I'm a Christian, but I was reading about the tower of Babel?

Question

in Genesis, and doesn't this story just sound mythological?

I mean, the people wanted to build a tower to heaven? What kind of rationale did these people have? Obviously not much.

And the whole thing about God making them speak different languages...yeah it would answer why we all speak differently and are located differently, but couldn't he have just knocked the tower down and put some fear into them?

I dunno, the whole story just seem mythological....as do a lot of the stories I read in the Bible.

Sincerly,

trying to hold onto my faith.

Exactly, it's not like they actually would have made it? Even if they SOMEHOW reached 30,000 feet, they would have needed oxygen masks. God should have just let there idea implode on itself.

Maybe the translation just comes out differently? Instead of literally meaning to heaven, it just meant really really high? I dunno.

The epic of Gilgamesh came WAY after the flood in the Bible.

As did all of these eastern counterparts you speak of. The Bible is one of the oldest world documents. The epic of Gilgamesh came a lot later than the old testament.

Answer 1

Congratulations, you are now on your way to our side.

Answer 2

That's the only story that seems mythological? How about the story of creation? The great flood? Both of these have Near-East counterparts, some preceding the Bible. Look up the Epic of Gilgamesh about the great flood, study Near-East creation stories, and awe at the similarities between them and those in the Bible.

The other thing with the great flood story is we know, from the Bible, the dimensions of the ark. There is no way, no how, every species on Earth could fit on the ark. What about the "evil" creatures in the sea -- they did not die. How was there a grown olive tree, a branch of which the dove brought back to Noah, if the whole Earth had been flooded? It goes on, and on, and on... even if you did believe the story happened.

Then there are so many other stories... Jonah, Daniel & the lions, Moses the magician, etc...

If you look over these things and keep your faith, great. Your faith will be that much stronger for considering outside possibilities, for far too many Christians just close their eyes, ears, and speak loudly.

I looked them over and decided the Bible was not the word of God, but the word of man. I don't know if there is a God, or Gods, but I try to live my life and be a good person regardless.

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Response to OP: The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest literary works in the world (the oldest with a known author). The one we have found, and translated, is a copy of the original... we know this because we've found pieces of older copies, dating back to around 2,000 BC. The story itself is likely older than the written version as well, since the epic describes a man who lived well over 4,000 years ago. It is older than the Bible.

Generous estimates say the bible is around 3,400 years old (Those that accept Moses wrote it -- many parts he could not, did not). Abraham is close to 4,000 years old -- still doesn't pre-date Gilgamesh, either the written story or the man himself. Many scholars say the version of the bible we've come to know was assembled closer to 2600 years ago. Many people believe the story of Gilgamesh was "borrowed" by priests who were choosing stories for the Bible (remember, the "Bible" is simply the gospels these priests decided to include. There are many more scrolls, gospels, stories and the like out there which the priests, not God, decided not to include.) Regardless, this is not a story that is exclusive to the Bible.

I've taken a Hebrew studies course at the college level, and I've read the Bible many times, so... I know a few things about this. Also, the Bible does not pre-date all Near-East creation myths... they're pretty much the same thing. The other myths were not written until later, yes, after the Bible.

There was a lot of trading, borrowing, and inter-mingling of stories in the region regardless. These stories were told in the desert thousands of years ago, before the Bible was written, and are not exclusive to, or property of, Judaism/Christianity. It is a shared, regional mythology.

Does any of it matter? The Torah is what it is. God is irrational, yet immaculate. Bumbling, yet all-knowing. Cruel, yet loving. A hypocrite who denounces murder, yet advocates slaughter, and causes mass extinction. A sadist who would torture his most loyal subject, killing Job's family and destroying his livelihood, just to prove a point to Satan. YHWH comes away looking more like a man in his rationality and actions than he does a God. Only in his power to destroy and create is he godly.

The stories are even harder to swallow under the light of any reasonable doubt than that this God, described above, is either perfect or worthy of worship (let alone real). It's all there, written plainly for anyone to see. Like other religions in the region - it's all mythology.

