Babel Today
In my previous post, I reflected on the contrast between modern worship and the Church's hope for revival in the face of climate degradation by looking at the original Hebrew concept of revival. That is, revival is about the salvation of the whole world, the land and the restoration of Creation. I contested that the modern focus on worship and revival is similar to the sin at Babel that Yahweh ultimately rejected. It’s to this point I shall address here.
History teachers everywhere stress the importance of studying history to prevent repeating past mistakes. However, when there's a time gap of 2000-4000 years between us and the storyteller and the event, we often make errors and assumptions that easily blind us from these lessons.
The problem is that the Babel story leaves certain elements unexplained because its original audience didn’t require an explanation. These unexplained elements about the city, the tower and the name, need to be explained to us by historians and biblical scholars.
Therefore, to make my point, I must start by placing Babel in its ancient Near East context, as well as where it is situated in Genesis.
Historical Context: Ancient Near East
1. Biblical scribes in the ancient Near East were interested in contrasting the idea of order found in Yahweh with the order that’s found in the rest of the ancient Near East. Where most of the ancient Near East located order in cities and civilizations, Israel locates order in Yahweh and Yahweh’s covenant with them.
2. Second, the scribes are interested in comparing Yahweh with the other lesser gods in the ancient world. Monotheism was not about believing in only one God as many view it today- it was about believing that Yahweh was the highest God and the creator of the whole spiritual realm.
Biblical Context
The drama begins after human corruption led to humanity’s expulsion from Eden and then later, the flood, where Yahweh sought to recreate humanity. In the covenant to Noah, Yahweh echoes the initial creation story by instructing Noah and his descendants to multiply and replenish the earth.
A City in Opposition to Yahweh
When we read the story again, we see that this is not a story about the tower of Babel—rather, it’s a story about the city and the tower.
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4
Thus, the story’s purpose becomes clearer when, in Genesis 10, we are introduced to the king of this city, Nimrod. Nimrod was a tyrant King and the world’s first imperial leader, whose kingdom extended from Babel (Babylon) to Calneh, contributing to early empires like Assyria and Babylon.
In Genesis 11, the use of "the same language and the same words" can be read as an imperialistic effort to forcefully unite humanity—what is imperialism if not the forced binding of different people under a common regime?
It’s crucial to remember that Babylon is a symbol of a city in opposition to Yahweh throughout the Bible and that Yahweh had previously emphasized that the dispersion of humanity was an integral part of Yahweh’s plan.
The Tower
The Tower was not an architectural endeavour like the Burj Khalifa in Saudia Arabia—presently the tallest building in the world.
Burj Khalifa Image: https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/index.aspx
Instead, the storytellers are referring to one of Mesopotamia's’ famous man-made sacred mountains, the ziggurat.
Ancient Mesopotamians believed ziggurats were divine homes where heaven met earth. Its height would reflect the significance of the god they were worshipping.
At the very top, the Babylonians would build a room where the deity could descend onto the tower and have a place to refresh him or herself. In other words, the Babylonian settlers were motivated to build the Tower of Babel to bring Yahweh down through their worship.
The ancient world built these towers to honour their gods. They believed the gods created humanity to be slave labour. They believed the gods had needs for food, clothing, and housing and these needs were met by people through their rituals.
They also believed that when they met the god's needs, they would be grateful and in return, the gods would provide for them and protect them. There was co-dependency between gods and people.
Making a Name
When we hear ‘make a name for themselves’ we think of pride. When the ancient Near East heard ‘make a name’ they would think of ‘men of renown’ or the sons of God if they were ancient Jews or the Apkallu, if they were Mesopotamians. This is a story linked to an earlier story in Genesis 6:1-4 where divine beings mated with humans.
Keep in mind that the point of ancient Near Eastern stories, including those found in Genesis, is not whether they are literally and factually true. Stories give meaning to the world, and this is where truth is gleaned, not in the events themselves.
While the Bible provides limited details about this rebellion, 1 Enoch offers a more comprehensive account of these divine beings and their rebellion against Yahweh.
Enoch was known by all Old and New Testament writers and scribes. He influenced much of their writings and therefore many of our current church doctrines.
