The "Hanging Gardens" in CaSino City?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is now believed to be found in the city of Ninevah- the New Babylon city (Near today Mosul in Iraq) and not as previous thought in Babylon. Ninevah -then in around 780BC was a great city but also a wicked one. And the book of Jonah which contained only 4 simple chapters described Jonah's reluctance to preach to this sinful city of about 120,000 people. In his final sulking, God provided the broad leaf shade tree over Jonah to shield him form the scorching heat and only to have it taken away the next day by the worm to teach Jonah a lesson on anger management and mercy.
Sounds all too familiar :)
Little red dot pride itself to be a garden city envisioned to be a city in a garden. She is more than the hanging gardens built by the King Senacherib of Assyrian 2700 years ago.
This little red dot boast of many 'Firsts" on world map -some are good boast while many are not. The most recent only was a report that came out a few days ago - "Singapore is now the most expensive city in the world" Sad :(
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2573676/The-worlds-expensive-city-named-Singapore-London-takes-15th-place.html
Any surprise?
Perhaps not.
1. Our Supertrees Garden in Marina Bay Vs Hanging Gardens in Ninevah?
GARDENS BY THE BAY is Singapore's newest icon -- a $1-billion investment over a 100-hectare green park zone located in Marina Bay's "new downtown" area. It is known for its 12 Steel Giant Supertreesand 2 cooled dome conservatories: The Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome.
It is a project by Singapore's National Parks Board, which aims to boldly transform the City of Singapore into a "City in a Garden" instead of just a "Garden City". It was recently awarded the World Building of the Year in the World Architecture Festival 2012
How much could it have cost King Sennacherib of
Assyria to built this back then??? Any wonder of this wonders?
For centuries, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were thought to have been built in the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon, because of the name.
This location led people to believe it was built by the Emperor Nebuchadnezzar who lived around 600 BC.
Since this time, archaeologists and historians have scoured the location of the ancient city but have been unable to find any physical evidence they existed - leading some to believe the gardens are a myth.
It is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World and was called the Hanging Gardens because they were supposedly built high above the ground on split-level stone terraces.
Some texts referred to the plants in the gardens as ‘floating’ but they were believed, instead, to have hung from these different terraces, giving them the appearance of being suspended in mid-air.
A Greek historian named Diordorus Siculus described the gardens as being 400ft wide by 400ft long, with walls as high as 80ft.
Due to this height, water was said to have been transported from a lake at the bottom using a similar principle as Archimedes’ screw – a pump that scoops up water in a spiral tube and carries it to the top.
It was said to have been invented by Archimedes in the 3rd Century BC yet if a similar system was used in the gardens, this would predate it by around 350 years.
Given the size, historians have estimated the gardens would have used 8,200 gallons of water a day to water the plants.
Some historians and archaeologists believe that the gardens were destroyed by war and erosion, while others believe an earthquake destroyed them.
2. Our undersea Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) vs the Penang 2nd New bridge (PB)
MCE VS PB
- MCE opened on 29/12/2-13 vs PB on 1/3/2014
- MCE total length is 5km vs PB of 26km
- MCE undersea is 3.6km vs PB above sea 16km
- MCE is 5 lane vis PB 2 lane
- MCE cost S$4.35bn vs PB RM4.5bn (S$1.73bin est)
- MCE cost S$860mio per km vs PB S$66mio per km
- MCE sees hard concrete precast and artificial lightings vs PB sees waters/sea - natural lights from the sun, blue sky and moon & stars
Interesting facts. Well, with our president and prime ministers' glorious pay for ruling over coming projected 6.9m mortals on the 700 sq km lump of earth, the piece of paper costing over $70k as requirement before qualification to own a 1.6l car, the hundredths of thousands of dollars to multimillion homes here...the easy foreign levies of more than S$600 per blue collar unskilled foreign workers here....shouldnt' red dot own the right to achieve this most expensive city in the award in 2014?
Red dot has come a long way. This dot is now made famous as she made it to the top of the list on the world map now. Whee!
Perhaps the dream & vision of a father like King David, built and fulfilled by the son- Solomon and made possible by the contribution of the most holy gohst!
Reflections
Where is home truly?
Like the Singapore river that flows through this garden city in this song, I am reminded that there is a pure river of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1) somewhere in time where I would see. Red dot reminds me of the wicked city of Ninevah. We can become like little Jonahs...running away (sounds like migration thoughts) and wishing to die ( sounds like suicidal thoughts)
YET, Yahweh is still merciful to both Jonah and Ninevah - and the 120,000 citizens who couldn't discern between their right hand and their left hand.
So where is home truly? Well, expensive city like Singapore or the cheapest city like Mumbai, India - they will never be truly our earthly home. Where our hearts are, there is the treasure.King Solomon at the end of it all, bemoans that all is vanity. Then shall dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it Ecc 12:7
Ecc 3:11 God has made everything beautiful in his time, also he has set the world in our hearts. Eternity is in our hearts. That homecoming feeling that makes one wonder all the time. Arriving at Changi Airport after being away is a great feeling. Good feeling to know that I am back home in this garden city. But there is a greater sense of homegoing...this world is not my home, I am just a pilgrim passing through.
Jonah must have felt exactly what King Solomon had experienced in his quest of life. Ecc 3:16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, that wickedness was there and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there...God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Alas, one alone cannot change the world or system but only what we can do bit by bit. Yes, we are in the world but we are not of the world. We are born in another heavenly citizenship with only social or employment pass on this red dot! It is not about having the red passport or attaining the permanent residence here. LOL! Thank God only temporal here on red dot...else how to afford the retirement here - in this most expensive city in the world! Oh mind!
So when at times I am feeling low or when troubles come like this song "Home truly" I will remind myself of the river of life that flows from the throne, not the Singapore River ...heh heh...so that I know I am Home in the place I truly belong:)
Conclusion:
Ecc 12:13-14" Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the WHOLE DUTY of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether is be good or whether it be evil"
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