What is the setting of By the Rivers of Babylon by Nelson DeMille?

The majority of the story takes place in the ancient city of Babylon. Ahmed Rish leads the remaining El Al Concorde to this location, perhaps in an ironic reference to the Babalonian Captivity. The city is in ruins, buried under thousands of years of sand. The plane comes to rest on the top of what is believed to be an ancient fortress. Many battles have taken place in Babylon over thousands of years, and the Israelis and Palestinians continue the history of the desolate place.