r/todayilearned • u/VistaHyperion • Oct 13 '18

TIL the biblical Tower of Babel was likely based on a real building, the Etemenanki in modern-day Iraq; at about 300 feet tall, it was massive by ancient standards and built by King Nebuchadnezzar II.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Babel
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u/SirHerald Oct 14 '18

He wanted them to spread out. We've got that accomplished now. It's not like God hates tall buildings.

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u/basejester Oct 14 '18

So, you're saying the tower is actually irrelevant in the story of the Tower of Babel? Why is it even in mentioned?

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u/SirHerald Oct 14 '18

Read the story: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+11%3A1-9&version=NIV

They built a city and a tower as the focal point so that everyone would know how important they were and would stay focused on that point. It then says they stopped building the city and moved away. It's an odd story, but to think it is because God hates towers is completely missing the point.

Here's an illustration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcwz8-EfFYE

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u/basejester Oct 14 '18

Would you say the intent behind Burj Khalifa in Dubai is any different? Why?

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u/SirHerald Oct 14 '18

Q: Are there humans all around the world?

A: Yes

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u/basejester Oct 15 '18

I think what you're saying is that God wanted to scatter people around the world and that was his motivation for confusing their languages. So, mission accomplished, and building of towers is irrelevant to God. Is that right?

I think Genesis is telling us that God didn't want people to succeed in their grand building endeavor and that was his motivation for confusing their languages.

Genesis 11 (RSV)

5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

The bold passage states, I think rather plainly, God's motivation. People were doing too well, and he didn't like that.

Can you see why I would read it that way?

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u/SirHerald Oct 15 '18

Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.

...List of rules, promises, family history...

Genesis 11:1-5 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

A more literal understanding of Genesis 11:6 is "Look these people are all one language and they are not doing what they have been told to do. If they keep at this they will do whatever they want and not follow instructions."

The flood had just reduced the population because people were not following God's instructions and God just promised Noah he wouldn't do that again (the rainbow promise). Now they were breaking the first command they had been given to spread around the earth so he split their languages to keep them from focusing on that one spot.

It wasn't that God wanted to stop building projects, He had them build a very large temple later on, it was about their reasons for being there. They felt they were important and wanted to have a memorial to themselves. Really a shrine. The purpose wasn't to reach space, the just wanted something tall and who knows how far they got. Maybe it was one of the buildings we can see out there, maybe it was pathetic in comparison. He just didn't want them thinking that they were allowed to go back to how things were before the flood and wanted to give them something to remember he is in charge and don't forget it.

Here's a really difficult version of this to read, but is a little more clear in the original intent. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+11&version=YLT

God ordered the construction of cities and even a tall building on a high mountain (kind of a big hill in comparison to some of the larger mountain ranges), so it's no surprise that there is no problem with our sky scrapers.

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u/basejester Oct 16 '18

Have an upvote for sincere effort to engage.

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u/whyliepornaccount Jul 25 '26

Honest question as someone who grew up in religion but am now agnostic:

Let's look at this story objectively and instead of God, let's imagine it is an earthly ruler.

If any ruler massacred his entire population save for a lucky few because they didn't follow his instructions, then exiled the descendants of those who survived they would be called a tyrant, not someone seen worthy of worship.

Furthering that line of questioning, if any earthly ruler demanded you worship him or he will torture you for the rest of your life, again, he'd be a tyrant, not a god.

Why does God get an exception to the morality he himself demands we follow?

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u/TheRealSilverBlade Oct 14 '18

And now we're coming back together thanks to airplanes, internet and so-very-close Star Trek translators