Saddam and the Bible — Some interesting connections

“Nebuchadnezzar stirs in me everything relating to pre-Islamic ancient history ... That is why whenever I remember Nebuchadnezzar I like to remind the Arabs, Iraqis in particular of their historical responsibilities. It is a burden that should spur them into action because of this history.” — Saddam Hussein, former Iraqi leader

On August 8, 2002, while observing the 14th anniversary of the end of the Iraq-Iran war, Saddam Hussein proclaimed, “Of the lessons also gained from the history of mankind, is the fact that greed and arrogance, when combined, lead the oppressor to do injustice not only to others, but to himself as well.”

It is ironic that such a statement is made by a ruthless tyrant. Does it suggest that Saddam knew that he would one day be a victim of his own despotic deeds? Or, could he have been totally blinded by his own conceit, that he missed the self-portrait in those telling words. Actually, it has apparently turned out to be his prophecy of self-doom. Quite interestingly, the Iraqi leader also made claims to being the successor of the biblical king, Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian empire then, which is Iraq today, was also ruled by the tyrant named Nebuchadnezzar (560 BC).

Eric H Cline in a G W News Centre editorial dated March 4, 2003 quoted Saddam as saying, “Nebuchadnezzar stirs in me everything relating to pre-Islamic ancient history. And what is important to me about Nebuchadnezzar is the link between the Arabs’ abilities and the liberation of Palestine. “Nebuchadnezzar was, after all, an Arab from Iraq, albeit ancient Iraq. ... That is why whenever I remember Nebuchadnezzar, I like to remind the Arabs, Iraqis in particular, of their historical responsibilities. It is a burden that should spur them into action because of their history.” Nebuchadnezzar led a vicious attack against Jerusalem. Thousands of soldiers were killed, and the whole nation was brought into captivity. They were made slaves. Saddam saw Nebuchadnezzar’s victory over Jerusalem and the Jewish people as one worth emulating. From all apparent evidence he was preparing a large-scale onslaught against Israel in the not too distant future.

In February 2001, one day after Ariel Sharon was elected as Prime Minister of Israel, Saddam announced the formation of a Jerusalem Liberation army. This consisted of seven million Iraqis who volunteered to “liberate the Palestine from Israeli rule.” Official sources say that over 2.5 million recruits completed their training in the following two years of his Saddam’s reign. So as Nebuchadnezzar did in his time, Saddam’s aim was to destroy Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was definitely one of Saddam’s icons, although the former was neither a Muslim nor Arab. This was further made evident in Saddam’s titling of an arts festival in the late 1980’s “From Nebuchadnezzar to Saddam Hussein” and the “Nebuchadnezzar Imperial Complex”. Saddam also had a replica of Nebuchadnezzar’s war chariot built and had himself photographed standing in it. He ordered images of himself and Nebuchadnezzar to be beamed into the night sky as part of a laser light show. He spent billions rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar’s capital city.

The tower of Babel which is also central to the old Babylonian history (Gen 11) was also embraced by the Saddam Hussein’s regime. The tower of Babel was being built in blatant rebellion against God, led by a radical named Nimrod. God pronounced a curse upon the builders, which confused their language and forced the abandonment of the project (Gen 11: 6-9). Saddam’s eldest son Uday ran what was referred to as the most influential newspaper in Iraq. The name of this publication was Babel. Those who oppose Nebuchadnezzar were promptly put to death. His servants who displeased him were “cut up into small pieces and put in a dunghill” (Dan 2:5). Significantly, one of the first things which the Iraqi strongman did upon taking office in 1979, was to get rid of all “disloyal” members of his political party — the Ba’ath party. These “disloyal” members were pointed out by Saddam himself in one of his regular in-house meetings and immediately taken outside to their death before a waiting firing squad.

Nebuchadnezzar created a huge image of himself in the city centre. Saddam did likewise. In fact there were many larger than life statues and pictures set up around Iraq depicting various “faces” of Saddam — religious man, general, “gentleman” in western business suits and more. Nebuchadnezzar came crashing from the palace to a pit. He degenerated to “eating grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws” (Dan 4:33). Doesn’t this description quite strikingly fit the pathetic creature who was hauled from the rat hole near Tikrit, Iraq lat Saturday morning? But perhaps the most interesting thing, towards the final end of the Nebuchadnezzar saga, was his full repentance and commitment to the God of the Bible (Dan 4: 34-35). Could this be one reason for which Saddam was “miraculously” saved alive in his capture? Will he truly repent and turn to the Lord? We’ll just have to wait and see.