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RE: Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis

From: Niels Peter Lemche <npl AT teol.ku.dk>
To: 'Walter Mattfeld' <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>
Cc: "'b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu'" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: RE: Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 09:16:43 +0100

Why on earth should Gen 11 reflect the exile? Babylon was deserted by its
inhabitants, OK, when did that happen. Sennacherib destroyed Babylon shortly
after 700 but after another ten years it was rebuilt by Asarhaddon. From
then on and until the early Seleucids, Babylon was still considered one of
the centres of the world. Alexander died there in 323. However, after
Seleuchos I founded Seleucia (baghdad) outside the gates of the old city, it
was gradually abandoned. If anything Gen 11 would support the idea that this
literature is post-Seleuchos I, if we should at all stress the historical
point here, something which is certainly not too obvious.

NPL

Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis, Walter Mattfeld, 01/18/2000
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis, Jonathan D. Safren, 01/18/2000
- RE: Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis, Niels Peter Lemche, 01/18/2000
- Re: Tower of Babel & Post-exilic Genesis, Dave Washburn, 01/19/2000