Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Irene Riegner <iriegner AT concentric.net>]

Dear People,

Nahum Sarna in "Understanding Genesis" (63-80) has a fascinating
discussion of Babel story in which he proposes that "....the narrative
reveals...an astonishingly initmate knowledge of Babylonian building
techniques, displays some remarkable verbal correspondences with
cuneiform literary sources, and features some typically Mesopotamian
motifs."

Among other things, Sarna notes that _oven-fired_ bricks were common to
Mesopotamia but not to Palestine and constituted a major revolution in
Babylonian construction techniques.  Its strength, as opposed to the
strength of sun-cured brick, is much greater permitting the construction
of a ziqqurat.   _Burned_ brick is mentioned in Gen 11.3 as a component
of the tower.  Bitumin, used as mortar, was a Mesopotamian building
technique while residents of Palestine and Israel used the same material
as the bricks for their mortar.  In Mesopotamia where stone is rare,
brick is the construction material of choice;  in Palestine stone is
plentiful and was used as a primary building material.
    "The top in the sky" describing the height of the tower,  according
to Sarna, is a technical term for something very high.  Canaanite walls
are said to be "as high as heaven" (Dt 1.28).  Mesopotamian inscriptions
also use this expression to describe the buidling or repair of their
towers including the temple of Marduk in Babylon---the Esagila.
Nebuchadrezzar  and Nabopolasser both use this expression in references
to Esagila.
    Sarna thinks the story is being told by an outsider who had close
familiarity with Mesopotamian buidling techniques but without
necessarily understanding the religious significance of the ziqqurat.
He does not date the story.  It could be exilic or post-exilic or the
information could be from a member of a Judahite delegation to
Babylon---perhaps bring tribute.  But the information was re-arranged
and incorporated into an anti-pagan polemic.

irene riegner