The Witch of Babylon

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It takes place in the month of August, blessed by Shamash, Assyrian god of the sun.

Author’s Note

In 1922 a centuries-old scientific quest was finally solved. At the Sarcelles Gas Works, in the presence of two eyewitnesses, legendary French alchemist Eugène Canseliet succeeded in converting one hundred grams of lead into gold. He never shared his secret and the formula remains a mystery.

Historical Note

Perched on an arc of the Tigris River, Nineveh was once the star in the crown of the great Assyrian empire. Immense walls, six feet thick at their narrowest point and eight miles long, with fifteen magnificent gates, fortified the city. An aqueduct from the foothills of the Taurus Mountains brought water to the glorious temples, libraries, palaces, and gardens within.

Nineveh’s splendor did not last. In 612 B.C., Cyaxares, King of the Medes, supported by Babylonians from the south and Black Sea region tribes, laid siege to the city. In short order Nineveh fell. It was burned, sacked, and abandoned, never to rise again.

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