Changes

:''Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confuse the language of all the earth: and from there did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9, King James Version)''

:''Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confuse the language of all the earth: and from there did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9, King James Version)''

==The Meaning of “Babel”==

==Etymology==

The Tower was built in Babylon, on account of the confusion of languages. The word is based purely on the Hebrew etymological law, which makes ''bālal'', “to confuse,” or “mingle,” assume a reduplicate form; but as far as the numerous cuneiform inscriptions are concerned, ''balālu'', “to mingle” (the root in question), was an impossibility. On the Babylonian side the rendering of the name ''Bâb-îli'' (''-îlāni''), “gate of god” (or “of the gods”) was a folk-etymology, sharing the same meaning as the Sumero-Akkadian form ''Ka-dingira''. It is noteworthy, however, that one of the forms used by [[Nebuchadrezzar]] is ''Babilam'', with the mimmation or “emming,” which is a characteristic of the Babylonian language; moreover, a place-name ''Babalam'' also occurs, which may be a still earlier, and possibly the original, form. Notwithstanding that one would like to see in ''Babalam'', “the place of bringing together,” and in ''Babilam'', “the bringer together,” the termination ''-am'' would seem to be an insurmountable difficulty.

In the Hebrew, בָּבֶל, ''bāḇel'' which occurs in {{bible ref|Genesis|11|1-9}} is translated as Babel, but in every other successive Old Testament account is translated as Babylon.  If the place came to take a reduplicate form of the word for 'confusion' (בָּלַל,''bālal'', “to confuse,” "mix", "mingle,”) or if 'confusion' took on a reduplicated derivative of 'Babylon' now remains questionable.  But Genesis 11:9<ref>Genesis 11:9, https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/11/1/t_conc_11009</ref> indicates that the place was named after the existing vocabulary for 'mixing', בָּלַל,''bālal'' as a play on the existing place name.

 

It must be noted that in Babylonia the folk-etymology knew the place as ''Bâb-îli'' (''-îlāni''), “gate of god” or “of the gods”; sharing the same meaning as the Sumero-Akkadian form ''Ka-dingira''. It is however noteworthy, that one of the forms used by [[Nebuchadrezzar II]] is ''Babilam'', which manifests the above the the classic Babylonian linguistic mimmation of placing an 'm' sound at the end of words.  Moreover, a place-name ''Babalam'' also occurs, which may be a still earlier, and possibly the original, form. Notwithstanding that one would like to see in ''Babalam'', “the place of bringing together,” and in ''Babilam'', “the bringer together,” the termination ''-am'' would seem to be an insurmountable difficulty.

 

==General Form of Babylonian Temple-Towers==

==General Form of Babylonian Temple-Towers==