Gen. 11

1) OK, this is an anti-Pentecost in its way, as it descends from common speech to utter confusion. The Bible translate Babel=gate of God as balal, confusion. It may well contain a jibe a the name Babylon.

2) This closes the primeval Genesis account. note that the same desire to be as god underlies both Eve's decision and now the decision of the people to build the great tower. Later, Jacob will have a dream of a tower with angels moving up and down on i8t.

3)This is a good vehicle to speak of the troubles of technology and its pretensions toward being a secular religion.

4) I sense that the desire to make a name is an attempt to replace the divine name.

5) Somehow they see the building project as a way to remain stable and secure.

6) God seems determined to keep human creativity and engineering within limits.

7) Still, the punishment allows them to fill the earth as in Genesis 2.