THE TOWER OF BABEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2375, 7 September 1899, Page 63

THE TOWER OF BABEL.

By a Bankbr.

When men began again to multiply upon the face of the earth, after the great flood which had well-nigh exterminated the human race, they determined that, as for them, they would never allow themselves to be exposed to the risk of being punished like their forefathers were, but would create an effective means of evading it. With this view they proceeded to erect a mighty tower, of such vast proportions and lofty elevation — a veritable city raised high above the clouds— that the entire human race, as it then existed, could escape far above any flood which an angered Deity could produce upon the earth. The Scriptural records do not give the height of this towering structure; and the estimates of very ancient authorities, which estimates are variously at from four to twelve miles high, are probably grossly exaggerated, while the elevation attributed to the building by the historian Strabo, who estimated it at a stadium (equal to 660 ft), is peihaps below the mark. Li any case, it was probably the loftiest building/ ever erected on the earth, and would have been vastly higher had the " confusion of tongues ' A not arrested its progress. The cuneiform inscription which has been discovered in the ruins of Babylon (which v/as inscribed long before the time of Moses), implies that, as would, however, of course, have been the case, even children participated in the embarrassment caused by the sudden transition from one language into many, for it records that '■ great and small " were confounded in their speech. According to this and other ancient tablets, it would appear that tht plan to erect tins tower was initiated by a great leader of men named Etana. In later times, what remained of this tower of Babel, which, according to an inscription, had been partly destroyed by the winds and tempests, was apparently renovated and used as a temple of the heathen god Baal; and Herodotus records that it was adorjaed by the Babylonian monarchs with colossal images of gold, the value of which he states was no less than five thousand talents of gold, equal to moro than twenty million pounds sterling. That which was made by Nebuchadnezzar was eighty-five feet high, therefore the estimate of Herodotus is probably not exaggerated. What a stirring and exciting spectacle must have been enacted at the inauguration of this colossal idol; vast multitudes of all peoples and nations and languages assembled in the great plain where -t was set up: the whole of the official classes of the entire empire, -'resplendent in the gorgeous and emblazoned habiliments portrayed upon the sculptured representations of these scenes ; numerous bands of music stationed at intervals throughout the great plain, and playing by preconcerted signal ; with the monarch himself in dazzling robes of purple and gold surveying the whole i scene. And then, when the clarion notes of the I music sounded throughout the plain, the huge multitude simultaneously fall low on their knees, and worship the false god which the king had set up. But not all, for three noble Jews dared to face certain death in a burning fiery furnace rather than deny Him whom they knew to 'be the truo God. And their service was richly rewarded, for not only did they feel no hurt from the flames (like the noble Protestant martyrs in England, who in many cases appeared miraculously fo feel comparatively little pain, even when tho deadly fires were consuming them), but they had the satisfaction of seeing the great king acknowledge and submit himself to the Most High God who had delivered them from his power. And many of us might well follow the example of this steadfast trio, and firmly refuse, whatever the cost, to join in any form of worship which, we know to be contrary to Holy Scripture, and therefore false. For the Bible is the only guide which, it has pleased the Almighty to give to mankind to point out the way to eternal life and glory.