Poem translated in 1968 from area of ancient Shinar/Sumer (mentioned in Genesis 11:2) “the people in unison … in one tongue … the Lord [their name for him] … Changed the speech in their mouths, And [brought?] contention into it, into the speech of man that (until then) had been one.”

Poem translated in 1968 from area of ancient Shinar/Sumer (mentioned in Genesis 11:2) The translator, Samuel Kramer, regarded this material as sufficiently convincing evidence of a real parallel to Genesis 11 … The texts are in Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum; some were dug up at Kish during the 1923–1932 Anglo-American excavations … The fact that they come from a time either during or near the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur [mentioned in Genesis 11:28] is of major importance. Kramer’s comment is of interest: “Our new piece, therefore, puts it beyond all doubt that the Sumerians believed that there was a time when all mankind spoke one and the same language, and it was [their] god who confounded their speech.” (Journal of ETS, 22:18-19)

The Origin of Languages  Babylonians had a similar account in which the gods destroyed a temple tower and “scattered them abroad and made strange their speech”  Modern scholars had argued that languages evolved from primitive grunts to modern man, later developing out from Europe  A March 1990 article in Scientific American concluded that European languages actually had their start in a general area of Asia near where the Ark of Noah landed  The completeness of the research involved in this study means that historians can no longer ignore the Bible’s account of history  Babylonians had a similar account in which the gods destroyed a temple tower and “scattered them abroad and made strange their speech”  Modern scholars had argued that languages evolved from primitive grunts to modern man, later developing out from Europe  A March 1990 article in Scientific American concluded that European languages actually had their start in a general area of Asia near where the Ark of Noah landed  The completeness of the research involved in this study means that historians can no longer ignore the Bible’s account of history

From Polynesia Polynesians on the island of Hao said that a man and his three sons survived a great flood. Then “they made an attempt to erect a building by which they could reach the sky, and see the creator god … but the god in anger chased the builders away, broke down the building, and changed their language, so that they spoke diverse tongues.”

Southeast Asia From the Gaikho tribe of Burma (Myanmar): “the people determined to build a pagoda that should reach up to heaven.... When the pagoda was half way up to heaven, God came down and confounded the language of the people, so that they could not understand each other. Then the people scattered, and Than- mau-rai, the father of the Gaikho tribe, came west, with eight chiefs, and settled in the valley of the Sitang.” From the Gaikho tribe of Burma (Myanmar): “the people determined to build a pagoda that should reach up to heaven.... When the pagoda was half way up to heaven, God came down and confounded the language of the people, so that they could not understand each other. Then the people scattered, and Than- mau-rai, the father of the Gaikho tribe, came west, with eight chiefs, and settled in the valley of the Sitang.”

Europe The Greeks had a legend that “for many ages men lived at peace, without cities and without laws, speaking one language, and ruled by Zeus alone.... At last Hermes introduced diversities of speech and divided mankind into separate nations.” The Greeks had a legend that “for many ages men lived at peace, without cities and without laws, speaking one language, and ruled by Zeus alone.... At last Hermes introduced diversities of speech and divided mankind into separate nations.”

India  The Mikir tribe in northeastern India tells of the descendants of Ram who were strong men and were growing dissatisfied with earth and aspired to conquer heaven. They began to build a tower.  “Higher and higher rose the building, till at last the gods and demons feared lest these giants should become the masters of heaven, as they already were of earth. So they confounded their speech, and scattered them to the four corners of the world. Hence arose all the various tongues of mankind.”  The Mikir tribe in northeastern India tells of the descendants of Ram who were strong men and were growing dissatisfied with earth and aspired to conquer heaven. They began to build a tower.  “Higher and higher rose the building, till at last the gods and demons feared lest these giants should become the masters of heaven, as they already were of earth. So they confounded their speech, and scattered them to the four corners of the world. Hence arose all the various tongues of mankind.”

Africa A legend of the Wa-Sania tribe in East Africa: “of old all the tribes of the earth knew only one language, but that during a severe famine the people went mad and wandered in all directions, jabbering strange words, and so the different languages arose.” A legend of the Wa-Sania tribe in East Africa: “of old all the tribes of the earth knew only one language, but that during a severe famine the people went mad and wandered in all directions, jabbering strange words, and so the different languages arose.”

Guatemala The Quiches of Guatemala told of a time when the tribes multiplied and left their old home to a place called Tulan. Here the language changed, and the people sought new homes in various parts of the world as a result of not being able to understand each other.

Central America - Aztecs “Humanity was wiped out by a flood, but one man … and one woman … escaped in a boat, and reached a mountain … They had many children, who were dumb until the time when a dove on top of a tree made them the gift of languages; but these differed so much that the children could not understand each other.”

California  A legend of the Maidu Indians of California says that everybody spoke the same language once but “suddenly in the night everybody began to speak in a different tongue except that each husband and wife talked the same language.”  Then, according to the legend, God... called each tribe by name, and sent them off in different directions, telling them where they were to dwell.”  A legend of the Maidu Indians of California says that everybody spoke the same language once but “suddenly in the night everybody began to speak in a different tongue except that each husband and wife talked the same language.”  Then, according to the legend, God... called each tribe by name, and sent them off in different directions, telling them where they were to dwell.”

Even some Non-Christians who don’t believe the Bible do believe the Tower of Babel was true history

Clay Tablets instructing future kings of Babylon to rebuild the Tower of Babel

Ur of the Chaldees

Egypt’s oldest building?

Mexico City – pyramid to hosts of heaven

Mayan culture Similar structure with temple on top for worship

Himalayas

Europe Remnants of stepped building structures from ancient times similar to Mesopotamia

South America ancient buildings Some blocks weigh 45 tons up to 100 tons. Incredible precision of edges.

Stone blocks from ancient middle east Apparently were able to move 1,000-2,000 tons?

The foundation for Christ

“Worldviews” of other religions

God’s Word can be trusted!