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Stephanie Dalley
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The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: An Elusive World Wonder Traced First Edition

by Stephanie Dalley (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 138 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon is an exciting story of detection involving legends, expert decipherment of ancient texts, and a vivid description of a little-known civilization. Recognized in ancient times as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the legendary Hanging Garden of Babylon and its location have long been steeped in mystery and puzzling myths.

In this remarkable volume Stephanie Dalley, a world expert on ancient Babylonian language, exposes new evidence and clarifies all the known material about this enigmatic World Wonder. Placing the Garden within a tradition of royal patronage, Dalley describes how the decipherment of an original text and its link to sculpture in the British Museum has enabled her to pin down where and by which king the Garden was laid out, and to describe in detail what it looked like. Through this dramatic and fascinating reconstruction of the Garden, Dalley also follows its influence on later garden design.

Unscrambling layer by layer the many stories that have built up around the Garden, including the parts played by Semiramis and Nebuchadnezzar, Dalley shows why this Garden deserves its place alongside the Pyramids and the Colossus of Rhodes as one of the most astonishing technical achievements of the ancient world.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199662266
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199662265
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    August 1, 2013
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 9 inches
  8. Print length
    304 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The locations of most of the seven wonders of the ancient world were known, but not that of the fabled Hanging Garden of Babylon, when Dalley embarked on research into it. A scholar of cuneiform texts, Dalley interprets many pieces of such archaeological evidence, but initially she reviews the descriptions of a fabulous garden given by ancient Greek and Roman authors. Only one, Josephus, specified Babylon as the location, a minority voice that provokes Dalley’s suspicion that it was built elsewhere. As prelude to tackling that mystery, she discusses irrigation in ancient Mesopotamia, delving into detail about the water-raising device known as the Archimedes screw. Royal boasts in cuneiform about construction projects inform Dalley’s discussion, which strives to dispel confusion among the experts about which monarch built what palace and grounds. Dalley’s assessments induce her to propose that the garden was built by Sennacherib at Nineveh and probably was destroyed along with the rest of the city in 612 BCE. Loaded with illustrations, this work makes an intriguing argument as it accesses a special subject for general readers. --Gilbert Taylor

Review

"[Dalley] makes a compelling case. Scholars will doubtless find matter for debate, but her central argument rings true." --The Sunday Times

"[A] learned and never less than gripping study... There remain plenty of scholars who still stick by the traditional attribution of the wonder to Nebuchadnezzar, but I suspect that, with the publication of this book, Dalley will be adding to her already heavy-weight roster of supporters... [When] the inadequacies of a received tradition are as glaring as they clearly are in the case of the Hanging Garden, it is a cause for celebration that there are scholars of the calibre of Stephanie Dalley to propose a convincing alternative." --Literary Review

"[A] bold, clear and immensely interesting new book. Every good summer needs a controversy and Dalley's high-class book and sheer likeability have now given us an excellent one." --Financial Times

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; First Edition (August 1, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199662266
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199662265
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 138 ratings

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Stephanie Dalley

Stephanie Dalley

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
138 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

