BABELE, TORRE DI

BABEL, TOWER OF. – A structure erected at Balbonia (Babel) for political-religious purposes, and left unfinished (Gen. 11:1-9). The division of humanity into discordant peoples stems from a collective “original sin” (cf. Ps. 2:4): it is a punishment by Jahweh, since the unity of men fostered pride that violated God. The inhabitants of Sennaar (Babylonia) resolved to build, in brick and bitumen, a city dominated by a tower “whose top reaches the heavens; thus we shall make a name for ourselves (šēm, as in 2 Sam. 8:13) and remain united.” The tribes sought to erect a temple tower “very high” (this means “up to the heavens” in number and in Akkadian) to symbolize the unity of their pagan kingdom. Indignant at such titanic pride (cf. Is. 14:13-15), God (Yahweh throughout the passage, which O. Happel, following H. Gunkel, wrongly divides into two documents: 1) the foundational body, in which he moves according to the law of the body, and subsequently the foundational body, in which he moves according to the law of the body, and subsequently the foundational body, in which he moves according to the law of the body, and subsequently the foundational body, in which he moves according to the law of the body, and and subsequently the foundational body, in which he moves according to the law of the body, and and subsequently the foundational body, in which hela legge dell'uomo, and then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of man, and, then the law of man, is, is, and, then the law of manMan, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, and, and then the law of man, and, and then the law of man, is, ise, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, e, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, é, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, é, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, e, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, é, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, é, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, é, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, é, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, é, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, é, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, è, è, and then the law of man, and then the law of man, é, è, and then the law of manseguito the law of man, è, è, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law of man, é, è, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law of man, è, é, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law of man, è, è, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law of man, é, è, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law of man, è, é, e, in seguito the law of man, e, in seguito the law ofegge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, é, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, é, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, é, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, é, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, é, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, è, è, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, e, in seguito la legge dell'uomo, é

carattere etiologico (H. Gunkel, in *Die Religion in Gesch. u. Gegenwart*, V, Tubinga 1931, col. 1325 sg.).

Bibl.: A. Hammerschmid, *Die Sprachverwirrung zu Babel*, in *Theol.-prakt. Monatschrift*, 8 (1898), pp. 1-15, 89-101, 158-160, 228-240; O. Happel, *Der Turmbau von Babel*, in *Bibl. Zeitschr.* 1 (1903), pp. 225-31; 2 (1904), pp. 337-50; 3 (1905), pp. 17-31; H. Leser, *La Tour de Babel*, in *Rev. prat. d'Apolog.*, 17 (1906, 11), pp. 357-63; G. Geiger, *Zur babylonischen Sprachverwirrung*, in *Theol.-prakt. Monatschrift*, 17 (1907), pp. 665-72; R. J. Koldewey, *Das wieder entstehende Babylon*, Lipsia 1914, 4a ed. 1925 (illustra la torre E-temen-an-ki); id., *Der babylonische Turm nach der Tonafel des Ambleschmun*, in *Mitteil. d. deutschen Orientgesellschaft*, 39 (1918), pp. 1-38; Th. Dombart, *Der Sakral-turm*, I: *Zikhurrat*, Monacoi 1920; id., *Der babylonische Turm*, in *Jah-buch d. deutsch. arch. Institut*, 34 (1920), pp. 40-64; J. P. Peters, *The Tower of Babel at Borsippa*, in *Journal of Amer. Or. Soc.*, 41 (1920), pp. 157-59; B. Meissner, *Babylonien und Assyrien*, I, Heidelberg 1920, p. 314 seq.; K. Budde, in *Festschrift für K. Marti* (Beil. d. Zeitschr. f. d. altest. Wiss.*, 41), 1925, p. 45 seq.; P. Heinisch, *Der Turmbau von Babel*, in *Studia Cathol.*, 1 (1925), pp. 139-69; H. Grossmann, *Israel and the Tower of Babel*, Chicago 1928; Th. Dombart, *Der babylonische Turm (Der Alte Orient*, 29, 11) Lipsia 1930 (in *Klio*, 21 [1927], pp. 135-74); F. Ceuppens, *De historia primaeva*, Roma 1934, pp. 377-89; G. Martiny, *Der Turm zu Babel*, in *Forsch. n. Fortschritte*, 10 (1934), p. 39 seq.; A. Wadler, *Der Turm von Babel: Urgemeinschaft der Sprachen*, Basilea 1935; M. Honnort, *La tour de Babel et la langue primitive de la Terre*, Parigi 1936; D. Keulenaer, *Gen. t. 1*, 1-9, in *Coll. Mechlin.*, 11 (1937), pp. 468-83; O. E. Rawn, *Der Turm zu Babel*, in *Zeitschr. deutsche. Morgenl. Ges.*, 91 (1937), pp. 352-72; G. Martiny, *Etemenanki*, *Der Turm zu Babel*, ibid., 92 (1938), pp. 572-78; F. Wetzel, H. F. Weissbach, *Das Hauptheiligtum des Marduk in Babylon*, *Esgula und Etemenanki*, Lipsia 1938; T. A. Busink, *De Toren van Babel*, Batavia 1938 (cf. O. E. Rawn, in *Or. Liter.-Zeitung*, 42 [1939], pp. 290-93); H. J. Lenzen, *Die Entwicklung der Zikkenrat*, *Von ihren Anfängen bis zur Zeit der 3. Dynastie von Ur*, Lipsia 1941 (cf. E. D. Van Buren, in *Or. Lit.-Zeit.*, 46 [1943], pp. 405-409); P. A. H. de Boor, *Gen. t. 1*, 1-9, in *Nieuwe theol. Studien*, 24 (1941), pp. 304-309; G. Contenau, *Le déluge babylonien suivi de Ishtar aux enfers*, *La Tour de Babel*, Parigi 1941; G. E. Closen, *Incontro con il Libro sacro*, trad. it., Brescia 1943, pp. 30-34; J. Chaine, *La tour de B., in Mélanges E. Pedechard*, *Ligne 1945*, pp. 63-69; L. H. Vincent, *De la Tour de Babel au Temple*, in *Rev. Bibl.*, 53 (1946), pp. 403-40; M. Rutten, *Babylone*, Parigi 1948, pp. 80-88.