In Bagdad there are twenty-eight Jewish Synagogues, situated either in the city itself or in Al-Karkh on the other side of the Tigris; for the river divides the metropolis into two parts.  The great synagogue of the Head of the Captivity has columns of marble of various colours overlaid with silver and gold, and on these columns are sentences of the Psalms in golden letters.  And in front of the ark are about ten steps of marble; on the topmost step are the seats of the Head of the Captivity and of the Princes of the House of David.  The city of Bagdad is twenty miles in circumference, situated in a land of palms, gardens and plantations, the like of which is not to be found in the whole land of Shinar.  People come thither with merchandise from all lands.  Wise men live there, philosophers who know all manner of wisdom, and magicians expert in all manner of witchcraft.

Thence it is two days to Gazigan which is called Resen.  It is a large city containing about 5,000 Jews.  In the midst of it is the Synagogue of Rabbah[135]—­a large one.  He is buried close to the Synagogue, and beneath his sepulchre is a cave where twelve of his pupils are buried.

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Thence it is a day’s journey to Babylon, which is the Babel of old.  The ruins thereof are thirty miles in extent[136].  The ruins of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar are still to be seen there, but people are afraid to enter them on account of the serpents and scorpions.  Near at hand, within a distance of a mile, there dwell 3,000 Israelites who pray in the Synagogue of the Pavilion of Daniel, which is ancient and was erected by Daniel.  It is built of hewn stones and bricks.  Between the Synagogue and the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar is the furnace into which were thrown Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and the site of it lies in a valley[137] known unto all.

Thence it is five parasangs to Hillah, where there are 10,000 Israelites and four Synagogues:  that of R. Meir, who lies buried before it; the Synagogue of Mar Keshisha, who is buried in front of it; also the Synagogue of Rab Zeiri, the son of Chama, and the Synagogue of R. Mari; the Jews pray there every day.

Thence it is four miles to the Tower of Babel, which the generation whose language was confounded built of the bricks called Agur.

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The length of its foundation is about two miles, the breadth of the tower is about forty cubits, and the length thereof two hundred cubits.  At every ten cubits’ distance there are slopes which go round the tower by which one can ascend to the top[138].  One can see from there a view twenty miles in extent, as the land is level.  There fell fire from heaven into the midst of the tower which split it to its very depths.