The Tower of Babel: Genesis 11 and Adams’ Chart

The Tower of Babel takes nine verses in Genesis 11. Sebastian C. Adams drew it where panels 3 and 4 of his chart meet and printed a notice headed “Traditions respecting the Tower of Babel.” and a numbered argument, quoted here in his words.

In short: Genesis 11:1–9 tells of one language, a city and a tower in the land of Shinar, the confusion of language and the scattering abroad. Adams’ chart dates the dispersion to about 2247 B.C.

What Genesis says

¹ And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ³ And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. ⁴ And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ⁵ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ⁶ And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. ⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. ⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. ⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1–9, King James Version

Verses	Subject
1–2	One language; a plain in the land of Shinar
3	Brick; slime for mortar
4	A city and a tower; a name; the face of the whole earth
5–7	The LORD; the city and the tower; their language
8–9	The building of the city ceases; Babel; scattering abroad

Genesis 10:25 links the division to Peleg:

²⁵ And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
Genesis 10:25, King James Version

On Adams’ chart

The tower is drawn at the join of panels 3 and 4. Adams’ lower caption gives “650.ft high, 8 stories.” and a base a quarter of a mile square; near the top he prints “Despoiled by Xerxes 478. B. C.” The notice above the arc dates the dispersion to about 2247 B.C.

Under the heading “Traditions respecting the Tower of Babel.” Adams prints a notice whose first paragraph ends:

But from the Scriptures it does not appear that the tower suffered any injury at the confusion, for it is simply said, “they left off to build.”
Printed on Adams’ chart, panel 3

Adams also prints an argument, with three numbered entries and a closing question. He writes “at least 3 coincident particulars”:

1st. The place is the same.
2nd. The material was identical. […]
3d. The identity of the names of Babylon, Babel, Belus, Baal, etc., is known to all scholars.
Who can say these two towers are not identical ?
Printed on Adams’ chart, panel 3 (the entry marked […] is abridged here)

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Questions

What does Genesis 11 say about the Tower of Babel?

Genesis 11:1–9 describes one language and one speech, a plain in the land of Shinar, bricks burned thoroughly and slime for mortar, a city and a tower, the confounding of language, and the scattering abroad upon the face of all the earth. The full text is above.

When does Adams’ chart place the dispersion?

Adams’ notice above the arc dates the dispersion to “about 2247 B.C.” Genesis 10:25 says of Peleg: “in his days was the earth divided”.

How tall was the Tower of Babel?

Adams’ lower caption beside his tower gives “650.ft high, 8 stories.” and a base a quarter of a mile square. Near the top he prints “Despoiled by Xerxes 478. B. C.”

What does Adams say about the Tower of Babel?

Under “Traditions respecting the Tower of Babel.” the first paragraph of his notice ends: “But from the Scriptures it does not appear that the tower suffered any injury at the confusion, for it is simply said, “they left off to build.”” He also prints a numbered argument that ends with the question “Who can say these two towers are not identical ?” (quoted above).