![]() The sanctuary of Marduk at Babylon was called É-sag-ila (“The house whose head is raised up”), and the lofty tower was called É-temen-an-ki (“House of the foundation of heaven and earth”). ziqqurratu, was built in terraces, or stories, each of which was smaller than the one below it. the holy cities of Mesopotamia, the temples were the most impressive buildings, and the tower that arose from the temple area was its supreme glory and splendor. ![]() Likewise, the combination of a temple tower with a city is typical for the Mesopotamian landscape. ![]() Bricks (both sun-dried and fire-baked), along with asphalt, provided building material in Mesopotamia. When the second year arrived, they raised high the head of Esagila” (tr. perspective here ( Gen 11:3) reflects a note of sarcasm: “They had (only) brick instead of stone! and asphalt instead of mortar!” The Babylonian Epic of Creation, discussing the construction of celestial Babylon (Tablet 6, lines 58-61) says “for one whole year they molded bricks. The construction was of manufactured bricks and asphalt not of cut rocks and mortar as elsewhere used, e.g. Hebrew בִקְעָ֛ה specifically indicates a “plain,” and Babylon was situated in a wide plain. The account clearly reflects a Babylonian background. root bālal which means “to mix, confuse.” Babel, therefore, became a synonym for the confusion caused by the language barriers which God imposed because of the human pride displayed in the building. Bābilu, “Gate of God”) is explained by popular etymology based on a similar Heb. ![]() The history of the building of the city and its high tower ( Gen 11:1-11) called Babel (Akkad. The term “Tower of Babel” is not found in the Bible, but is used popularly for the structure built on the plain of Shinar, where the population migrated and settled after the Flood, when men began to multiply ( Gen 11:1-9). BABEL, CITY AND TOWER OF bā’ bəl ( בָּבֶ֔ל). ![]()
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