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Thu 12 Dec 2008Sifting reality from myth
For many, Babylon represents excess, greed and sexual licence, but its rich culture gave us the first numbers, law-making and astronomy, writes Mary Russell.
OUTSIDE THE TALL, ornate gates of the British Museum, tourists check their maps, taxis hoot, traffic lights change from red to green. Normality is here. But walk inside to the current exhibition, Babylon: Myth and Reality, and feel your blood chill as you step into the room dedicated to Belshazzar's Feast.
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