The Genesis Site - Language

Genesis 11

Modern western people have lost their past. We read our Bible and we criticize it. We say the story of building the tower and the confusion of Babel cannot be historical. It must have been written in the years of king Nebuchadnezzar, we suppose. The big tower of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon inspired the Jews to write their Genesis 11.
But then why do we find so many stories about tower building and birth of languages all around the world? Coincidence? Mission results? Or an event all nations once experienced?
Let's travel around our planet and listen to the voice of old and sometimes forgotten tribes.

Broken clay fragments of the old Sumerians gave a song in which was told about a period everyone spoke in one language or tongue. Although translators do have some different view (some place the period in the past, others in the future), it is remarkable such an old country knew about the possibility of one speech.
In the 4th century the historican Harpocritio from Alexandria made a journey to Babylon. There he met an old man who told him about the building of a tower in remote times. But, the old man said, the tower was never finished. Some people were hit by fire from heaven. Others couldn't recognize each other anymore.
Jewish legends tell how God came down to earth with 70 angels. He confused the speech of mankind so they started to quarrel and left each other. One part of the tower was burned by fire. Another part sank down in the earth. The other part remained. But still every time someone passes by this ruins, he forgets all he knows.

The Lozi and the Mkulwe tribes in South Eastern Africa both know about climbing to heaven by piling up trees. The first tried to reach heaven, the second the moon. But in both cases the people failed in their attempt and the structure collapsed.

The Lolo tribe from Western China remembered a tower was build for fear of a new flood. The Chin people in South East Asia know how once all man lived in one village and spoke one language. Then they tried to reach the moon by building a wooden structure. The building became so high and got so many floors builders became isolated from each other. This caused the development of new languages. But the moonspirit became angry and sent down a huge storm. The building collapsed and man were scattered.
The Miao tribes of southwestern China know about building a big city with a high tower. But God struck at them and changed their language and accent. In despair mankind separated under all heaven, encircling the globe. (Which is a very important note, because when the Miao were discovered, they didn't know anything about a round world!)

On Tahiti is told of a man and a woman who survived a big flood. They found safety on a mountain. But as soon as the water was gone, a big storm terrorized earth. It started raining stones and trees! No building in this story. No confusion of tongues. Just two people who survived the flood and became the elders of all human beings. But note the strange kind of storm soon after the flood!

The Guarani tribe in Paraguay remembered how they once lived in a mysterious land at the other side of the sea. Two brothers - the ancestors of the Guarani - took their people to their new country. In Brasilia we find the Caraja and Javaeh tribes. These men survived a flood but became soon afterwards in big trouble. There was not enough drinking-water. So they dicided to scatter and each group took his own language. Could the name Javaeh be a derivation from Japheth, the son of Noah?

The Tinglits of Alaska tell how they once survived a worldwide deluge in a big floating ark. When the water sank the ark grounded on a mountain and broke in two pieces. And this, the Tinglits say, is the cause of the diversity of languages.
The Tsimshian tribe of British Columbia told how after the flood mankind was terrorized by fire. One of their other stories tells how they scattered after the flood in their drifting boats.
The Pueblo people of Soutwestern US are talking about survivors of a huge flood. When the waters are gone, they scatter and go looking for the sunrise. Those who will find the sun will warn the others. White people first see the sun rising. They are warning the other tribes by a big star shower.
 
The Toltecs of Meso-America remembered the building of a temple. Its destination was heaven. But the gods became angry and threw down fire and a stone. The Maya people told how all tribes dwelt in the East. They were living in darkness and were waiting for the sun. There they heard all kind of different languages. And there, waiting for the dawn, they saw the rising of the morningstar, the big star Venus.

There, too, they looked toward the east, watching closely for the daybringer, the great star at the birth of the sun, of the heat for what is under the sky, on the earth, the guide for the human work, the human design.

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