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Articles on By The Rivers of Babylon

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Guitarist David Hinds at Reggae on the Rocks in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP

Reggae’s sacred roots and call to protest injustice

Reggae is the musical expression of Rastafari, a belief system of migrants to Jamaica. A popular song, ‘Rivers of Babylon,’ offers a window into their spirituality and longing for their homeland.
Gebhard Fugel, ‘An den Wassern Babylons.’ Gebhard Fugel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Why a 2,500-year-old Hebrew poem still matters

Psalm 137 – best known for its opening line, ‘By the Rivers of Babylon’ – is a 2,500-year-old Hebrew psalm that deals with the Jewish exile and is remembered each year on Tisha B’av.
What is the meaning of the 2,500-year old Hebrew psalm for oppressed groups? Gebhard Fugel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Frederick Douglass, July 4th, and remembering Babylon in America

Frederick Douglass used the words of Psalm 137 in his famous speech, ‘What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?’ For centuries, this poem has resonated with writers and composers on how humans deal with trauma.

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