בָּבֶל, (b. h.) pr. n. Babel, the city of Babylon; Babylonia, a country of varying limits, chiefly comprising Mesopotamia, a portion of Great Armenia and some neighbouring countries east of the Tigris (v. Neub. Géogr. p. 320). [Owing to the continued political disturbances in Palestine, Babylonia gradually became the centre of Jewish scholarship; hence both the frequent comparisons and jealousies between the East and the West (Babyl. a. Palest.); cmp. אֶרֶץ, חֲנַנְיָה, תַּלְמוּד. Kidd. 69ᵇ; 71ᵇ. Sot. 49ᵇ. Y. Snh. I, 19ᵃ; Y. Ned. VI, 40ᵃ bot. כי מב׳ תצא וכ׳ (sarcastic imitation of Is. II, 3). Snh. 24ᵃ תלמודה של ב׳ Babylonian method (Talmud). עולי ב׳ those coming from Bab. to visit the Temple, pilgrims. Ned. V, 4 דבר של ע׳ ב׳ that in which pilgrims from Bab. (i.e. Jews living abroad) have a share, as the Temple Mount &c. [Macc. 24ᵃ, a. e. המונה של ב׳, read רומי as Ms. M.; cmp. אֲרָמִי.]