Isaiah 13:17,19-20 (Babylon)
Prophecy
Isaiah predicted the permanent desolation of Babylon, identifying the Medes as the instrument of judgment.
Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them... — Isaiah 13:17 (ESV)
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations... — Isaiah 13:19-20 (ESV)
Textual & Historical Nuance
Critics often point out that it was Cyrus the Persian (not the Medes alone) who conquered Babylon in 539 BCE. However, historical context clarifies this:
- Medo-Persian Empire: Cyrus ruled a combined empire of Medes and Persians. The two groups were closely allied and ethnically related.
- Cyrus's Heritage: Cyrus's mother was Mandane of Media, making him half-Mede.
- Contemporary Usage: Greek historians like Herodotus and Thucydides often referred to the Persian wars as "Median" affairs, showing the terms were often used interchangeably or inclusively in the ancient world.
Fulfillment
Historians
While Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BCE without immediately destroying it, the city began a long decline. It was eventually abandoned and fell into ruin. By the time of the New Testament, it was largely deserted. Today, the site of ancient Babylon (in modern-day Iraq) is a ruin, uninhabited as a living city, fulfilling the prophecy of permanent desolation.
Babylon — World History Encyclopedia
The Desolation of Babylon — Christian Publishing House
Conclusion
Every measurable aspect of the prophecy was fulfilled according to historians. The city of Babylon, once the greatest in the world, is now an uninhabited archaeological site, confirming the prediction that it would "never be inhabited" again.