| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| | [[Image:Brueghel-tower-of-babel.jpg|right|thumb|300px|''The Tower of Babel'' by [[Pieter Bruegel the Elder]], 1563.]] | | [[Image:Brueghel-tower-of-babel.jpg|right|thumb|300px|''The Tower of Babel'' by [[Pieter Bruegel the Elder]], 1563.]] |
| | The '''Tower of Babel''' (Hebrew: מגדל, ''mighdal'', 'tower'; בָּבֶל, ''bāḇel'', Babel), located in ancient [[Babylon]],<ref>[[Berossus the Chaldean]], ''Babylonika''<br /> see entirety of fragment above in section '"in Berossus' ''Babylonika'' Fragment" | | The '''Tower of Babel''' (Hebrew: מגדל, ''mighdal'', 'tower'; בָּבֶל, ''bāḇel'', Babel), located in ancient [[Babylon]],<ref>[[Berossus the Chaldean]], ''Babylonika''<br /> see entirety of fragment above in section '"in Berossus' ''Babylonika'' Fragment" |
| − | </ref> was the tallest brick building ever constructed in recorded history; which according to [[Josephus]] was initiated by [[Nimrod]].<ref>Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', 1.4.2</ref> Built in the [[ziggurat]] style, it was later repurposed to be the Temple of Bel [[Marduk]], the father of the gods in [[Babylon]]. Multiple religious persuasions teach that the tower was built by the descendants of [[Noah]] relatively shortly after the [[Great Flood|Flood]] as in {{bible ref|Genesis|11|1-9}}, so that its "top may reach unto heaven." | + | </ref> was the tallest brick building ever constructed.<ref>According to [[Josephus]], this was initiated by [[Nimrod]]. See Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', 1.4.2</ref> Built in the [[ziggurat]] style, it was converted to the Temple of Bel [[Marduk]] as the father of [[Babylon]] gods. Multiple religions teach that the tower was built by the descendants of [[Noah]] soon after the [[Great Flood|Flood]] as in {{bible ref|Genesis|11|1-9}}, so that its "top may reach unto heaven." [So they thought]. |
| | | | |
| − | It is commonly asserted by adherents to both the [[Genesis|Biblical]] account and by adherents to the ancient [[pagan]] historians,<ref>[[Berossus the Chaldean]]</ref> that the ''Tower of Babel'' story provides an explanation to fundamental mysteries that [[atheistic]] science has been unable to solve, namely:
| + | Both [[Genesis|Biblical]] scholars and [[pagan]] historians<ref>[[Berossus the Chaldean]]</ref> cite the ''Tower of Babel'' account to explain fundamental mysteries that [[atheistic]] science cannot solve, namely: |
| | * the different languages today that lack a common origin, and | | * the different languages today that lack a common origin, and |
| | * the immense diversity in ethnicity. | | * the immense diversity in ethnicity. |