The Tower of Babel

Christianity

Genesis 11:1-9

The Babel narrative is a tightly structured chiasm where human ambition to 'reach heaven' is met by God's descent, with the act of building as the center.

AThe whole earth had one languageA'

BPeople settle in the land of ShinarB'

C'Come, let us make bricks'C'

D'Let us build a city and tower'D'

XTHE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE

D''They have begun to build'D

C''Come, let us confuse their language'C

B'People scattered over the earthB

A'The Lord confused the language of the whole earthA