In Depth Analysis
The Two Babylons — Alexander Hislop's Landmark Work
First published as a pamphlet in 1853 and greatly expanded in 1858, The Two Babylons, or The Papal Worship Proved to Be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife remains one of the most widely circulated religious texts of the nineteenth century. Written by Alexander Hislop (1807-1865), a theologian of the Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland, the book has sold millions of copies, been translated into numerous languages, and continues to influence Protestant and Reformed thought today.
Hislop lived during an era of intense religious ferment — the rise of biblical criticism, the expansion of the British Empire, and a renewed interest in the archaeology of the ancient Near East. As a minister in the Free Church of Scotland, a denomination born from a schism over state control of the church, he was steeped in a tradition that emphasised the purity of Scripture and viewed Roman Catholicism with clear-eyed suspicion. His book emerged from this milieu, combining theological conviction with an ambitious reconstruction of ancient history.
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