There were wealthy, connected people in Babylon. What happened to them when their civilization collapsed? Were they included when all was lost? Did some of them escape unscathed?

Consider the case of Shamash-Gamil, a wealthy scribe. Gamil was wealthy because he was smart. He understood how the world worked and used that understanding to his benefit. He was not alone, and they could see the writing on the wall.

So a handful of wealthy, smart people escape the fall of Babylon. Did they die out? Or did they become kings and the power behind the kings?

Gamil was a religious man and grateful to the god he worshipped for his success. Gamil made sure his children grew up with the same devotion to this god, and his devotion was passed down through the ages.

What if the god that Gamil worshipped required human sacrifice? What if Gamil credited his wealth to the successful sacrifice of his first-born child?

Who are the Pharisees?