2023-04-26_The_Walls_of_Babylon
00:00:00.000 | The holidays start here at Ralph's with a variety of options to celebrate traditions old and new.
00:00:05.800 | Whether you're making a traditional roasted turkey or spicy turkey tacos,
00:00:10.200 | your go-to shrimp cocktail, or your first Cajun risotto,
00:00:13.800 | Ralph's has all the freshest ingredients to embrace your traditions.
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00:00:30.000 | Old Banzar, grim warrior of another day,
00:00:32.800 | stood guard at the passageway leading to the top of the ancient walls of Babylon.
00:00:36.800 | Up above, valiant defenders were battling to hold the walls.
00:00:40.800 | Upon them depended the future existence of this great city with its hundreds of thousands of citizens.
00:00:47.800 | Over the walls came the roar of the attacking armies,
00:00:51.200 | the yelling of many men, the trampling of thousands of horses,
00:00:54.800 | the deafening boom of the battering rams pounding the bronzed gates.
00:00:59.200 | In the street behind the gate lounged the spearmen,
00:01:02.600 | waiting to defend the entrance should the gates give way.
00:01:06.000 | They were but few for the task.
00:01:08.400 | The main armies of Babylon were with their king,
00:01:11.000 | far away in the east on the great expedition against the Elamites.
00:01:14.800 | No attack upon the city having been anticipated during their absence,
00:01:18.200 | the defending forces were small.
00:01:21.000 | Unexpectedly, from the north bore down the mighty armies of the Assyrians.
00:01:25.400 | And now the walls must hold, or Babylon was doomed.
00:01:30.800 | About Banzar were great crowds of citizens,
00:01:34.000 | white-faced and terrified, eagerly seeking news of the battle.
00:01:38.200 | With hushed awe they viewed the stream of wounded and dead
00:01:42.400 | being carried or led out of the passageway.
00:01:45.800 | Here was the crucial point of the attack.
00:01:48.000 | After three days of circling about the city, the enemy had suddenly thrown
00:01:51.200 | his great strength against this section and this gate.
00:01:54.800 | The defenders from the top of the wall fought off the climbing platforms
00:01:58.000 | and the scaling ladders of the attackers with arrows,
00:02:00.600 | burning oil and, if any reached the top, spears.
00:02:04.400 | Against the defenders, thousands of the enemy's archers poured a deadly barrage of arrows.
00:02:10.200 | Old Banzar had the vantage point for news.
00:02:13.000 | He was closest to the conflict and first to hear of each fresh repulse
00:02:16.600 | of the frenzied attackers.
00:02:18.600 | An elderly merchant crowded close to him, his palsied hands quivering.
00:02:23.000 | "Tell me, tell me," he pleaded.
00:02:25.200 | "They cannot get in. My sons are with the good king.
00:02:28.200 | There is no one to protect my old wife. My goods, they will steal all.
00:02:32.400 | My food, they will leave nothing. We are old, too old to defend ourselves,
00:02:37.600 | too old for slaves. We shall starve. We shall die. Tell me they cannot get in."
00:02:43.800 | "Calm thyself, good merchant," the guard responded.
00:02:47.600 | "The walls of Babylon are strong. Go back to the bazaar and tell your wife
00:02:51.800 | that the walls will protect you and all of your possessions
00:02:55.200 | as safely as they protect the rich treasures of the king.
00:02:58.200 | Keep close to the walls lest the arrows flying over strike you."
00:03:02.800 | A woman with a babe in arms took the old man's place as he withdrew.
00:03:06.600 | "Sergeant, what news from the top? Tell me truly that I may reassure my poor husband.
00:03:11.800 | He lies with fever from his terrible wounds, yet insists upon his armor and his spear
00:03:16.200 | to protect me, who am with child.
00:03:18.600 | Terrible, he says, will be the vengeful lust of our enemies should they break in."
00:03:23.200 | "Be thou of good heart, thou mother that is, and is again to be.
00:03:27.200 | The walls of Babylon will protect you and your babes.
00:03:30.600 | They are high and strong. Hear ye not the yells of our valiant defenders
00:03:36.000 | as they empty the cauldrons of burning oil upon the ladder scalers?"
00:03:40.600 | "Yes, that do I hear, and also the roar of the battering rams that do hammer at our gates."
00:03:46.000 | "Back to thy husband. Tell him the gates are strong and withstand the rams.
00:03:50.600 | Also, that the scalers climb the walls but to receive the waiting spear thrust.
