3. Traditions concern:ng it. — Versions more or less substantially correct of this account are found among other nations. The Chaldieans themselves relate (Abydenus, quoted by Eusebius, Prcpar. Evang. i, 14 ; convp. Chron. Armen. i, 38 and 59) that " the first men,
BABEL
590
BABEL
relying on their size and strength, raised a tower reach- ing toward heaven in the place where Babylon after- ward stood, but that the winds, assisting the gods, brought the building down on the heads of the build- ers, out of the ruins of which Babylon itself was built. Before this event men had spoken the same tongue, but afterward, by the act of the gods, they were made to differ in their speech." Plato also reports (Polit. p. 272) a tradition that in the Golden Age men and ani- mals made use of one common language, but, too am- bitiously aspiring to immortality, were, as a punish- ment, confounded in their speech by Jupiter. In the details of the story of the war of the Titans against the gods may also be traced some traditionary resem- blance to the narrative of the Bible (sec. Pliny, vii, 1, 11 and 112; Hygin. Fab. 143). "The sibyl," says Joscphus (Ant. i, 4, 3), "also makes mention of this town, and of the confusion of language, when she says thus : ' When all men were of one language, some of them built a high tower, as if they would thereby as- cend up to heaven ; but the gods sent storms of wind and overthrew the tower, and gave every one his pe- culiar language ; and for this reason it was that the city was called Babylon' " (comp. Philo, Opp. i, 400). The same writer (ib. 2) assigns as the reason of this overthrow and confusion the displeasure of God at see- ing them act so madly under the influence of Nimrod, '• a bold bad man," who, in order to alienate the minds of the people from God, and to take revenge for the Deluge which had destroyed their forefathers, induced them to build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach. Aben Ezra (in loc. Gen.") has given a more probable explanation. " Those," ho says, "who built the Tower of Babel were not so insensate as to imag- ine thej' could by any such means reach to heaven ; nor did they fear another Deluge, since they had the promise of God to the contrary ; but they wished for a city which should be a common residence and a gen- eral rendezvous, serving in the wide and open plains of Babylonia to prevent the traveller from losing his way ; in order that while they took measures for their own convenience and advantage, they might also gain a name with future ages." — Kitto, s. v. See Nimrod.
4. Its subsequent History. — The "Tower of Babel" is only mentioned once in Scripture (Gen. xi, 4-5), and then as incomplete. No reference to it appears in the prophetic denunciations ofthe punishments which were to fall on Babylon for her pride. It is therefore quite uncertain whether the building ever advanced beyond its foundations. As, however, the classical writers universally, in their descriptions of Babylon, gave a prominent place to a certain tower-like building, which they called the temple (Herod, ut inf.; Diod. Sic. ii, 9; Arrian, Erped. Alex, vii, 17, etc.), or the tomb (Strabo, xvi, p. 738) of Belus, it has generally been supposed thai the tower was in course of time finished, and be- came the principal temple ofthe Chaldsean metropolis. See Bel. Certainly this may have been the case; but, while there is presumption in favor of it, there is some evidence against it. A Jewish tradition, recorded by I lochart | Phalt ,,, i, it), declared that fire fell from heaven, and split the tower through to its foundation; while Alexander Polyhistor (Frag. 10), and the other profane writers who noticed the tower (as Abydenus, Frs. 5 and in, paid that it had been blown down by the winds. Such authorities, therefore, as we possess, represent the
building as destroyed s i after its erection. When the
Jew-, however, were carried captive into Babylonia, stnie'. with the vast magnitude and peculiar character of certain ofthe Babylonian temples, they imagined that they saw in them not merely buildings similar in type and mode of construction to tie- "tower" (b'oT,*:) of their Bcriptures, but in this or that temple they thought to recognise the Fery tower itself.— Smith, s.
V. See BABYLOX.
5. 77c- '• Timer <■/ Belus " presumed to occupy its site.
— Herodotus describes the temple in his own simple but graphic manner (i, 181). "In the other division of the city is the temple of the god Belus, with brazen gates, remaining till my own time, quadrangular, and in all of two stadia. In the middle of the sacred en- closure there stands a solid tower of a stadium both in depth and width ; upon this tower another is raised, and another upon that, to the number of eight towei-s. An ascent to them has been made on the outside, in a circle extending round all the towers. When you reach about half way you find resting-places. In the last tower is a large temple, and in the temple lies a large bed well furnished, and near it stands a golden table ; but there is no image within ; nor does any one remain there by night, only a native female, one whom the god has chosen in preference to all others, as say the Chaldseans who are priests of that god. And these persons also say, asserting what I do not believe, that the god himself frequents the temple and reposes on the couch. And there belongs to the temple in Baby- lon another shrine lower down, where there stands a large golden image of the god, and near it is placed a large golden table, and the pedestal and throne are gold, and, as the ChaldaeanB say, these things were made for eight hundred talents of gold. And out of the shrine is a golden altar ; and there is another great altar where sheep-offerings are sacrificed, for it is not permitted to sacrifice upon the golden altar, except sucklings only ; but upon the greater altar the Chal- daeans offer every year a thousand talents' worth of frankincense r.t the time when they celebrate the fes- tival of the god. And there was at that time in the temple a statue of twelve cubits of solid gold ; but I did not see it, and relate merely what was told me by the Chaldse :ns. Darius Hystaspis wished to have this statue, but did not dare to take it ; but Xerxes, his son, took it, and slew the priest who forbade him to mew. the statue. Thus is this sacred place adorned ; and there are also in it many private offerings." These offerings, made by individuals, consisting of statues, censers, cups, and sacred vessels of massive gold, con- stituted a property of immense value. On the top Semiramis placed three golden statues of Jupiter, Juno, and Ehea. The first was 40 feet high, and weighed 1000 Babylonish talents. The statue of Ehea was ofthe same weight: the goddess was seated on a golden throne with lions at each knee, and two ser- pents of silver. The statue of Juno was erect like that of Jupiter, weighing 800 talents ; she grasped a serpent by the head with her right hand, and held in her left a sceptre enriched with gems. A table of beaten gold was common to these three divinities, weighing 500 talents. On the table were two goblets of ;J0 talents, and two censers of 500 talents each, and three vases of prodigious magnitude. The total value of the precious articles and treasures contained in this proud achieve- ment of idolatry has been computed to exceed six hundred millions of dollars.