according to [428] Isaiah, and by consequence, by Pul and his son Nabonassar, as above:  they founded the city for the Arabians_, and set up the towers thereof, and raised the Palaces thereof_:  and at that time Sabacon the Ethiopian invaded Egypt, and made great multitudes of Egyptians fly from him into Chaldaea, and carry thither their Astronomy, and Astrology, and Architecture, and the form of their year, which they preserved there in the AEra of Nabonassar:  for the practice of observing the Stars began in Egypt in the days of Ammon, as above, and was propagated from thence in the Reign of his son Sesac into Afric, Europe, and Asia by conquest; and then Atlas formed the Sphere of the Libyans, and Chiron that of the Greeks, and the Chaldaeans also made a Sphere of their own.  But Astrology was invented in Egypt by Nichepsos, or Necepsos, one of the Kings of the lower Egypt, and Petosiris his Priest, a little before the days of Sabacon, and propagated thence into Chaldaea, where Zoroaster the Legislator of the Magi met with it:  so Paulinus,

  Quique magos docuit mysteria vana Necepsos: 

And Diodorus, [429] they say that the Chaldaeans_ in Babylonia are colonies of the Egyptians, and being taught by the Priests of Egypt became famous for Astrology_.  By the influence of the same colonies, the Temple of Jupiter Belus in Babylon seems to have been erected in the form of the Egyptian Pyramids:  for [430] this Temple was a solid Tower or Pyramid a furlong square, and a furlong high, with seven retractions, which made it appear like eight towers standing upon one another, and growing less and less to the top:  and in the eighth tower was a Temple with a bed and a golden table, kept by a woman, after the manner of the Egyptians in the Temple of Jupiter Ammon at Thebes; and above the Temple was a place for observing the Stars:  they went up to the top of it by steps on the outside, and the bottom was compassed with a court, and the court with a building two furlongs in length on every side.

The Babylonians were extreamly addicted to Sorcery, Inchantments, Astrology and Divinations, Isa. xlvii. 9, 12, 13. Dan. ii. 2, & v. 11. and to the worship of Idols, Jer. l. 2, 40. and to feasting, wine and women. Nihil urbis ejus corruptius moribus, nec ad irritandas illiciendasque immodicas voluptates instructius.  Liberos conjugesque cum hospitibus stupro coire, modo pretium flagitii detur, parentes maritique patiuntur.  Convivales ludi tota Perside regibus purpuratisque cordi sunt:  Babylonii maxime in vinum & quae ebrietatem sequuntur effusi sunt.  Faeminarum convivia ineuntium in principio modestus est habitus; dein summa quaeque