Answer 3

I would not base you faith on an old book of fairy tale if I were you, otherwise it will go the way of the towers of Babel.


Most of the stories in th OT are mythology. As with all myths there is some grain of truth. Floods were common, just not global ones. People built towers that were too high for the construction method, and they fell down.

There is growing evidence that much of the NT is mythology too.

But, being an atheist, I would say that wouldn't I.

Go out there and research it for yourself. The only requirement that I have for you is to demand hard evidence to support people's claims of biblical accuracy, or inaccuracy.

Currently The Iliad and the Odyssey probably have more historical accuracy than the bible. Does that make the Greek gods the true gods?

Answer 4

God's original purpose for mankind was to spread out,
over the earth.
Just knockin' the bldg down,
would not have accomplised this purpose.
Having every1; in groups,
speaking different languages; did the trick.
And what Nimrod wanted was to rule all the ppl,
it was the ppl that said:
'Come on! Let's build a city & a tower so high that its top will reach into the heavens. Then we will be famous!'
The ppl wanted honor for themselves, not for God.
By suddenly causing the languages to change,
the builders no longer understood each other.
This is why their city came to be called Ba'bel, or Babylon, meaning "Confusion."
The ppl began to move away,
in groups of ppl that spoke the same language.

Although, I did think what u said,
about letting them go on up,
& implode on them, was funny!

Answer 5

I know some stuff in the Bible, can be hard to believe, i've struggled with it myself. But you know, Satan is very good at making us doubt God and His Word.
Satan especially hates Genesis and Revelation (the parts people struggle most with) because they show how he came into the world (a mere creation) and how he'll leave it (being tossed into the lake of fire with his demons.)
You can't believe part of the Bible and not believe another part. Then where would you draw the line? You either believe it all or believe none.
Just pray to God, ask Him to help you understand His Word. Ask Him to strengthen your mind against these doubts.
God bless

Answer 6

The weirdest part is that God actually says something about them being able to accomplish whatever they set out to do when they are all working together.

They were trying to build an infinitely tall skyscraper using mud-bricks and tar! Obviously they weren't going to have a great deal of success in that endeavor whether they all spoke the same language or not.

In fact, I would say that having to overcome language barriers would be the EASIEST part of trying to complete that project.

Answer 7

Ever hear of a ziggeraut? It was a big, pyramid like structure used to study the stars. Most authorities believe that the Bible is referring to this. I'm not really sure how the languages got confused, but any good argument would tend to split people up, and it only takes a few generations to modify languages between isolated social groups.

Answer 8

that is not team spirit that bothers God, that's the reliance upon self as a replace of reliance upon God. God had promised the those that He could in no way lower back flood the earth. although, the folk united against God to construct a tower to heaven so as that they might get away yet another flood. that's the essence of delight whilst human beings decide for to do issues their own way as a replace of listening to what God has to assert. that's what troubled God. human beings have been united to do mischief as a replace of united to stay with God. God has declared that all of us must be one, like Christ and the daddy are one, so ought to all of us be one with one yet another and mutually one with God. that form of team spirit potential to be resolved to stay with the Lord, to do His will, and in that way grow to be extra like Him. that's not the comparable team spirit that the folk of Babel exhibited.

Answer 9

If the tower of Babel were true, why didn't God strike down the Chrysler building, the sears tower, and the world's tallest in Kuala Lampur?

Don't bother holding on to that faith, my friend. Faith is a concept used to trick you into believing nonsense.

Answer 10

He did destroy the tower, but because they all spoke the same language the fear of God in most wouldn't of lasted very long. Then those who were originally oppressed by those whose hearts that turned against God would have begun again.

By God confusing their language, he knew that it would be a long time before we would be able to learn other languages and by then man wouldn't try and build a tower again.

Answer 11

Do you want a God you can fully understand? Wouldn't be much of a God. God did what he did for his reasons. Does he HAVE to explain everything he did. The reasons behind things may be hard for y ou to understadn thats why im glad God is in control.