Tower of Babel

Genesis

First biblical book

• Old TestamentPre-Christian biblical canon
• Hebrew BibleJewish canonical scriptures
• divine interventionGodly action in affairs

dispersion · scatter · judgment · origin myth · etiology · scripture · ziggurat · Nimrod · ancient · parable

ziggurat

Stepped ancient temple mound

• bricksFired clay building units
• mortarGrinding bowl or binder
• scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform

edifice · monument · laborers · masonry · foundation · architecture · builders · height · structure · unfinished

arrogance

Excessive self-importance

• overreachExceed one's capacity
• presumptionBelief held without proof
• vanityExcessive pride in oneself

pride · ambition · defiance · aspiration · audacity · vainglory · folly · downfall · punishment · warning

cooperation

Joint action toward shared aims

• common purposeGoal held by many
• collaborationJoint intellectual work
• solidarityUnity among allies

working together · fragmentation · division · scattering · dispersal · separation

multilingualism

Multiple language proficiency

• polyglotOne knowing many languages
• tonguesOral muscles for speech
• speechOral communication ability

dialect · translation · interpretation · mother tongue · vernacular

miscommunication

Failed exchange of meaning

• misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
• chaosComplete disorder and confusion
• disorderAbsence of organization

cacophony · incomprehension · disarray · fragmentation · breakdown · garbled · unintelligible · lost in translation · cross-purposes · pandemonium

• mystical placesAtlantis, Avalon, Shangri-La, El Dorado, Lemuria
• towersmonopole, Space Needle, Big Ben, turret, keep
• Scripture talesDavid and Goliath, Adam and Eve, creation story, Garden of Eden, gospel stories
• Biblical ReferencesAdam and Eve, ark, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, Ten Commandments
• Christian loreAdam, Eve, Adam and Eve, Noah, Satan
• Middle EastIraq, Baghdad, Cairo, Iran, Jordan