The Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel.

The origin myth of the tower of Babel could be seen to reflect on two major components; the diversity of speaking different languages and how humans became scattered all over the world. When we look at the tower of Babel from a different perspective, it could be seen as a story about power and the significance of human ability.  

The biblical narrative of the story in genesis 11:2 describes how the people of the world decided to build a tower that will reach heaven after the flood. Because of the unity among them, they progressed very fast in reaching their goal. However, God was able to stop them by confusing their language. They could no longer understand each other, so the construction was stopped and the people scattered all over the world.

This story of the tower of Babel is retold in different ways by different cultures in the bid to explain or describe the division of humankind into race, cultures and groups. This tower could be regarded as a significant symbol of the accomplishment and ability of humanity.

This tower is seen as a significant symbol of accomplishment, ability and potential in the world and how humans with solidarity can accomplish whatever they set out to do.  We also have to remember that God was a much more active and anthropomorphic being than He was today when this story was told in the Christian tradition. 

Different stories and myths reflect the migration of people to different parts of the world and how languages came about. To elaborate, let’s look at the “Origin of the Japanese islands and the legend of Amaterasu.” A myth that relates to the tower of Babel because of how all things were made of God.  The Hopi tale also talked about people spreading to different parts of the world. In this myth,  Maasaw (God) told people that “to find your home, you must find the center place,” making them move around to locate the center place, allowing for geographical spread.

The closest myth to the Babel Tower is the “Hindu world tree.” This world tree decided to grow to heaven and cover the earth for humankind to gather under it and stay together. When Brahma discovered the tree’s intention, he cut off all the branches of the tree and scattered it all over the world. Where each branch fell, a new tree grows, bringing forth its people and language—explaining the different people and languages of the world.

The commonly shared message of all these myths is that where man’s power ends and God’s begins is a boundary that is continuously redefined, even in the modern age.  When men become too proud and want to disregard God, they will be punished.  Humankind is presently battling the global Covid-19 pandemic; we do not know what humanity has done to get this punishment from God.

Reference

Bradley, (2012, Mar. 20) Analysis of the tower of babel – Historical perspective. Retrieved from https://www.bradleyfarless.com/analysis-tower-of-babel-historical-perspective/

Dhwty. (2019, July 08). The Legendary Tower of Babel: What Does it Mean? Retrieved from https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/tower-babel-001583

Jordan, S., (2015, Sept. 7) Three myths about the origin of languages. Alpha omega translation. Retrieved from https://alphaomegatranslations.com/foreign-language /three-myths-about-the-origin-of-language/