U.S. pledges $700K to rebuild Babylon

Associated Press - 1/12/2009 9:25:00 AMBookmark and Share

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has pledged $700,000 to help preserve and restore ancient Babylon.



In a news release, the U.S. State Department says "'The Future of Babylon' project exemplifies the American people's commitment to the preservation of human heritage and their respect for the cultural heritage of Iraq."


The State Department says the funding will allow the World Monuments Fund and Iraq's Board of Antiquities and Heritage to plan for Babylon's "conservation, study and tourism."


In the Bible, Isaiah prophesies that Babylon "will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation."