The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-06
HIGHER CRITICS SAY THERE is
LITTLE FOUNDATION FOR
THE STORY.
ONLY HEBREW FOLK LORE
INTRODUCED AT A LATE PEDIOD
INTO THE BOOK OF SCRIP
TURES.
BABYLoNIA WAS THE SITE.
Mound on the Plains Which Tradi.
ton Says Is the Remains of
the Tower

pivotal point in the current discus
sion by the critics of the Bible regard
ing the authenticity of the historical
statements of the Old Testament is
that relating to the Tower of Babel.
The opinion is held on one hand that
the story as contained in the Bible is
merely legend, introduced at late
period in the first book of the Scrip
lures, says the New York Herald.
On the other hand, it is claimed that
the story is simple statement of fact,
and that there really took place in the
early history of the human race the
building of such structure. the cir
cumstances of which are carefully re-
corded in the Bible as follows:
THE BIBLE STORY.
"And the whole earth was of one
language and of one speech. 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 And they said, one to the
other: Go to, let us make brick and
burn them thoroughly. And they had
brick for stone, and slime they had for
mortar. And they said: Go to, let. us
build a city and a tower whose top
may reach to heaven. And let US make
a name, lest we be scattered abroad
upon the face of the whole earth.
And the Lord came down to see the
city and the tower which the children
of men builded. And the Lord said:
Behold the people is one, and they have
all one language, and this they begin
81 will he restrain
ed from them, which they have mag
ined to do Go to, let us go down and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another
speech So the Lord scattered them
abroad from thence upon the race OF
all the earth, and they left OF to pullo
the city. Therefore is the name OF IL
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 race OF
all the earth These are the genera
tions of Shem: Shem was hundred
wears old, and begat Arphaxad, TWO
wears after the flood
RABYLONIAN PLAINS THE SITE.
All scholars agree, however that IL
Slch a BUILDING was ever uiiuCA '"iNE ~
and in part erected, that it was on the
Babylonian plains, in the neighporhooo
of. or within the ancient limits OF,
Babylon From the dawn OF clvlllza-
ton Babylon was regarded as sacred
locality, the name itself signifylng the
"Gate of Cod"
But Babylon was not destined to last
in all the glory of its imperial gandeur,
and in the thirteenth chapter of Isaiah
the destruction of the great city is
wildly pictured by the prophet in the
following words:
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms.
the beauty of the Chaldees'
excellency shall be as when God over
threw Sodom and Gomorrah. 1t shall
never be inhabited, neither shall it be
dwelt in from generation to generation;
neither shall the Arabian pitch tent
there; nor shall the shepherds make
their fold there. But the wild beasts of
the desert shall lie there and their
house shall be full of doleful
creatures, and owls shall dwell
there, and satyrs shall dance
there. And the wild beasts of
the islands shall cry in their desolate
houses, and dragons in their pleasant
places, and her time is near to come
and her days shall not be prolonged"