vitruvius
5.0 out of 5 stars ENJOYABLE HISTORICAL DETECTIVE STORY
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013
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Though I lack the academic credentials to dispute any part of the author's solution to "The Mystery of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon", I enjoyed every step of her convincing investigation, and would be interested to read any serious objections. The footnotes and bibliography support the most thorough research into every aspect of the written and archaelogical evidence. There are many figures, and some color photos, including stills from her BBC documentary of 1999, which is now available on line. Since this is a mystery apparently solved, I shall not disclose any spoilers. However, here are a couple of things not generally known outside academic circles: An analysis of samples, taken in 1935, confirmed that concrete was used by the civilization that created the Garden. Even recent books continue to state that the Romans invented concrete, when in fact they perfected the mix by adding volcanic ash, etc, and were also masters of its use underwater. The use of bronze-cast screws, explained here, and recreated in the documentary, suggests that this civilization had mastered this device hundreds of years before Archimedes, who is usually given credit. And hydraulic engineering in general was of course an essential component. This book is not "fantastic archaeology", a speculative fantasy resting on nothing. It is a work of serious scholarship, well written for a wide audience. It belongs in every collection on archaeology and the ancient near east,and I have no reservations about placing it on my shelf with established studies in those fields.
58 people found this helpful
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Bowtiegirl
5.0 out of 5 stars VERY Well Written
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2022
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Very interesting, about one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. This is a tribute to ingenuity of our ancestors. Definitely suggested reading.
3 people found this helpful
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becky lou evans
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2015
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It was very informative. Not a lite read but interesting.
One person found this helpful
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Rogelio M. Jose Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars “The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon” by Dr. Stephanie Dalley
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2022
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The book presented the details of the location, it’s architect and present-day evidence of the legend of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. According to Dr. Stephanie Dalley, the gardens were not a legend after all but was actually built 340 miles north of ancient Babylon in Nineveh, Tigris River in Iraq not by Nebuchadnezzar II but by an Assyrian king named Sennacherib about a century earlier than previously thought. This book, “The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon” is a must read for students of Assyrian history.
4 people found this helpful
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Zario
5.0 out of 5 stars The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Nineveh!
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2014
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The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon by Stephanie Dally, the elusive ancient Seventh Wonder of the World, is exquisitely written and obviously scholarly, perhaps even exhaustively so, but captivating nonetheless from beginning to end, albeit the author proves that the Garden was at Nineveh by the Tigris, not Babylon by the Euphrates. Read the book and see for yourself how she works that bit of magic--backed by rational thought and scholarly detective work worthy of her credentials at the Oriental Institute of Oxford! --Zario Zolo
8 people found this helpful
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Margarita Aguila
5.0 out of 5 stars you will enjoy this book
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2013
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Anyone can read this book. That is to say, you don't need to by an expert in archeology or history to enjoy the writing. It provides new and old evidence that challenges the encyclopedia's definition of The Hanging Garden of Babylon and its creator. The author guides you through several chapters filled with evidence ranging from Greek literature, technology, architecture and symbolism by providing plates and writings to make her point. Recommended.
17 people found this helpful
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Prince Charming
3.0 out of 5 stars Poor graphics.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2017
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Interesting and convincing hypothesis. And educational, but she is too familiar with her subject so can lose the reader. "Family trees" would be most helpful [kings, queens, other concubines, sons, grandsons, etc], as well as equivalency tables for the shared 'creators' and gods" between the cultures discussed. Mixes meters, feet and cubits in the same translation, so again no equivalency. [And I believe never an explanation of cubits] . Poor graphics.
2 people found this helpful
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William J. Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, lots of detail and a great study ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014
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Great book, lots of detail and a great study into the mystery as to why the excavations did not reveal the hanging gardens in Babylon. Highly recommend as a alternative view to history and maybe the truth if one is willing to expand their thought process.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Howard
5.0 out of 5 stars Archeological adventure at its best
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2017
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This book is exciting from beginning to end. It is the wonderful account of current and past effort to produce a modern day solution to an ancient riddle.
Ian Anderson
One person found this helpful
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gc
5.0 out of 5 stars A great archeological book for everybody
Reviewed in Germany on May 9, 2014
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The hanging gardens have been a mystery for many decades. It seems that this book reveals the truth.
Besides solving the puzzle the book is excellent reading for everybody interested in archaeology of Mesopotamia. And it is a delight just to read it!
gerhard chroust
One person found this helpful
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N N Al-Salihi
5.0 out of 5 stars The Controversey of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2014
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Very interesting piece of ancient Mesapotamian history which we often forget in favour of history of the Nile civilization much of which followed a melenia after Mesapotamia. Dr.Dalley writes a very interesting book which has been followed by a program on television. She is obviously a very well informed Assyriologist and obviously loves that part of what is today the North of Iraq. However her conclusion that the Gardens were in Nineva and not Babylon is based on her conclusion that there is no evidence of the Hanging Gardens being in Babylon. The German Archiologist Robert Koldeway, in 1899 dug the various sites at Babylon for nearly fourteen years and unerthed many of its features including those reported by Diodorus. Among these was what appeared to him to be the cellar of the gardens including a room with three large holes in the floor. From which Koldeway concluded that this had been the location of the chain pumps that raised the water to the top of the gardens from where irrigation water would flow by gravity. The source of water would have been either a small farm channel from the Euphrates which flowed through Babylon or alternatively, if the three shafts were deep enough , from seepage from the river. The flow required to irrigate an area of 1.5 ha, which is the area given by Dr. Dalley for the Nineva gardens would require no more than a continious flow of three liters a second to deliver a water daily requirement of about 90 cubic meters in the summer months in the central climatic zone of Iraq, where Babylon is located. I found Dr. Dalley's information about the very advanced state of water management established by the assyrian king Senacharib very interesting, where she demonstrates that the inclined water lifting devices using helical shaftes (similar to present day archemedian screw pumps) was actually used by the Mesapotamians at least four centuries before the birth of the Greek Archamides. The fact that Alexanders legions would have camped by the Jerwan aquaduct (which used arched supports the like of which the greek homland would not have seen for several centuries to come) prior to the very decisive battle of Gogomela (where Darius iii, of persia was defeated and Alexanders armies progressed to the Nile, Babylon, Persia and the Indus) on the plains of Arbil is a very interesting point which further shows the historical importance of Mesapotamia, However I see no reason why there could not have been two such gardens (about 150 years apart), one in Nineva, built by Senecharib, and the second in Babylon, built by the Neo Babylonian Nebukadnezzar. As for there not being any evidence of the Gardens being in Babylon, there is apparently a report that they were destroyed by an earthquake in the second century BCE.
Be it as it may, I am sure the controversey raised by this book may continue for a long time to come.
Nejdet Al-Salihi (a Mesapotamian and an irrigation engineer).
10 people found this helpful
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Hip O' Krit
5.0 out of 5 stars Pas de reproche
Reviewed in France on August 8, 2013
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Livraison rapide dans un emballage parfait. Ouvrage très intéressant et bien écrit (rare dans le genre) qui bouscule bien des idées reçues depuis des millénaires; malgré l'absence de quelques photos couleur et malgré l' agrandissement insuffisant des gravures de bas reliefs, qui soumet le lecteur à la rude épreuve de la détection de détails, richement décrits par l'archéologue.
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Linda Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars I Love A Good Mystery!
Reviewed in Australia on June 6, 2014
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I am a very keen gardener and like to read books about garden history. This is a scholary work and still very easy to read. I have a US stamp showing Mickey Mouse and Goofy with gardening gear with the Hanging Gardens in the background, so obviously there are others who agree with Ms Dalley that Nebuchanezzar was not the builder of these Gardens! Seriously however I agree with her theory. It is meticulously analysed and well argued. I would recommend this book to garden history lovers and those who like a good real historical mystery.
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