The Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, "whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered," is generally understood by scholars as based on the Babylonian ziggurat Etemenanki, the great tower of Marduk. It was begun by Nabopolassar and enlarged by Nebuchadnezzar II, about 91 meters high with seven levels. Alexander the Great ordered its reconstruction, but the work was never completed.
Account
The Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, "whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered," is generally understood by scholars as based on the Babylonian ziggurat Etemenanki, the great tower of Marduk. It was begun by Nabopolassar and enlarged by Nebuchadnezzar II, about 91 meters high with seven levels. Alexander the Great ordered its reconstruction, but the work was never completed.
Sources
- Genesis
- Babylonian cuneiform documents
- British Museum archaeological archives