The Tower Of Babel

The sons of Noah were named Shem, Ham and Japheth. These sons in turn became the fathers of children so that the descendants of Noah were very numerous.

One of these descendants, named Nimrod, was a mighty hunter and a man of power and authority in the land, and it has even been said that the people worshiped him as a god.

In those days men liked to build high towers reaching away up toward the

In those days men liked to build high towers reaching away up toward the heavens. Perhaps they were afraid of another flood, and perhaps they simply wished to show what they could do; but however that may be, ruins of towers can still be seen in various parts of the world, one of the most noted of which is that of the “Tower of Nimrod.” It is forty feet high and stands on the top of a hill near the River Euphrates in Asia.

In the time of Nimrod, the people said, “Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” So they began to build the tower, and they made it very strong indeed, and kept raising it higher and higher toward the heavens, thinking, Jewish tradition, or story, tells us, that they would have a shelter in which they would be perfectly safe from any flood which might come, or any fire.

There were some of the people also who wished to use the tower as a temple for the idols that they worshiped. Six hundred thousand men worked upon this wonderful tower, so the story goes on to say, and they kept up the work until the tower rose to a height of seventy miles, so that, toward the last, it took a year to get materials for the work up to the top where the laborers were employed.

Of course, this story is exaggerated, but without doubt, the tower rose to a great height and was a wonderful piece of work. God was not pleased with what the people were doing, however, because they thought themselves so great and powerful that they had no need of Him, and so He put an end to their bold plans.

The Tower of Babel

Up to this time, all the people of the world had spoken the same language; but now, when they were working upon this wonderful tower, they commenced to talk in different tongues so that they could not understand each other, and there was great confusion. Owing to this, they were obliged to give up the building of the tower, and they separated themselves into groups, or divisions, each division speaking the same language, and then they spread out over the world, forming the various nations.

The tower was called the Tower of Babel because of the babble, or confusion, of tongues that had taken place there, and it was left unfinished to be a monument of God’s power and man’s weakness without Him.

Here are a few interesting facts about this Tower of Babel

The purpose of the tower: The Bible says that the people of the land of Shinar wanted to build a tower that would reach to the heavens, so that they would become famous and not be scattered abroad.

The design of the tower: According to the Bible, the tower was made of brick and was cemented with tar. It was intended to be a tall structure that would reach the sky.

The confusion of languages: The Bible says that God saw the people working on the tower and was concerned that they might achieve their goal. To prevent this from happening, God caused the people to speak different languages, so that they could not understand each other and could not work together to complete the tower.

The name "Babel": The name "Babel" is thought to come from the Hebrew word "balal," which means "to confuse." The story is often referred to as the "Tower of Babel" because the confusion of languages caused the building project to come to a halt.

The symbolic significance: The story of the Tower of Babel has been interpreted in many different ways over the centuries. Some see it as a warning against excessive pride and the dangers of unity without God. Others see it as a story of divine punishment for human ambition.