Is the Whore of Babylon a person, a place, or a political empire?
In the Book of Revelation, a woman dressed in scarlet and gold sits upon a beast, holding a cup of abominations. While many see her as a literal figure of evil, scholars argue she is a complex cipher for Rome, Jerusalem, or even the very nature of religious corruption.
The figure known as 'Babylon the Great' is a multifaceted symbol within Christian escitology. According to Revelation 17, she is described as a woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, sitting upon a seven-headed, ten-horned beast [S1:p4]. Her identity is a subject of intense scholarly debate, ranging from the identification of the Roman Empire to more localized interpretations of Jerusalem.
One prominent view, supported by the 'seven mountains' description in Revelation 17:9, identifies her as Rome, as the city is famously built on seven hills [S1:p9]. This is reinforced by historical evidence, such as a coin minted under Emperor Vespasian around 70 AD, which depicts Rome as a woman on seven hills [S1:p9]. Other scholars, however, suggest she represents an 'apostate false queen'—a former bride who has become unfaithful—pointing to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD as the true fulfillment of the prophecy [S1:p11].
The symbolism extends beyond geography into the realm of spiritual principles. St. Augustine of Hippo proposed a dualistic view, where Babylon represents the 'love of the world' and Jerusalem represents the 'love of God' [S1:p16]. During the Reformation, figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin used the 'Whore' as a metaphor for the Catholic Church [S1:p19]. Even modern groups like the Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses use the figure to describe various 'false religions' or the 'world empire of false religion' [S1:p26].
Beyond traditional Christianity, the figure has been reimagined in modern occultism. Aleister Crowley's Thelema features 'Babalon,' a goddess representing the female sexual impulse and the liberated woman, who is depicted riding the Beast [S1:<0xE2><0x80><0x8A>p28, p29].
Source: Whore of Babylon
