Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon
The historical tower behind the Tower of Babel tradition
Found 1913 — Robert Koldewey (German Oriental Society, Babylon excavations 1899–1917)
Where Babylon, Hillah, Iraq (Iraq)
Dates from c. 7th–6th century BCE (earlier phases possibly 2nd millennium BCE) · Neo-Babylonian (with older foundations) · Genesis 11 tradition; later Babylon of the Exile
Now at In situ at Babylon (foundation outline); the 'Tower of Babel Stele' of Nebuchadnezzar II is in the Schøyen Collection, Norway
How Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon was found
Koldewey's team located the ziggurat's foundation square in 1913 by tracing its baked-brick core and the surrounding precinct; only the base survives, since Alexander the Great had the ruin cleared.
What it is
A square foundation about 91 meters on each side, once a seven-stage tower of the god Marduk called E-temen-anki, 'House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth'. A cuneiform tablet and a stele of Nebuchadnezzar II describe it as reaching the heavens.
Why it matters for the Bible
Genesis 11 tells of a tower in Shinar whose top was to reach heaven, built of baked brick and bitumen—exactly the materials found here. The surviving structure is much later than the Genesis story, so it is not the very tower of Genesis, but it is the most famous of the tradition's descendants, and its Babylonian name ('gate of god', bab-ili) is the pun Genesis plays on with balal, 'confuse'.
The Hebrew word: bah-VEL
בָּבֶל
בָּבֶל is pronounced bah-VEL and means Babel/Babylon (Strong's H894).
People this discovery connects to
- Nimrod — נִמְרוֹד (nim-ROD) — we shall rebel (folk meaning)
Places
- Babel — בָּבֶל (bah-VEL) — confusion (Hebrew pun); 'gate of god' (Akkadian)
Events
Building of the Tower of Babel · Confusion of languages
Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon in Scripture
Genesis 10:10 One of only 2 verses that name Babel.
Genesis 11:9 The name Babel explained by the confusion of languages.
Questions people ask
What is Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon?
A square foundation about 91 meters on each side, once a seven-stage tower of the god Marduk called E-temen-anki, 'House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth'. A cuneiform tablet and a stele of Nebuchadnezzar II describe it as reaching the heavens.
When was Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon discovered?
It was found in 1913 by Robert Koldewey (German Oriental Society, Babylon excavations 1899–1917), at Babylon, Hillah, Iraq.
Where is Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon today?
In situ at Babylon (foundation outline); the 'Tower of Babel Stele' of Nebuchadnezzar II is in the Schøyen Collection, Norway.
Which Bible verses does Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon relate to?
Genesis 10:10, Genesis 11:9.
Related discoveries
- בֵּלEast India House Inscription of NebuchadnezzarThe king's own account of rebuilding Babylon's temples, palaces and walls
- בָּבֶלIshtar Gate and Processional Way of BabylonNebuchadnezzar's glazed-brick gateway, the Babylon the exiles walked into
- אֲרֻחָהJehoiachin Ration TabletsBabylonian palace records of oil for 'Yaukin, king of the land of Judah' and his sons
- כּוֹרֶשׁCyrus CylinderCyrus the Great's clay proclamation of his capture of Babylon and the return of exiled peoples and their gods
- בֵּלְשַׁאצַּרNabonidus ChronicleBabylonian chronicle recording the night Babylon fell to the army of Cyrus
- שִׁנְעָרEriduMesopotamia's 'first city' and its long temple sequence
Sources
Open Etemenanki, the Ziggurat of Babylon in Hebrew Explorer →