By the Rivers of Babylon is a title shared by several unrelated books, and the phrase is also associated with Psalm 137 and musical settings. To find the work you mean, check the author: Nelson DeMille wrote a thriller, António Lobo Antunes a literary novel, and Cindy Brown Austin a supernatural street thriller.
Books called By the Rivers of Babylon
| Author | Genre and premise | Edition details in the research |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson DeMille | A thriller about two Concorde jets carrying a peace mission to a United Nations conference. After the aircraft crash-land at an ancient desert site called Babylon, survivors face an armed group while Israeli authorities attempt a rescue. This is the publisher’s synopsis of a fictional plot. | Hachette lists a 544-page ebook, ISBN 9780759528321, on sale June 1, 2003, and links to audiobook download and trade paperback formats. |
| António Lobo Antunes | A literary work about love, death, illness, and memory. A hospitalized narrator revisits childhood near the Mondego River, family and village life, and a woman he loved. | The English edition is translated by Margaret Jull Costa. Yale lists hardcover ISBN 9780300233414 and ebook ISBN 9780300271607, both published June 27, 2023. The publisher says each chapter covers a single day and consists of a single sentence. |
| Cindy Brown Austin | A supernatural street thriller about criminal and drug lord Lincoln Duvall and Christian journalist Gabriella Sinclaire, whose relationship drives a conflict involving power, faith, and possible redemption. | Simon & Schuster lists a Strebor Books paperback published April 17, 2007, at 384 pages, ISBN 9781593091170, and an ebook option. |
How to identify the work you mean
- Look for the author’s name. The three books above have different authors, genres, and plots.
- Check the premise: a crash landing and rescue point to DeMille; illness and memories point to Antunes; a criminal and a Christian journalist point to Austin.
- Check the format or ISBN against the edition details in the table if you are choosing a particular book.
The title beyond the books
The phrase also recalls the opening of Psalm 137, which describes sitting and weeping by Babylon’s rivers while remembering Zion. It appears in musical settings as well; for example, the New York Public Library catalogs a 1926 score by Lazare Saminsky. These connections are distinct from the three books and do not, by themselves, establish a complete history of the psalm or its adaptations.
FAQ
Who wrote By the Rivers of Babylon?
More than one author used this title. The publisher records in the research identify books by Nelson DeMille, António Lobo Antunes, and Cindy Brown Austin.
Is By the Rivers of Babylon a book or a song?
It is the title of multiple books and a phrase associated with Psalm 137 and musical settings. The phrase alone does not identify one particular book or musical work.
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What is Nelson DeMille’s By the Rivers of Babylon about?
According to the publisher’s synopsis, two Concorde jets on a peace mission crash-land at an ancient desert site called Babylon. Survivors face an armed group as Israeli authorities attempt a rescue.
What is the difference between the books with this title?
DeMille’s is a thriller about a crash landing and rescue attempt; Antunes’s is a literary work about illness and memories; Austin’s is a supernatural street thriller about crime and faith. Check the author and edition before selecting one.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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