Babylon: The mother of all cities

Sat Jun 06 2026 at 10:30 am to 11:30 am UTC+01:00

Room RCH/037 - Ron Cooke Hub | York

York Festival of Ideas
Publisher/HostYork Festival of Ideas
Babylon: The mother of all cities
Advertisement
Historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones brings the ancient, illustrious metropolis of Babylon vividly to life, revisiting a vanished age.
About this Event

Speaker: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Babylon often appears more myth than history. Purportedly the site of the Hanging Gardens and the Tower of Babel, its infamous presence in the Bible has made it a byword for sinful decadence. But Babylon was a real place teeming with life, a bustling mega-city on the Euphrates where schoolteachers, artisans, priests, slaves, prostitutes and soldiers rubbed shoulders in maze-like streets and busy marketplaces.
The city was home to some extraordinary rulers, from Hammurabi the great lawgiver to Nebuchadnezzar II, the conqueror-king, under whose reign the city glistened in gold and lapis lazuli.
Join historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of Babylon, as he brings the city vividly to life, tracing its foundation through to its world domination, and subsequent decline, fall and ruin into dust.

Book sales

You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please ensure you use the correct email address as this is where your ticket will be sent. If you do not provide the correct address, you will not receive the acknowledgement email or ticket.

Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Room RCH/037 - Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, York, United Kingdom

Tickets

GBP 0.00

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in York

Saturday Mini Makers\u2019 Fair
Sat, 06 Jun at 12:00 am Saturday Mini Makers’ Fair

Rise, 201 acomb rd, York

2026 Acklam Sports & Gymkhana
Sat, 06 Jun at 08:00 am 2026 Acklam Sports & Gymkhana

Creet's Hill, Malton, YO17 9, United Kingdom

Huntington Scarecrow Trail 2026
Sat, 06 Jun at 09:00 am Huntington Scarecrow Trail 2026

Huntington, City of York

Street Weekend - Drag & Drive
Sat, 06 Jun at 10:00 am Street Weekend - Drag & Drive

Melbourne Raceway

Taking the Plunge: Cold water swimming
Sat, 06 Jun at 10:00 am Taking the Plunge: Cold water swimming

Room LMB/002A, Law and Sociology Building

Installing Charge Points: From planning to operation
Sat, 06 Jun at 10:15 am Installing Charge Points: From planning to operation

The Lakehouse - Ron Cooke Hub

The York Ghost Gathering Summer Event
Sat, 06 Jun at 11:00 am The York Ghost Gathering Summer Event

St Sampson's Square

The York Ghost Gathering Annual Market
Sat, 06 Jun at 11:00 am The York Ghost Gathering Annual Market

St Sampson’s Social Centre

Can Games Save the Planet?
Sat, 06 Jun at 11:00 am Can Games Save the Planet?

Ron Cooke Hub

The Hollywood History of Art
Sat, 06 Jun at 11:30 am The Hollywood History of Art

The Lakehouse - Ron Cooke Hub

D-Day & 40s weekend
Sat, 06 Jun at 12:00 pm D-Day & 40s weekend

39 Osbaldwick Village, YO10 3NP York, United Kingdom

Why It\u2019s Time to Stop Talking About \u2018Ultra Processed\u2019 Food
Sat, 06 Jun at 12:00 pm Why It’s Time to Stop Talking About ‘Ultra Processed’ Food

Room LMB/036X, Law and Sociology Building

York is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore York Events