Babel (Babylon)
Overview
- Type: City
- Testament: Old
- Modern Location: Near modern Baghdad, Iraq
Biblical Significance
Babel (Babylon) was built by Nimrod after the Flood. The name means “confusion” in Hebrew, connecting it to the Tower of Babel story. At Babel, united humanity attempted to build a city and tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered.
God confused their language, scattering them across the earth — the origin of linguistic diversity. Babel became a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God.
Key Events
- Tower of Babel — Language confused, people scattered
Key People Associated
- Noah’s descendants — scattered from Babel
Important Verses
- “And they began to build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” — Genesis 11:4
- “And now will I confound their language, that they understand not one another’s speech.” — Genesis 11:7
Cross-References
- Revelation 17-18 — Babylon as symbol of end-times rebellion
- Isaiah 13-14 — Prophecy against Babylon
- Daniel — Exile in Babylon