Hello my fellow believers and non-believers! How are you this beautiful Monday? I am at my sister’s house in the gorgeous state of Ohio. She lives in the country and has a big pond that they use for their water resources. I remember when they had the pond built. Huge backhoes and front end loaders excavated this half acre pond. Thirty years later it is lined with large trees and is home to three flocks of Canadian geese. I loved coming to visit!
Back in the days of Babel, however, there was no big machinery to help build the tower. So then, how was the tower of Babel built? And what did it look like?
The bible does not give us specifics on how the tower of Babel was built, but interestingly enough, the Hebrew word used in reference to the Tower of Babel is migdal. The definition of migdal is; “a tower; by analogy, a rostrum; figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers”. In other words, migdal literally means tower, but figuratively represents a flowerbed in the shape of a pyramid. Thus biblically, the shape of the tower would be pyramidal.”[i]
It has long been thought by experts that the Tower of Babel was a ziggurat. And ziggurats have long been thought to be the precursor, so to speak, of the great pyramids of Egypt. Basically a ziggurat is stair-step pyramid (see figure one).
There is other evidence that leads the experts to believe the Tower of Babel was a ziggurat. After the language split commencing from the building of the tower, other similar structures were built in different areas. From palaces in China to mound builders and ziggurats in the Americas to the pyramids in Egypt, this style of construciton was taken along with the various human cultures as they dispersed around the world. Mounds, ziggurats and pyramids are all classified slightly different, but then the knowledge taken with the different language groups would differ as well, nicely explaining the existence of these structures around the world. Ziggurats around the ancient middle east have names such as; "’Temple of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth’, ‘Temple that Links Heaven and Earth’, ‘Temple of the Exalted Mountain’, ‘Temple of Exalted Splendor’, and ‘Temple of the Stairway to Pure Heaven’.”[ii] It is a confirmation of God’s word.
So now that we know the basic shape of the Tower of Babel, how was it built? “Where did these early humans learn to build a city and tower? Long before Noah’s Flood, Cain was a city-builder, and his descendant Tubal-cain was gifted in brass and iron (Genesis 4:17–22). It is clear from the genealogies in Genesis that Noah lived among these people for six hundred years before the Flood came, acquiring their technology and possibly their books. His sons had plenty of time to develop their construction skills, too, while building the Ark.”[iii] It is obvious from the archeological records that these skills were then passed down from generation to generation.
The bible also tells us in Genesis 11:3 “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter”. “… Ziggurats were built with sun dried bricks, burnt bricks and bitumen mortar. These Ziggurats may not be the "Tower of Babel" but are most likely replicas of an older original.”[iv] In ancient times (and even today in certain places) this asphalt, tar, bitumen, pitch, and/or chamar can be found in pools or on the surface of certain waters. This natural resource seeps up through formations below and gathers on the surface. There it would be collected or even mined by the people of ancient times for use and for export.
It is important to remember the people that lived one hundred and six years after the flood were pretty sophisticated and not crude cave men or nomads. They probably had slave labor and prisoners as well as other able bodied men to work on the tower. Nevertheless, it was a great feat for man and God recognized it, but not as a good thing. So why did man build such a grand endeavor…find out next time! It might not be what you think!
In my upcoming book some of these facts are woven into the story...don't miss it! I'll let you know when it comes out.
In my upcoming book some of these facts are woven into the story...don't miss it! I'll let you know when it comes out.
Until next week, take care and God Bless!
Willow
References:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v3/n2/world-in-revolt
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