The Two Babylons; or, The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife [Paperback]

Alexander Hislop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2006

The Providence of God, conspiring with the Word of God, by light pouring in from all quarters, makes it more and more evident that Rome is in very deed the Babylon of the Apocalypse; that the essential character of her system, the grand objects of her worship, her festivals, her doctrine and discipline, her rites and ceremonies, her priesthood and their orders, have all been derived from ancient Babylon; and, finally, that the Pope himself is truly and properly the lineal representative of Belshazzar. In the warfare that has been waged against the domineering pretensions of Rome, it has too often been counted enough merely to meet and set aside her presumptuous boast, that she is the mother and mistress of all churches--the one Catholic Church, out of whose pale there is no salvation. If ever there was excuse for such a mode of dealing with her, that excuse will hold no longer. If the position I have laid down can be maintained, she must be stripped of the name of a Christian Church altogether; for if it was a Church of Christ that was convened on that night, when the pontiff-king of Babylon, in the midst of his thousand lords, "praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of wood, and of stone" (Dan 5:4), then the Church of Rome is entitled to the name of a Christian Church; but not otherwise. This to some, no doubt, will appear a very startling position; but it is one which it is the object of this work to establish; and let the reader judge for himself, whether I do not bring ample evidence to substantiate my position.

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About the Author

Alexander Hislop (Born at Duns, Berwickshire, 1807; died Arbroath, 13 March 1865) was a Free Church of Scotland minister famous for his outspoken criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the son of Stephen Hislop (died 1837), a mason by occupation and an elder of the Relief Church. Alexander's brother was also named Stephen Hislop (lived 1817–1863) and became well known in his time as a missionary to India and a naturalist. Alexander was for a time parish schoolmaster of Wick, Caithness. In 1831 he married Jane Pearson. He was for a time editor of the Scottish Guardian newspaper. As a probationer he joined the Free Church of Scotland at the Disruption of 1843. He was ordained in 1844 at the East Free Church, Arbroath, where he became senior minister in 1864. He died of a paralytic stroke the next year after being ill for about two years. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: NuVision Publications (March 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595479600
• ISBN-13: 978-1595479600
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,183,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opener, December 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Babylons or the Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife (Paperback)

After reading this book and checking out the reliability of the information it contains, I have changed many of my traditions and religious beliefs. It is truly frightening to see how our eyes are blinded by the accepted religious traditions and we do things that are truly unacceptable to our Creator. I found the numerous descriptions of the origins of our religious icons to be fascinating and enlightening. Any person who is truly interested in pure, clean worship of our Creator MUST read this book.

66 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Which Stands the Test of Time, September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Two Babylons or The Papal Worship: Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and his Wife (Hardcover)

There's no doubt about it this book is a difficult read. However, with a little persistence you too can get through this book. This book is certainly controversial, especially in our politically correct society where it is a no-no to criticize anyone or anyone's beliefs. This book compares Roman Catholicism with ancient Pagan Beliefs (primarily Babylonian and Egyptian). It's true you cannot make a direct connection of the two belief systems but the similarities are definitely there for anyone with an OPEN mind to see. Any visitor to the Vatican can see the pagan symbology staring them straight in the face. However, most people would rather bury their heads in the sand than confront the pagan origins of many of today's so-called christian traditions. They fail to consider that if the Bible was their ONLY source for religion, then Christmas, Easter, Sunday Worship, the Trinity, Halloween, and Lent would fall by the wayside since these are not of Biblical origin but man-made traditions and beliefs. Truth is the beginning of knowledge. I would rate this book 5 stars if it were easier to read.

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great thesis, moderate research, horrible writing style, November 2, 2002

By 

Robert Leonhard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Two Babylons or the Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife (Paperback)

The thesis of this book is that Roman Catholicism is--to use the words of the author--"baptised paganism". The author states that the Roman Catholic Church, with its doctrines, organization, and practices, is simply a continuation of the ancient Babylonian "Mystery" religion built around the worship of Nimrod, his wife Semiramis, and the child Tammuz. He further states that the prophetic "Whore of Babylon" described in Revelation 17 and 18 is none other than the great false church of the Tribulation: the Roman Catholic Church. The thesis is startling, provocative, and, in my opinion, correct.

However, the author's scientific standard of research leaves much to be desired. For proof of his thesis he offers some hard facts, many more inferences, and lots of pure speculation. The voluminous footnotes do not go far in hiding the poor research standards. In the end, I believe a modern author ought to rewrite this book in the light of the most recent archaeology. The thesis deserves a better standard of scholarship.

The writing style is typical 19th century verbosity. The author writes with an intense conversational tone, as if he is urging the reader to agree immediately with his thesis. He would have spent his energies better writing with a more direct, dispassionate, and orderly style.

In the end, this book is well worth the price for those who are looking for the origins of Romanism and wonder why the Catholic practices are so distant from Biblical Christianity. Where do "popes", Mary-worship, confessionals, crossing oneself and the like come from? From ancient Babylon and her Mystery religion! After reading this book, you will never read Revelation 17:5 the same again.