zikkurat/， or temple-tower， square on its plan， and with the sides facing the cardinal points.The lowest stage was 15 /gar/ square by 5 1/2 high (Smith， 300feet by 110)， and the wall， in accordance with the usual Babylonian custom， seems to have been ornamented with recessed groovings.The second stage was 13 /gar/ square by 3 in height (Smith， 260 by 60feet).He conjectured， from the expression used， that it had sloping sides.Stages three to five were each one /gar/ (Smith， 20 feet) high， and respectively 10 /gar/ (Smith， 200 feet)， 8 1/2 /gar/ (170 feet)， and 7 /gar/ (140 feet) square.The dimensions of the sixth stage are omitted， probably by accident， but Smith conjectures that they were in proportion to those which precede.His description omits also the dimensions of the seventh stage， but he gives those of the sanctuary of Belus， which was built upon it.This was 4 /gar/ long， 3 1/2 /gar/broad， and 2 1/2 /gar/ high (Smith， 80 x 70 x 50 feet).He points out， that the total height was， therefore， 15 /gar/， the same as the dimensions of the base， i.e.， the lowest platform， which would make the total height of this world-renowned building rather more than 300feet above the plains.
Other temple-towers.
Towers of a similar nature were to be found in all the great cities of Babylonia， and it is probable that in most cases slight differences of form were to be found.That at Niffer， for instance， seems to have had a causeway on each side， making four approaches in the form of a cross.But it was not every city which had a tower of seven stages in addition to the platform on which it was erected， and some of the smaller ones at least seem to have had sloping or rounded sides to the basement-portion， as is indicated by an Assyrian bas-relief.Naturally small temples， with hardly more than the rooms on the ground floor， were to be found， but these temple-towers were a speciality of the country.
Their origin.
There is some probability that， as indicated in the tenth chapter of Genesis， the desire in building these towers was to get nearer the Deity， or to the divine inhabitants of the heavens in general--it would be easier there to gain attention than on the surface of the earth.Then there was the belief， that the god to whom the place was dedicated would come down to such a sanctuary， which thus became， as it were， the stepping-stone between heaven and earth.Sacrifices were also offered at these temple-towers (whether on the highest point or not is not quite certain)， in imitation of the Chald？an Noah， Ut-napi？tim， who， on coming out of the ark， made an offering /ina zikkurat ？adê/， "on the peak of the mountain，" in which passage， it is to be noted， the word /zikkurat/ occurs with what is probably a more original meaning.
