International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Dura
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Dura
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dū´ra (דּוּר×, duÌ„raÌ„'): The name of the plain on which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, set up the great golden image which all his subjects were ordered to worship (). Oppert placed it to the Southeast of Babylon, near a small river and mounds bearing the name of Douair or DuÌ‚air, where, also, was what seemed to be the base of a great statue (Expéd. scientifique en Mésopotamie, I, 238 f). Others have believed that name to indicate a portion of the actual site of Babylon within the great wall (duÌ‚ru) of the city - perhaps the rampart designated duÌ‚r SÌŒu-anna, “the rampart (of the city) Lofty-defense,†a name of Babylon. The fact that the plain was within the city of Babylon precludes an identification with the city DuÌ‚ru, which seems to have lain in the neighborhood of Erech (Hommel, Grundriss, 264, note 5). It is noteworthy that the Septuagint substitutes ΔεειÏαÌ, DeeiraÌ, for Dura, suggesting that the Greek translators identified it with the Babylonian DeÌ‚ru, a city which apparently lay toward the Elamite border. It seems to have been called also DuÌ‚r-ı̂li, “god's rampart.†That it was at some distance is supported by the list WAI, IV, 36 [38, where DuÌ‚ru, Tutul and Gudua (Cuthah), intervene between DeÌ‚ru or DuÌ‚r-ı̂li and Tindir (Babylon). “The plain of the duÌ‚r†or “rampart†within Babylon would therefore seem to be the best rendering.