By Pastor David Goode
What was this towering building called? I think you'll figure out the answer as you read.
Genesis 11:1-4 tells us, "Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, come, let us 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 and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
Philologists (classical scholars) say it is likely the whole world, as near generations of Noah, spoke the same language.
As Noah's family moved east from where they left the ark, they settled in Shinar, the biblical name for ancient Babel, later known as Babylon.
Babel (meaning gate of God) was a Mesopotamian city founded by Nimrod, Noah's great-grandson, a tyrannical warrior who governed with cruelty and rebellion against God.
Babel lacked stone for building, and the wood available was mostly palm, not suitable for construction. What building materials that were plentiful in the ancient city did they use?
The bricks they used for building the tower were made of mud (clay) and chopped straw. They poured this mixture into molds, baked them in the sun, and then burned them in an ancient kiln for durability.
The tar (asphalt) they used for mortar was known as bitumen, a mineral pitch found near the Dead Sea. Noah used Bitumen to waterproof the ark, and Jochebed used it to seal the basket she constructed to float her baby, Moses, on the Nile River.
According to Genesis 9:1, God blessed Noah and his sons and commanded them to fill the Earth. Nimrod, however, and the people of Babel built a city with a tower that reached to the heavens so they could make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered. They did not want to obey God's command to fill the Earth.
Though the plain of Babel was flat, these people believed their gods lived in the sky, so, to come near them, they built temple towers known as ziggurats, staged towers consisting of diminishing-stacked stages, or terraces.
The top stage was a temple where the people met with their gods. Winding ramps achieved access, and a landing with seats was provided halfway up for the refreshment of those ascending to the summit.
Archaeologists examining the remains of the city of Babylon, located 53 miles south of Baghdad on the banks of the Euphrates River and encompassing about 2,100 acres, have found the foundation of a tower that is one of two possible sites of the Tower of Babel.
This earthen brick foundation, each side measuring some 300 feet, enclosed a massive tell (mound), rising 110 feet above the plain. (The other possible site of the original tower is located 8-10 miles away on the other side of the Euphrates River at Barsippa).
Ancient writings say the tower was 463 cubits. A cubit is 18 inches, indicating that the Tower of Babel was 694-and-a-half feet tall. That's taller than any structure built in human history until the construction of the 984-foot-tall Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Building history suggests construction of the Tower of Babel took more than 100 years. The tower's most splendid incarnation was probably under King Nebuchadnezzar II, who lived from 605-562 BC and rebuilt the tower to 295-feet high.
Genesis 11:5-7 explains that God came down to look over the tower they were building. Knowing they would stop at nothing in their disobedience, He gave them different languages so they would not understand each other. Present day historians believe that this was the beginning of our many dialects worldwide.
Genesis 11:8-9 says they stopped building the city and the tower and the Lord scattered them over the earth, so the city was called "Babel" (meaning confusion).
After the flood, Noah and his descendants were given a new start. Instead of spreading out and filling the earth as God commanded, however, they attempted to establish a worldwide empire independent of God to glorify themselves.
Just as the ancient people of Babel did, we often build monuments independent of God to make a name for ourselves.
What kind of monuments are you building?
Who will get the recognition for your achievements?
God will not share the glory that belongs to Him with anyone.
Accept Jesus Christ today and become a citizen of God's kingdom. Then do everything for His glory. This is the path to peace, purpose and destiny.
The Rev. David Goode is the senior pastor at Heart of Worship Ministries, which meets on Sundays at 3 p.m. in the arts and crafts room at the Port St. Lucie Community Center, 2195 Airoso Blvd., across from City Hall.
For more information, or prayer, call (772) 408-8218 or e-mail heartofworshippsl@yahoo.com