ISB ~ Revelation 17 v1 - 6

John sees a seductive harlot riding atop a scarlet beast. The woman, popularly known as the whore of Babylon, is said to be “the great city” (17:18), a title earlier given to the city where Jesus was crucified (11:8). The beast, having seven heads and ten horns, was earlier described as the beast from the sea (13:1) and appears to be the Roman Empire, with its capital city Rome represented by seven hills (17:9). For background, see notes on Rev 11:8, 13:1-2, and essay:Who Is Babylon? at Rev 18.

• Sinful cities are sometimes described as harlots in the Bible. On two occasions, this is said of a pagan metropolis, one being Tyre (Is 23:17) and the other Nineveh (Nahum 3:4). However, the charge is proverbially made against Jerusalem for her spiritual promiscuity with pagan nations (Is 1:21; Jer 2:20; Ezek 16:1-25; 23:1-4, 11, 30).