Recent trends in the interpretation of the Tower of Babel narrative have focused on the use of ancient Near Eastern parallels. For example, in their 2018 work The Lost World of the Flood, Tremper Longman and John Walton write, “the tower was a ziggurat–of that there is little doubt,” (130). Additionally, Andrew Giorgetti argues that the narrative is a polemic against Mesopotamian royal ideology and is a mock building account. Samuel Boyd, compares the issue of language and speech in the narrative with similar ideas found in Sargon’s Dūr-Šarrukīn cylinder and interprets the passage against the backdrop of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Similarly, Arie van der Kooij suggests the narrative should be interpreted in light of Assyrian imperialism, and that the building of Babel can also be compared to the building of Dūr-Šarrukīn. By interpreting Gen 11:1–9 through the lens of ancient Near Eastern parallels, these scholars have misunderstood the literary function of the text, and how Gen 11:1–9 contributes to the message of Genesis and the rest of the Bible.
In this paper, I argue that Babel is presented as an anti-Eden, a place of human strength and disobedience, where humans strive to be like God. To argue my thesis, I provide an exegesis of the text by discussing its structure. I conclude that the structure of the text emphasizes its unity and the contrast between the work of the people and the actions of YHWH. I also address the ancient Near Eastern parallels mentioned above, and argue that the focus of the text is not on the tower with its head in the heavens, but on the symbolism of the city, and the peoples’ desire to be autonomous from YHWH. I then explore the relationship between this narrative and the rest of Genesis 1–11. I build on the work of Duane Garrett who proposes that Genesis 1–11 (and Genesis as a whole) fits the pattern of an ancestor epic, by noting that Babel represents alienation from Eden. I also discuss how the relationship between Gen 10:8–12 and Gen 11:1–9 contributes to the negative image of Babel. Finally, I examine how Gen 11:1–9 sets the stage for the rest of Genesis and the Bible by briefly noting allusions to the Babel narrative in the Pentateuch and elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.
This paper seeks to contribute to the discussion about the use of ancient Near Eastern parallels when interpreting the Hebrew Bible by emphasizing the priority of the text, and the necessity for a parallel to be clearly demonstrated in order to be considered a true parallel (as in the case with Garrett’s argument for an ancestor epic). Also, this paper furthers the discussion concerning the typological use of Babylon in the Bible by explaining the origins of the type. Finally, this paper contributes to the discussion concerning the relationship between primeval and patriarchal history.