According to Enoch, the consequences of the actions of these divine beings include the sharing of forbidden knowledge with humanity such as occult secrets, the art of war, domination and sexual immorality—all of which contributed to the wickedness that ultimately precipitated the great flood.
The Mesopotamians also had their own story for the men of the name (Shem) seven demi-gods known as the Apkallu who were sent by the gods to impart knowledge to people.
However, as Walton points out, from Babylon’s perspective, the Apkallu’s were the great culture heroes of the pre-flood knowledge. They are good guys!
Unlike the Israelite's perspective, this knowledge that led to domination over other nations is a good thing—it's what made them the top dog of civilization.
Yahweh Comes Down the Temple
Therefore, Yahweh comes down to the Temple as it was intended and sees what’s happening.
Building a city under the rule and leadership of Nimrod, was humanity’s attempt at making a name, or establishing order in the way of the Apkallu or the ‘men of renown,’ rather than through Yahweh and the covenant.
Instead of making the world like Eden and extending the garden and Yahweh’s shalom outwards to spread the knowledge and rule of Yahweh everywhere, they wanted to bring Yahweh down and keep Yahweh in one place, just like the Babylonian gods.
They were not building it because they wanted to be in a relationship with Yahweh, but because they believed that it would be a means to an end—an end that would bring their own prosperity, security and greatness.
While their desire to worship Yahweh may have been genuine, their focus was on themselves. They wanted to be the ones who defined how to worship and on what terms.
Wanting to house Yahweh physically within their temples is illustrative of wanting to confine Yahweh spiritually within their own systems and understandings of worship. In essence, they were trying to refashion Yahweh in their image.
So, Yahweh rejected their plan.
Because order is not found in cities.
It’s found in Yahweh and in Yahweh’s covenant.
Yahweh is not like the other gods and does not require humanity to meet Yahweh’s needs.
Through the covenant, Yahweh’s human children are to provide for and care for one another and for creation.
As they do this, their needs will always be met. They will always have enough.
Yahweh desires dominion, not domination.
It’s at this point in the story that Yahweh realizes that not only do they not get it, but they also just aren't interested.
Yahweh essentially says, “Ok, if you don’t want to obey me, I’m not interested in being your God—I’ll match you up with the other gods,” and Yahweh separated and scattered humanity to be ruled by these gods.
It's here that Yahweh keeps a portion of humanity to commune with. This people will be a light to the other nations and eventually draw humanity back to Yahweh- this is the birth story of Israel.
Considering the current state of creation as an indicator of how far we've strayed from the Edenic plan, it's crucial to contemplate and reevaluate our worship and our hopes for revival in the context of what went wrong at Babel.
· By viewing worship as revival and revival as worship, are we also not defining the terms of what it means to worship Yahweh?
· Do we sometimes treat Yahweh like a pagan god who requires our worship in exchange for blessing and protection?
· Are we, by confining worship within our church walls and fixating on the afterlife, equally culpable of failing to expand the garden's reach outward while wildfires rage and floods surge just beyond our doors?
· Through our arms and fossil fuel investments, are we also complicit in pursuing national glory and personal prosperity and safety, even at the expense of our neighbours and creation?
Similar to Babylon’s early settlers, I assert that centuries of misguided church traditions have muddled the distinction between dominion and domination.
Consequently, instead of progressing towards the expansive vision of Eden as outlined in the Bible's overarching mission, the consequences of climate change, largely influenced by human actions, suggest we are rapidly heading towards Gehenna, the place of ultimate destruction.
Nevertheless, I believe we still have hope. It’s not too late to encounter a genuine revival that includes the rescue of the whole world and our land as we collectively become more aware of our story and our role within the broader community of creation.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
-2 Chronicles 7:14-
References & Suggested Reading
Temper, Longman III & Walton, John, The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate. Proposition 12. The Sons of God Episode is not only a prelude to the flood: It is the narrative sequel to Cain and Able., Proposition 13, The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) is an appropriate conclusion to the primeval narrative.
M. Heiser, The Unseen Realm; Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, Kindle Version, p.101-102, p.,128-133
Berry, Thomas, The Dream of Earth
Gordis, Daniel, The Tower of Babel and The Birth of Nationhood: http://azure.org.il/article.php?id=536