The Two Babylons root "*aus-", meaning "dawn," potentially by way of . "Ishtar" is a Semitic name of uncertain etymology, possibly taken from the same root as Assyria, or from a semitic word meaning "to irrigate." Hislop ultimately claimed to trace Catholic doctrines back to the worship of Nimrod, asserting that the Roman Catholic Church represented Whore of Babylon of the Book of Revelation and that "the Pope himself is truly and properly the lineal representative of Belshazzar". He claimed that the Christogram IHS, the first three Greek letters in the name of Jesus, represented Latin characters standing for Isis, Horus and Seb.
Tales from the Public Domain Brother, Where Art Thou" takes its story from the ancient Greek epic poem the "Odyssey", while taking its name from the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (also based on the "Odyssey"), "Hot Child in the City" is based on the life and legend of Saint Joan of Arc, a French peasant girl who, as a teenager, led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War. "Do the Bard, Man" spoofs William Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet", while the title takes its name from "Do the Bartman", a song performed by Bart early in the series. The song