The legend of the confusion of tongues is to be traced in other
folk-lores than that of Babylon. It is found in Central America, where
the story runs that Xelhua, one of the seven giants rescued from the
deluge, built the great pyramid of Cholula in order to besiege heaven.
The structure was, however, destroyed by the gods, who cast down fire
upon it and confounded the language of its builders. Livingstone found
some such myth among the African tribes around Lake Ngami, and certain
Australian and Mongolian peoples possess a similar tradition.
Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter
It is strange that the dispersion of tribes at Babel should be
connected with the name of Nimrod, who figures in Biblical as well as
Babylonian tradition as a mighty hunter. Epiphanius states that from
the very foundation of this city (Babylon) there commenced an immediate
scene of conspiracy, sedition, and tyranny, which was carried on by
Nimrod, the son of Chus the Æthiop. Around this dim legendary figure
a great deal of learned controversy has raged. Before we examine his
legendary and mythological significance, let us see what legend and
Scripture say of him. In the Book of Genesis (chap. x, 8, _ff_.) he is
mentioned as "a mighty hunter before Yahweh: wherefore it is said, Even
as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord." He was also the ruler of
a great kingdom. "The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech,
and Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went
forth Asshur" (that is, by compulsion of Nimrod) "and builded Nineveh,"
and other great cities. In the Scriptures Nimrod is mentioned as a
descendant of Ham, but this may arise from the reading of his father's
name as _Cush_, which in the Scriptures indicates a coloured race. The
name may possibly be _Cash_ and should relate to the Cassites.
It appears then that the sons of Cush or Chus, the Cassites, according
to legend, did not partake of the general division of the human race
after the fall of Babel, but under the leadership of Nimrod himself
remained where they were. After the dispersion, Nimrod built Babylon
and fortified the territory around it. It is also said that he built
Nineveh and trespassed upon the land of Asshur, so that at last he
forced Asshur to quit that territory.[3] The Greeks gave him the name
of Nebrod or Nebros, and preserved or invented many tales concerning
him and his apostasy, and concerning the tower which he is supposed to
have erected. He is described as a gigantic person of mighty bearing,
and a contemner of everything divine; his followers are represented as
being equally presumptuous and overbearing. In fact he seems to have
appeared to the Greeks very much like one of their own Titans.
Nimrod has been identified both with Merodach, the tutelar god of
Babylon, and with Gilgamesh, the hero of the epic of that name, with
Orion, and with others. The name, according to Petrie, has even been
found in Egyptian documents of the XXII Dynasty as 'Nemart.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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