00:03:55.400 | Watch thy way, and hasten behind yon buildings."
00:04:00.000 | Banzar stepped aside to clear the passage for heavily armed reinforcements.
00:04:04.600 | As with clanking bronze shields and heavy tread they tramped by,
00:04:08.800 | a small girl plucked at his girdle.
00:04:11.200 | "Tell me, please, soldier, are we safe?" she pleaded.
00:04:14.600 | "I hear the awful noises. I see the men all bleeding.
00:04:18.000 | I am so frightened. What will become of our family?
00:04:20.800 | Of my mother, little brother, and the baby?"
00:04:23.800 | The grim old campaigner blinked his eyes and thrust forward his chin as he beheld the child.
00:04:30.400 | "Be not afraid, little one," he reassured her.
00:04:33.400 | "The walls of Babylon will protect you and mother and little brother and the baby.
00:04:38.600 | It was for the safety of such as you that the good queen Semiramis built them over a hundred years ago.
00:04:46.000 | Never have they been broken through.
00:04:48.400 | Go back and tell your mother and little brother and the baby that the walls of Babylon will protect them,
00:04:53.000 | and they need have no fear."
00:04:55.400 | Day after day old Banzar stood at his post and watched the reinforcements file up the passageway.
00:05:01.400 | There to stay and fight until wounded or dead they came down once more.
00:05:06.800 | Around him unceasingly crowded the throngs of frightened citizens eagerly seeking to learn if the walls would hold.
00:05:13.400 | To all he gave his answer with the fine dignity of an old soldier,
00:05:17.400 | "The walls of Babylon will protect you."
00:05:20.400 | For three weeks and five days the attack waged with scarcely ceasing violence.
00:05:25.000 | Harder and grimmer set the jaw of Banzar as the passage behind,
00:05:29.200 | wet with the blood of the many wounded, was churned into mud
00:05:32.400 | by the never ceasing streams of men passing up and staggering down.
00:05:37.200 | Each day the slaughtered attackers piled up in heaps before the wall.
00:05:41.000 | Each night they were carried back and buried by their comrades.
00:05:45.200 | Upon the fifth night of the fourth week the clamor without diminished.
00:05:50.200 | The first streaks of daylight illuminating the plains disclosed great clouds of dust raised by the retreating armies.
00:05:57.400 | A mighty shout went up from the defenders.
00:05:59.400 | There was no mistaking its meaning.
00:06:01.400 | It was repeated by the waiting troops behind the wall.
00:06:04.000 | It was echoed by the citizens upon the streets.
00:06:06.200 | It swept over the city with the violence of a storm.
00:06:09.400 | People rushed from the houses.
00:06:11.400 | The streets were jammed with a throbbing mob.
00:06:13.800 | The pent-up fear of weeks found an outlet in the wild chorus of joy.
00:06:18.400 | From the top of the high tower of the Temple of Bell burst forth the flames of victory.
00:06:23.200 | Skyward floated the column of blue smoke to carry the message far and wide.
00:06:28.600 | The walls of Babylon had once again repulsed a mighty and vicious foe determined to loot her rich treasures and to ravish and enslave her citizens.
00:06:40.600 | Babylon endured century after century because it was fully protected.
00:06:47.600 | It could not afford to be otherwise.
00:06:50.000 | The walls of Babylon were an outstanding example of man's need and desire for protection.
00:06:55.800 | This desire is inherent in the human race.
00:06:58.600 | It is just as strong today as it ever was, but we have developed broader and better plans to accomplish the same purpose.
00:07:05.600 | In this day, behind the impregnable walls of insurance, savings accounts, and dependable investments,
00:07:13.600 | we can guard ourselves against the unexpected tragedies that may enter any door and seat themselves before any fireside.
00:07:22.600 | We cannot afford to be without adequate protection.
00:07:28.600 | The holidays start here at Ralph's with a variety of options to celebrate traditions old and new.
00:07:33.600 | Whether you're making a traditional roasted turkey or spicy turkey tacos, your go-to shrimp cocktail, or your first Cajun risotto,
00:07:41.600 | Ralph's has all the freshest ingredients to embrace your traditions.
00:07:45.600 | Ralph's. Fresh for Everyone.
00:07:48.600 | Choose from a great selection of digital coupons and use them up to five times in one transaction.
00:07:53.600 | Check our app for details.
00:07:54.600 | Ralphs. Fresh for everyone.