The British museum's new show "Babylon: Myth and Reality" is all about dispelling the age-old biblical depictions of Babylon as the center of all that is evil in this world, and showing the true heterogeneity of the old city through the ages. Apparently.

Of course, it is interesting that the contrast the curators have chosen is one of "Myth and Reality." Because, in the end, the "reality" of Babylon on display at the museum can only be a selective interpretation by curators and archaeologists that is necessarily tied to the myths that they are trying to overturn and the realities of our own 21st century existence.

Consider, for instance, that the exhibition features the invention of the sexagesimal time system or their monotheistic spirituality. The importance of both of these items for the Babylonians is something we cannot properly evaluate, because, well, they're dead, but it's almost certain that our fascination with these particularities have less to do with them being exemplary characteristics of Babylonian society, but with our relation to the sexagesimal time system and monotheistic religions.

Furthermore, a great deal of the Babylonian heritage on display is interpreted through the framework of the biblical myth. The exhibition sets the story of the Tower of Babel straight, corrects rumors and fact-checks on the Bible. Fascinating - yes, factual - yes, probably, any more contextuall real than the biblical myths - no, not really. The "real" of the exhibition may be grounded in archeological evidence, but the narrative constructed by the curators is just as grounded in the realities, interests and agendas of our own time, as the biblical mythology.