The Bible Period by Period | Page 9

Others. Shem was for a long time
signally blessed as is witnessed by the Asiatic supremacy and
especially in the Jews who conquered the Canaanites (descendants of
Ham) and in whose tents God dwelt. During that period of the
ascendancy of the Shemites not much was known of the descendants of
Japheth. But now for more than two thousand years his have been the
dominant race of the earth. Year by year, the Japhethites have spread
over the globe, until whole continents are now peopled by him. He now
rests his foot upon every soil either as a trader, colonist or national

power.
The Tower of Babel. The place of this tower is in the land of Shinat,
which is the name given by the early Hebrews to the land of Babylonia
(Gen. 10:10; 14:19; Is. 11:1; Dan. 1:2; Zech. 5:11). This plain of Shinar
had become the center of the earth's population. They threw up with
infinite toil great mounds, which still stand as monuments of human
achievement. Many such mounds and ruins, any of which would have
seemed lofty in contrast with the level plain of Babylon, may be seen
by the traveler.
The exact location of this tower cannot be determined with certainty,
but it has been thought by some that a great mound on the east of the
Euphrates, which probably represents the remains of the great temple of
Marduk with its huge pyramid-like foundation, was the site of this
tower. On the west of the Euphrates, however, is a vast mound called
Birs Nimrood, which used to be regarded as the ruins of the Tower of
Babel. The fact that it early gave the impression of incompleteness
favors this claim. Nebuchadnezzar says on a tablet that another king
began it but left it unfinished. It fell into disrepair and was completed
by Nebuchadnezzar and was used as one of the great temples. It was
built of brick and was oblong in form. It measured seven hundred yards
around and rose to a height of from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet high. It consisted o? seven stages or stories colored to
represent the tints which the Sabeans thought appropriate to the seven
planets. Beginning from the bottom they were black, orange, bright red,
golden, pale yellow, dark blue and silver, representing respectively the
colors of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus. Mercury, and the Moon.
These marks may indicate the prevalence of idolatry and have led some
to think the tower of Babel was intended to do honor to the gods of
Babylonia.
The specific purpose of this tower is difficult to determine. Josephus
says the object was to save the people in case of another flood. The
scripture record (11:4) indicates that they were moved by an unholy
pride and selfish desire to make for themselves a great name. It also
was intended to become a sort of rallying-point which would keep the

people together and prevent the destruction of their glory which they
thought would result from their separation. In 11:6 God says "nothing
will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do." In this
there is an implication that they are at cross purposes with God. It was
an act that defied God and showed the need of punishment. It is not
unlikely that idolatry had begun to prevail and that the tower was built
in honor of those false Gods whom men were disposed to trust.
The incompleteness of the tower is attributed to divine intervention.
Hitherto all the descendants of Noah had spoken the same language,
but now by a direct divine interposition they are caused to speak
several, and then separated so they can no longer cooperate with each
other in carrying out their plans which had so displeased God. The
different languages then are regarded as a punishment of the race which
had rebelled against God.
Traditions of such a tower may be found in many forms and in many
countries. In Babylonia there was a tradition that not long after the
flood men were tall and strong and became so puffed up that they
defied the gods and tried to erect a tower called Babylon by means of
which they could scale heaven. But when it reached the sky the gods
sent a mighty wind and turned over the tower. They said that hitherto
all men had used the same language, but that at this time there was sent
on them a confusion of many tongues, from which confusion the tower
was named Babel. In Greece, there was a legend in which we trace the
story of the tower of Babel. According to this legend a race of giants
tried to reach Mount Olympus, which was supposed to be the residence
of the gods, by