Antipater

The first author to list seven sites was Diodorus Siculus, followed by Antipater of Sidon, whose list matched Diodorus’ aside from swapping out the walls of the city of Babylon for the lighthouse of Alexandria.

Philo of Byzantium wrote “The Seven Sights of the World” in the 2nd century B.C., matching Antipater’s list.

Instead, Antipater preferred to list the Walls of Babylon.

None of them is monumental in scale, like the seven wonders of classical antiquity chronicled by Antipater of Sidon more than 2,000 years ago.

Unless you’re familiar with Seleucids, the Hasmonean dynasty, Essenes, Idumea, Antipater and the multiple kings named Antiochus, you may find the first couple of chapters tough-going.