I noticed when reading through the first chapters of genesis again, that the account of the Tower of Babel seems to be stuck in the body of the text rather randomly, like it was an old legend that someone had remembered, or was on clay tablets perhaps, and then written into the bible when it was finally written down.
There is no indication that the account is talking about before or after the flood.
It says that people settled in Mesopotamia, (a plain in the land of Shinar) but that they had migrated there from the east; Persia. They spoke one language. God (or the gods?) came down (presumably from heaven?), had a look around at the city and the tower (probably a Ziggurat), and didn’t like the way the population was getting uppity, so dispersed them around the world.
So this suggests that the population at some early time in history came from Persia, then on to Mesopotamia, then out into the world.
However in the genealogical account of the descendants of Noah, it lists a number of generations;
10 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
Noah.. Japheth.. Gomer.. Ashkenaz. Four generations after the flood. each with his own language.
So where is the Tower of Babel account to fit.. if these tribes were all speaking their own languages?
I’ve heard that the Tower of Babel account is after the flood (although it dosn't say that). It’s placed in the bible in chapter 11, right after the genealogy of Noah descendants, but it is probably placed there in the bible like that as it is a ‘stand-alone’ account of origins going back to east of Mesopotamia, (and it had to be put somewhere) and this convention has probably influenced what people think; that it is after the flood. But it is contrary to what was written before; that the early descendants of Noah were speaking different languages.
As it doesn’t say whether this account of Babel is before or after the flood, and it contradicts the other account in chapter 10, then this might be an independent memory, of civilisation originating in the east somewhere. It takes a while to chew over these things.
Another thing I noticed, is that Cain is the son of Adam and Eve, and he kills Abel, and then he runs off in exile, out of the land where he was living, and he was worried that he would be killed by people when he went away on his wanderings.
But who were these people, if Cain was the original son, where did these people come from? I just noticed it as I was reading. If they were his brothers, that's possible I suppose, but it struck me that these other people were already out there, as he was running off into another land, after having killed Abel... a recent event... where did these other nations come from, if they were already out there as a population?
It says a bit later that Adam and Eve had Seth, a replacement for Abel. So where is there mention of all these other sons, somewhere around the time of Cain; Seth might be the next notable person to come along, or Seth might be the next son after Cain, in which case, all these people out there near the land of Nod, would need to be Cain's sons and daughters.
Unless this is a record of the origins of one people group, going back to Adam and Eve. But there were other people groups out there as well.
Granpa:>>firmament was created on the 2nd day
therefore the big bang happened on the 2nd day
Dear Granpa, This was the beginning of the first heaven, which was later destroyed by the water into which it was placed.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
See? The following is the formation of the beginning of our heaven and the third heaven:
Gen 2:4 ¶These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
These verses are adding information about the THIRD day. Notice that the account is speaking of heavenS (Plural). It's not a mistake, but the first time the plural term for heavens is used in Scripture. Notice also that the "earth" was made the THIRD day according to Genesis 1:9-10.
Gen 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew:
This verse confirms the day again, since it was the THIRD day the plants grew according to Genesis 1:12.
Read on and you will see that man was formed of the dust of the ground on the THIRD day, after the first earth was made but BEFORE the plants grew on the 3rd Day. I realize that this goes against the traditional story, but it agrees in every way with God's Holy Word.
Man was formed physically on the 3rd Day but was not "created in God's Image" until the 6th Day. This shows that Adam was born again or born Spiritually on the 6th Day. Eve was also created in God's Image at the SAME time and Eve wasn't even made until the 6th Day. Genesis 2:22.
Adam, like all men was first made on the 3rd Day but was not born again until the 6th Day. This gives mankind preeminence or first place in the Creation. We are destined to have dominion over every other living creature in heaven. Genesis 1:28
In Love,
Aman
Good insight there.
I would encourage you to look at my chart now
Comparative mythology chart/Bible1 - Religion-wiki
Why is it the modern skepticism will attribute Scripture to anyone or anything other then Moses scribing the narrative from communications from God at Sinai? .....
Granpa said:Comparative mythology chart/Bible1 - Religion-wiki
Hey aman, take another look at my chart.
Dear Grandpa,
Every time I go to the chart, there is a blank Ad covering the top portion of it. When I try to get rid of it, I lose my connection online, and have to reboot. I"m getting another 512mb of memory this weekend.
Before I get it, if you would tell me:
Where is the portion of the Chart you want me to see? Is it on top or down in the Chart? IF it's down in the chart, I can quit looking on top. Thanks for your help.
In Love,
Aman
Comparative mythology chart/Bible1 - Religion-wikiHey aman, take another look at my chart.
Dear Grandpa, Every time I go to the chart, there is a blank Ad covering the top portion of it. When I try to get rid of it, I lose my connection online, and have to reboot. I"m getting another 512mb of memory this weekend.
Before I get it, if you would tell me:
Where is the portion of the Chart you want me to see? Is it on top or down in the Chart? IF it's down in the chart, I can quit looking on top. Thanks for your help.
In Love,
Aman