The Meaning of Babylon

The name “Babylon” has a negative, even sinister feel in our culture. This is understandable, of course, because it comes from the Bible, and from the Bible’s perspective this great city is associated with the darkness of human nature; confused, arrogant, defiant, decadent, vicious, and oppressive. Its story begins in the account of the Tower of Babel and ends in the Book of Revelation where it is called “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (17:5). And we thought people said mean things about Toronto.

In spite of all this, as we have seen, the Bible periodically turns a compassionate eye upon Babylon, and I hope we will be able to do so as well. But first we need to understand the Bible’s perspective on the darkness of this place.

The Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:1-9 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel — because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

This passage is often interpreted simply as the Bible’s explanation of the origin of languages. This is unfortunate, firstly, because I doubt that it actually is, any more than the story of the Flood is the Bible’s explanation of the origin of boats; but, secondly, because this story contains so many profound insights into human nature, both ancient and modern.

Now, God had just commanded Noah and his descendants to "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth…. (Genesis 9:1) In other words, to make babies and spread out. But, when they discovered the plain of Shinar, and realized it was a good place to stay, they decided to settle down. And, more than this, they decided to build a city, and a great tower that would reach to the heavens.

It’s simplistic and naïve to imagine that these people thought they could literally build a tower up to heaven. The biblical writers, and readers, had been on many mountains, and were well aware that “heaven” is beyond reach. The purpose of the tower, in fact, is quite clearly stated in the text; ‘so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered’.

They’ve developed the technology, ‘brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar’, and they want to show off their technology to everyone. In other words, they want to build a tower for the same reasons we build towers. Wasn’t landing on the moon ahead of the Soviets largely about building the highest tower imaginable, to show off American technology (make a name), and to create a common goal for the American people (not be scattered)? And, just in case we’re feeling smug, what’s the tallest tower in the world? Well, no, it’s actually Burj Dubai (the Dubai Tower) . But the CN Tower in Toronto held the “record” till last September. (Note, its official height of 1,815 ft., 5 inches.) What’s with the five inches? Where’s Sigmund Freud when we really need him?

Anyway, they defied the command to scatter because there is fame and power, thus safety, in concentrated numbers. And this is not the first time in the story that this has happened. When Cain, fearing for his life, was banished to the land on Nod, which means “wandering”, he did not, in fact, wander. He built a city; the very first city. (Genesis 4:17) Which is to say, he built the prototypical city. So, from the very beginning, the Bible takes a rather dim view of cities.

For some challenging reading see Jacques Ellul (The Technological Society and The Meaning of the City) who writes extensively on the biblical themes of the threat to humanness posed by technology and the city.

Questions:

Do you have any sympathy for this “dim view” of the city?

What’s good about the city?

What’s not?