"سرد لرحلة إلى موقع مدينة بابل في ١٨١١، طُبعت الآن لأول مرة: مذكرات على الأطلال؛ مع نقوش من الخرائط المدبئية للمؤلف: ملاحظات على طبوغرافية بابل القديمة،بقلم الرائد رينيل؛ في إشارة إلى المذكرات: مذكرات ثانية على الأطلال؛ في إشارة إلى ملاحظات الرائد رينيل: مع سرد لرحلة إلى برسبوليس: طُبعت الآن لأول مرة، مع كتابات مسمارية نسخت في برسبوليس ولم تُنشر من قبل: كتبها الراحل كلوديوس جيمس ريتش، المحترم، المقيم البريطاني السابق لشركة الهند الشرقية في بغداد. حررته أرملته." [‎٢‎٣] (٤٧٤/٥٠)

INTRODUCTION.
xxiii
completely fallen from her ancient splendour, and
was beginning to wear a deserted appearance.
The houses were few and scattered abroad, and
the rest of the area of that once flourishing city was
now turned into fields and cultivated lands. Indeed,
Alexander, who had desired to be the restorer of
Babylon's splendour, may be considered as her final
destroyer. He was the first who broke down the
innermost or sole remaining wall of the city, the
two outer ones only having been ruined by Da
rius ; * and it was in his time likewise that the wor
ship of Bel ceased.
But he was an instrument in the hand of God,
whose unchangeable and secret purposes he, like
all other conquerors, executed without knowing it,
and even against his will.f By him were ac
complished the Prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah,
and Babylon was finally and completely destroyed. J
Thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that
thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither
didst remember the latter end of it. Therefore hear
now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest
carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, and none
* " Thus saith the Lord of Hosts : the broad walls of Babylon shall
be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burnt with fire; and
the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall
be weary—Jeremiah, li. 58.
t " I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside
me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me."—Isaiahxlv. 5.
% M. de St. Croix considers Alexander as the last scourge spoken
of by the prophets in the threatened ruin of Babylon; and it is his
opinion that this has been overlooked by interpreters of prophecy.