In other sources Tower of Babel

1 in other sources

1.1 book of jubilees
1.2 pseudo-philo
1.3 josephus antiquities of jews
1.4 greek apocalypse of baruch
1.5 midrash
1.6 islamic tradition
1.7 book of mormon
1.8 irish folklore

in other sources
book of jubilees

the book of jubilees contains 1 of detailed accounts found anywhere of tower.

and began build, , in fourth week made brick fire, , bricks served them stone, , clay cemented them asphalt comes out of sea, , out of fountains of water in land of shinar. , built it: forty , 3 years building it; breadth 203 bricks, , height [of brick] third of one; height amounted 5433 cubits , 2 palms, , [the extent of 1 wall was] thirteen stades [and of other thirty stades]. (jubilees 10:20–21, charles 1913 translation)

pseudo-philo

in pseudo-philo, direction building ascribed not nimrod, made prince of hamites, joktan, prince of semites, , phenech son of dodanim, prince of japhetites. twelve men arrested refusing bring bricks, including abraham, lot, nahor, , several sons of joktan. however, joktan saves twelve wrath of other 2 princes.

josephus antiquities of jews

tower of babel, lucas van valckenborch, 1594, louvre museum

the jewish-roman historian flavius josephus, in antiquities of jews (c. 94 ce), recounted history found in hebrew bible , mentioned tower of babel. wrote nimrod had tower built , nimrod tyrant tried turn people away god. in account, god confused people rather destroying them because annihilation flood hadn t taught them godly.

now nimrod excited them such affront , contempt of god. grandson of ham, son of noah, bold man, , of great strength of hand. persuaded them not ascribe god if through means happy, believe own courage procured happiness. gradually changed government tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men fear of god, bring them constant dependence on power... multitude ready follow determination of nimrod , esteem piece of cowardice submit god; , built tower, neither sparing pains, nor being in degree negligent work: and, reason of multitude of hands employed in it, grew high, sooner 1 expect; thickness of great, , built, thereby great height seemed, upon view, less was. built of burnt brick, cemented mortar, made of bitumen, might not liable admit water. when god saw acted madly, did not resolve destroy them utterly, since not grown wiser destruction of former sinners [in flood]; caused tumult among them, producing in them diverse languages, , causing that, through multitude of languages, should not able understand 1 another. place wherein built tower called babylon, because of confusion of language readily understood before; hebrews mean word babel, confusion. sibyl makes mention of tower, , of confusion of language, when says thus:-- when men of 1 language, of them built high tower, if thereby ascend heaven; gods sent storms of wind , overthrew tower, , gave peculiar language; , reason city called babylon.

greek apocalypse of baruch

third apocalypse of baruch (or 3 baruch, c. 2nd century), 1 of pseudepigrapha, describes rewards of sinners , righteous in afterlife. among sinners instigated tower of babel. in account, baruch first taken (in vision) see resting place of souls of built tower of strife against god, , lord banished them. next shown place, , there, occupying form of dogs,

those gave counsel build tower, whom thou seest drove forth multitudes of both men , women, make bricks; among whom, woman making bricks not allowed released in hour of child-birth, brought forth while making bricks, , carried child in apron, , continued make bricks. , lord appeared them , confused speech, when had built tower height of 4 hundred , sixty-three cubits. , took gimlet, , sought pierce heavens, saying, let see (whether) heaven made of clay, or of brass, or of iron. when god saw did not permit them, smote them blindness , confusion of speech, , rendered them thou seest. (greek apocalypse of baruch, 3:5–8)

midrash

rabbinic literature offers many different accounts of other causes building tower of babel, , of intentions of builders. according 1 midrash builders of tower, called generation of secession in jewish sources, said: god has no right choose upper world himself, , leave lower world us; therefore build tower, idol on top holding sword, may appear if intended war god (gen. r. xxxviii. 7; tan., ed. buber, noah, xxvii. et seq.).

the building of tower meant bid defiance not god, abraham, exhorted builders reverence. passage mentions builders spoke sharp words against god, saying once every 1,656 years, heaven tottered water poured down upon earth, therefore support columns there might not deluge (gen. r. l.c.; tan. l.c.; josephus, ant. i. 4, § 2).

some among generation wanted war against god in heaven (talmud sanhedrin 109a). encouraged in undertaking notion arrows shot sky fell dripping blood, people believed wage war against inhabitants of heavens (sefer ha-yashar, chapter 9:12–36). according josephus , midrash pirke r. el. xxiv., nimrod persuaded contemporaries build tower, while other rabbinical sources assert, on contrary, nimrod separated builders.

according midrashic account, 1 third of tower builders punished being transformed semi-demonic creatures , banished 3 parallel dimensions, inhabited descendants.

islamic tradition

turris babel athanasius kircher

although not mentioned name, quran has story similarities biblical story of tower of babel, although set in egypt of moses: pharaoh asks haman build him stone (or clay) tower can mount heaven , confront god of moses.

another story in sura 2:102 mentions name of babil, tells of when 2 angels harut , marut taught magic people in babylon , warned them magic sin , teaching them magic test of faith. tale babil appears more in writings of yaqut (i, 448 f.) , lisān al-ʿarab (ar) (xiii. 72), without tower: mankind swept winds plain afterward called babil , assigned separate languages god, , scattered again in same way. in history of prophets , kings 9th-century muslim theologian al-tabari, fuller version given: nimrod has tower built in babil, god destroys it, , language of mankind, formerly syriac, confused 72 languages. muslim historian of 13th century, abu al-fida relates same story, adding patriarch eber (an ancestor of abraham) allowed keep original tongue, hebrew in case, because not partake in building.

although variations similar biblical narrative of tower of babel exist within islamic tradition, central theme of god separating humankind on basis of language alien islam according author yahiya emerick. in islamic belief, argues, god created nations know each other , not separated.

book of mormon

in book of mormon, man named jared , family ask god language not confounded @ time of tower of babel. because of prayers, god preserves language , leads them valley of nimrod. there, travel across sea americas.

the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints teaches tower of babel story historical fact. although there many in our day consider accounts of flood , tower of babel fiction, latter-day saints affirm reality.

irish folklore

irish texts, such lebor gabála Érenn , auraicept na n-Éces, claim legendary king fenius farsa chose best features of confused languages , fused them create goidelic, forerunner of irish language.