The period between Noah and who was to become Abraham, was merely an approximate four hundred fifty year. That supposedly represents ten generations according to the Mishna. Yet with that span humanity, in its meager population, managed to traverse head long move towards the brink of oblivion. This is the period where the narrative of what we call the Tower of Babel exists. This narrative is another one that most bible teachers pass along with only the surface explanation. We have come to identify it merely as a tale of humanity trying to reach the heavens and be like a god. We are told that once God sees this indiscretion, concludes that this is not good, and disperses the population through the confusion brought on by the introduction of multiple languages. This occupies a scant paragraph. End of teaching, end of story. Stop, nothing more to see here. The Tower of Babel saga is between the entire chapter ten listing the descendants of Noah and the nations that they established. Then the short paragraph of the tower saga, and concluding with continuing descendants of Noah starting with Shem, until we get to the father of Abram, Terah. Bible teacher quickly move onto Abraham, Sarah, and the sacrificing of Isaac.
There is much more that needs to be said about this narrative of the tower saga. Some of which does not exist strictly within the biblical text but lay within Babylonian narratives of a similar nature, Mishna, Talmud, commentary, and Islamic sources. The period between the flood and the tower has a lot to say about what is the plan for humanity and the developing societies that spring forth from this period. The flood had put an end to what you might call the anarchy of humanity in its literal path to destruction. Then the surviving entities, having been through the trauma of the flood, still did not pass along the plan for humanity’s progress within the confines of creation.
Within the genealogies, there is an individual who has other notations in the biblical accounts who has an impact upon the evolving story of not only the tower of Babel, but also upon the development of the next leader with whom we will deal with – Abraham. The individual to whom I am referring to is Nimrod. Genesis chapter ten verses six through twelve.
6 The descendants of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The descendants of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
Ham was the son of Noah who found his father naked in the tent. In that narrative, Noah cursed the son of Ham who was Canaan. So, from this piece of the narrative, you can see that this branch of the descendants of Noah through Ham were not in the best of conditions within the family tree nor in the rest of society. From here you can rightfully deduce that the writings about Nimrod were not necessarily to be in the best of light. The fact of the matter is that Nimrod, in the centuries of writings about him, are negative across those of the supposed Church Fathers, rabbinic midrash, and medieval Islamic literature.
Nimrod, however, plays an integral part in the development of the narrative of Abram/Abraham and is part of the background of that development.
In Rabbinic Literature, the background of the tower and of Nimrod take a different tact.
“The Midrashim give different accounts of the real cause for building the Tower of Babel, and of the intentions of its builders. It was regarded even in the Tannaite tradition as a rebellion against God (Mek., Mishpaṭim, 20, ed. Weiss, p. 107; Gen. R. xxxviii. 9), and the later Midrash records that the builders of the Tower, called , “the generation of secession” in the Jewish sources, said: “He—God—has no right to choose the upper world for Himself, and to leave the lower world to us; therefore we will build us a tower, with an idol on the top holding a sword, so that it may appear as if it intended to war with God” (Gen. R. xxxviii. 7; Tan., ed. Buber, Noaḥ, xxvii. et seq.). The building of the Tower was meant to bid defiance not only to God, but also to Abraham, who exhorted the builders to reverence: therefore the Bible (Gen. xi. 1) speaks of the , “one speech,” which is interpreted as signifying speech against “the One,” against God, and against His one, only follower (compare Ezek. xxxiii. 24). The passage furthermore mentions that the builders spoke sharp words— —against God, not cited in the Bible, saying that once every 1,656 years—according to Seder ‘Olam, 1,656 years elapsed between the Creation and the Flood—heaven tottered so that the water poured down upon the earth, therefore they would support it by columns that there might not be another deluge (Gen. R. l.c.; Tan. l.c.; similarly Josephus, “Ant.” i. 4, § 2). Some among that sinful generation even wanted to war against God in heaven (Sanh. 109a, and the passage from the Sibylline Books iii. 100, cited by Josephus, l.c.). They were encouraged in this wild undertaking by the fact that arrows which they shot into the sky fell back dripping with blood, so that the people really believed that they could wage war against the inhabitants of the heavens (“Sefer ha-Yashar,” Noaḥ, ed. Leghorn, 12b). According to Josephus and Pirḳe R. El. xxiv., it was mainly Nimrod who persuaded his contemporaries to build the Tower, while other rabbinical sources assert, on the contrary, that Nimrod separated from the builders (compare Ginzberg, “Die Haggada bei den Kirchenvätern,” pp. 88, 89).”[1]
The account of the Tower of Babel is at best a short account. It assumes that you are familiar with the circumstances and happenstance that has occurred. Much like the prolog to a play or an introduction to a book, it is there to fill in only the information needed to promote and give reason for the rest of the item that is about to be presented to the viewer and/or the reader.
