Genesis 11

The tower of Babel. Is it fact or fiction? For many years, this story could have been considered a good old wives’ tale. In 1899, that changed dramatically when German archaeologist Robert Koldewey began to uncover remnants of the ancient city of Babel. Located almost 59 miles from Baghdad, Iraq, almost the entire foundation of this tower was uncovered along with various pots, cuneiform tablets, houses, and ziggurats (rectangular step towers) that give insight into a great city being formed (Answersingenesis.org). Some of these findings are of artifacts found during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar who ruled in this region many years later. Historians believe the region of the tower of Babel was inhabited by great nations.

Speaking of inhabitants, who were these people? This city named Babel is believed to be the derivative of the name Babylon. Yesterday, we discussed the gravity of Ham’s sin which led to the curse of his son Canaan and the legacy of sin stemming from all of Ham’s sons including Cush. Nimrod was the son of Cush, who established his rulership in Babylon. It’s very possible Nimrod either had a crucial role in the formation of the tower or took over the city of Babel after the dispersion. Genesis 10:25 mentions the “earth was divided” during Peleg’s lifetime. So the original inhabitants of Babel/Babylon were most likely the descendants of Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah. 

Noah
Ham	Shem
Cush	Arpachshad
Nimrod (ruler of Babylon)	Eber
	Peleg (the earth was divided)

Historians believe they can trace the direct descendants of Noah to the founding of groups of people and now nations such as the Ethiopians, Greeks, Egyptians, and of course, the Jews. Just for fun, flip over to John 3:23-38 to see how John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, traces the lineage of Jesus back to Adam. See any familiar names? Yup, Jesus, a Jew, came from the lineage of Shem. 

Maybe you are more interested in tangible evidence beyond written genealogies and stories. Organizations, such as the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, are still making discoveries of cities and artifacts dating 1900 years AD. The Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, the British Museum, and the Penn Museum all have Babylonian artifacts. The Penn Museum itself has over 30,000 cuneiform tablets. The Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC has thousands of rare Biblical artifacts. Sounds like it’s time for a field trip. 

What does all of this mean? For me, this evidence makes the Bible more tangible and real. These aren’t just wives’ tales. This is history. We are able to use the Bible as a guided history book and find real artifacts that confirm and support the stories written before us. As an American, these regions are foreign to me. However, if I was to live in the Middle East, Northern Africa, or the Mesopotamia areas, these geological references would be even more astounding. 

So what does this mean for you? As we continue to uncover the layers of this Bible, we will stumble upon stories that seem unimaginable and sometimes crazy. However, if the Bible is true, which we will continue to uncover evidence that supports its validity, then the stories within it must be true too. It might take time for you to uncover the truths required for you to believe. Just keep digging. Commit to doing the work. There are no secrets. The evidence is waiting for you to uncover it. 

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