'The Great Prostitute rides the Beast. Though she is identified with Babylon, we learn that Revelation -- like some other ancient Jewish and Christian texts -- identifies Rome with Babylon. Indeed, Revelation links the Beast's seven heads to Roman's famous seven hills (17:9). What really distinguishes the Prostitute is her opulence. Decked out in luxurious clothing and holding a golden cup, she consorts with kings and merchants to generate enormous wealth by exploiting ordinary people (18:12-13). In short, the Great Prostitute has something to do with the exploitative nature of Roman imperial diplomacy and commerce, which extracted fabulous riches off the backs of farmers, laborers and slaves.'
Read more- Revelation in Context: Letters and Symbols
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