“The biblical account of the Tower of Babel is singularly brief and vague (Gen. R. 38). The prevailing opinion of the rabbis is that it was designed to serve the purposes of idolatry and constituted an act of rebellion against God (Sanh. 109a; Gen. R. 38:6; et al.), for which reason they also associated Nimrod (“the rebel”) with its building (Ḥul. 89a). Many additional reasons are also suggested, among them the fear of a recurrence of the flood and the need to guard against such a recurrence by supporting the heavens or by splitting them so that waters would drain away slowly from the earth’s surface (Ma’asim al Aseret ha-Dibberot; cf. Sanh. 109a). According to Josephus they were trying to dwell higher than the water level of the flood (Ant., I, IV). In this way the builders thought they would be spared, believing as they did that God had power over water alone (PdRE 24). At the same time the rabbis laud the unity and love of peace that prevailed among them (Gen. R. 38), as a result of which they were given an opportunity to repent, but they failed, however, to seize it (ibid.). Various opinions are expressed as to the punishment which the builders incurred (Tanḥ. B., 23). According to the Mishnah (Sanh. 10:3), they were excluded from a share in the world to come. In the view of one amora, their punishment varied with the differing aims that inspired them; those who thought to dwell in heaven being dispersed throughout the world, those who sought to wage war against God being transformed into apes and demons, and those bent on idol worship being caught up in a confusion of tongues (Sanh. 109a). One-third of the tower was destroyed by fire, one-third subsided into the earth, and one-third is still standing. It is so high that to anyone ascending and looking down from the top, palm trees look like locusts (ibid.). This aggadah testifies to the existence of ruins at that time, which were popularly believed as being of the Tower of Babel. Aggadot about the tower are also to be found in Josephus and in the apocrypha (cf. Jub. 10:18–28), while several of its motifs are much discussed in Hellenistic Jewish literature.”[2]
Many of the other accounts of the Tower of Babel and that of Nimrod have to do with the aspect of leadership, control, and power. Nimrod is seen as the first example of a dictatorship or Semitic Emperor where his authority, control, and power were centralized in him. Therefore, in his way and thought, he became the people – one mind, one thought, one action, one control, and one objective. This then would play against the concept of what God had in mind – a population that would come into parallel and diverse society that would come along side of each other. Not only would it be better for humanity but also the space/environment because there too, humanity would work alongside of all creation for a better result.
In my opinion, the account of the Tower of Babel and that of Nimrod were known to the people of the time it was written. They did not need to know the full account because it was part of their common knowledge. To them it was a tale for them to avoid with its obvious consequences. It was there as a reminder not to go that way. Rather go the way of the next one whom would listen and come along side of the intent of what God had meant for the whole of creation.
As with the account of Noah, it is there to highlight the fact that humanity had once again gone off the rails. This time, God used an individual whom God knew was listening and willing to respond and do what was required of him to fulfill not only his destiny, but that of an entire people.
Nimrod and the Tower of Babel are interesting studies. There is much literature on the outside of the biblical text that can be a fascinating study. However, the study we are embarking upon is to look for the successful leadership/discipleship model. It is one that deals with the fallibility of humanity in a positive note. Things can be and are corrected and moved toward their original order, purpose, and function. They are not untouchable and unattainable but rather all are reachable and doable. It is in experience that we gain understanding. Keep what works, remove what does not. Move forward to the objective at hand.
[1][1] Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved. July 24, 2023
[2] Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved. July 24, 2023
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