Not a subject I would normally ever talk about. It is a topic that is so frequently overlooked. In a discussion about the early history of Genesis it rarely ranks as important as the creation epics or the flood stories. Attractive as the story might be – it gets rather squeezed out.
Yet it is a story which has excited many groups of ancient peoples. It is a story which seems to be rooted in mythology but with links to archaeology. It is a story which fascinated the German writer Thea von Harbou and film director Fritz Lang to create the 1927 film Metropolis.
In the space of 9 verses the author documents a narrative about the confusion of languages, a narrative which describes the dispersion of people of the earth, wraps it all up with a tower motif and a possible aetiological explanation. That I find impressive.
The motif of dispersion of humans over the face of the earth occurs not only in the Old Testament but in many other places and in some cases it comes at the end of a flood story!
There is an Indian story which talks of 3 sons of one person who was saved from a flood and from the 3 the whole of humanity is dispersed. The Basques possess an old story that language was confused after a flood. In the Irish story of the Tower of Conan the story of the building of a tower is linked with a flood. There are also examples from Mexico, Columbia and Lithuania.
It is claimed that there are an even older series of legends which simply describe how peoples or even demons attempted to build a tower in order to reach the heavens where the gods dwell. I seem to remember that in versions of the Veda there were demons who laid bricks in layers saying “We will climb up to the heavens.” This of course aroused the anger of the gods who destroyed the enterprise. That story would be much older than the present biblical narrative. The same idea is also present in some African tales.
Despite what many older commentaries on Genesis reported there do seem to have been parallels to the narrative among Israel’s near neighbours. There is a Sumerian text in the “Epic of Enmerka” which begins with a description of the golden age. Enki, the Lord of Wisdom changed the speech in their mouths so that they would no longer have the same language!
I think it is quite interesting that the Genesis account pulls together so many different story motifs into one narrative.
I suspect my archaeological friends would never forgive me if I failed to note the importance of the ruined ziggurats in Babylon. I can remember angering one of my students by pointing out that the Genesis text points to an “unfinished edifice” rather than a “ruined one”. I was duly accused by the 6th former as “nit picking!” What it is to have keen students.
Early in the 20th century the great favourite was the site described by Herodotus of the sanctuary of Zeus Belos in Babylon. However after excavations the real favourite was the ruined ziggurat at Etemenanki. Some scholars though preferred to see the ziggurat Ezida in Borsippa / modern Birs or Birs Nimrud in Iraq as the likely inspiration. I think if one is deeply in to identifying tangible remains of places either the second or third suggestion above ought to fit the bill.
Our problem is that the story is so short – only 9 verses in length and clearly there are three component elements in the story – the dispersion of peoples – the confusion of languages and the building of a city with a tower.
Some scholars think the story as a whole is Babylonian in origin. Others like von Rad favoured an anti-Babylonian motif. Indeed a third group feel that the tower incident is quite separate and does not provide a setting for the chapter!
I feel the story cannot simply be viewed in isolation. It demands the setting of Genesis 1 – 11 as a whole. The theme of disobedience has run through these chapters from the disobedience of Adam and Eve (to say nothing of their sons). Mankind nearly lost it by chapter 6 but Noah was seen as the restorer or preserver of a new beginning. Of course even Noah proved susceptible to drink (one of those stories they never read in church!) His sons did little to help and then mankind set about a tower to get up to heaven and this of course proved the last straw for mankind . It is as if God turns his back on the people of the earth as a whole and selects again – a chosen man – Abraham .
Taking a broad view it’s what good aetiology is made of.
Why are people dispersed across the entire earth?
Why do we speak different languages?
What caused those great shrines and towers to fall in to ruin?
Final thoughts
How Babel has imposed itself on the English language – to the extent of babbling meaning to talk rubbish, make an incoherent sound, or even a low murmuring sound in the case of water.
Even Douglas Adams in his Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy invented the Babel-fish, which when planted in the ear instantly translated any language by converting waves from the brain in to intelligible speech!
A serious thought – does unification and international cooperation necessarily pose a threat?
If it does, would the fear of it lie with God or with the participants?
Hokmah 