Whore of Babylon
The Whore of Babylon is a symbolic figure of evil in the prophetic book of the Bible the Book of Revelation. Revelation describes her as, "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earthâs abominations."[1]
Bible scholars have various theories on what entity or entities the whore represents. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Babylon is a metaphor for imperial Rome.[2] Like Babylon of Revelation, Rome ruled over the kings of the earth,[3] sat on seven mountains,[4] was the center of the world's merchandise,[5] corrupted nations,[6] and was a persecutor of saints.[7] This would suggest that the beast represents Emperor Nero and that the whore represents the Jewish priesthood, who John accuses of collaborating with the Roman authorities against Christians.[8]
References
- â Revelation 17:5
- â "Babylon in the New Testament," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
- â Revelation 17:18
- â Revelation 17:9
- â Revelation 18:3 and Revelation 18:11-13
- â Revelation 17:2, Revelation 18:3, and Revelation 19:2.
- â Revelation 17:6
- â Who is the Whore of Babylon?, Catholic Apologetics.