In Rastafari theology, these terms represent two opposing spiritual and physical realities:
* Babylon: The corrupt, materialistic, and oppressive global establishment. It includes colonial history, oppressive governments, white supremacy, and exploitative economic systems.
* Zion: The promised land, paradise, and ultimate spiritual home. Physically, Zion is identified as Ethiopia, or Africa as a whole, representing freedom from Babylon and a return to ancestral roots.