Q: Was it all the people of the earth or only a particular group of
--The traditional Biblical creationist answer to this question is that all the people of the earth settled at Shinar.
--However, some Biblical creationists have diverted from this position and argue that, after the flood, Genesis 10 documents groups of people spreading out over the earth and that Genesis 11 gives the explanation of one of those groups of people migrating to a plain in Shinar to build the world’s first major city.
The most prominent proponent of this position, Dr. Douglas Petrovich, comments on Genesis 11:1–2:
Q: Is it true that only some undefined number of people settled at Shinar?
Genesis 10 is divided into three sections, one for each son: Japheth (10:2–5), Ham (10:6–20), and Shem (10:21–31). In each genealogy, there is a reoccurring pattern; people spread (Genesis 10:32) into “lands,” “languages,” “clans,” and “nations” (Genesis 10:5, 20, 31).
Kenneth Mathews notes,
"During the time when all mankind on the surface of the earth conversed with a single, universal language, some undefined number of them moved westward and settled on a plain that was in the land of Shinar (Šumer, from Akkadian, Šumeru). . . . It is a misconception of ours to think that the Biblical text [Genesis 11:1–2] is saying all of the people who were existing on the earth went to one place and lived there. The Bible never says that that is in our conceptions, and that is a wrong conception we read into the text."
Petrovich believes Genesis 11 describes a technologically advanced people who were suddenly dispersed throughout the ancient Near East. He concludes that the evidence that best describes people moving toward urban living in one place is found in Eridu, southern Šumer, southern Mesopotamia. Petrovich, who follows the chronology of the Septuagint (LXX) in Genesis 11, believes this took place roughly 500 years after the flood (c. 3168 BC) around 2650 BC. There are, however, textual reasons why the Masoretic Text (MT) should be seen as being superior to the Septuagint in Genesis 5 and 11.Q: Is it true that only some undefined number of people settled at Shinar?
Genesis 10 is divided into three sections, one for each son: Japheth (10:2–5), Ham (10:6–20), and Shem (10:21–31). In each genealogy, there is a reoccurring pattern; people spread (Genesis 10:32) into “lands,” “languages,” “clans,” and “nations” (Genesis 10:5, 20, 31).
Kenneth Mathews notes,
“This rearrangement sandwiches the tower incident between the two accounts of the Shem genealogy (10:21–31; 11:10–26). It also shows that the tower debacle resulted in the dispersion of the nations, of which Shem’s descendants were a part.”
The first genealogy (10:21–31) completes the table of nations and leads to the Babel event: (Shem → Eber → Peleg). The second genealogy (11:10–26) continues with the direct descendants of Shem (Shem → Eber → Terah) and leads to the account of the call of Abraham.
Genesis 11 commences with the whole earth speaking one language, and so, it sets the narrative chronologically before Genesis 10, as there the nations are arranged by their own languages. It is common
in Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event (cf. Genesis 1:26–28, 2:7, 22). The confusion of the one language at Babel (Genesis 11:9) is the reason why there are multiple languages in Genesis 10. Genesis 11 tells us how and why the dispersal of languages and peoples across the whole earth happened in Genesis 10.
The actual time of the dispersal at Babel most likely took place in the days of Peleg (Genesis 10:25). Although exactly at what point in Peleg’s life is debated. Based on the MT, if the dispersion is linked with Peleg’s birth, then this suggests the Babel incident occurred around 106 years after the flood. If the dispersion happened at the end Peleg’s life, then this is around 340 years after the flood. Alternatively, the phrase “in his days” (בימיו) could indicate that it happened during his lifespan or at a time when he was prominent.
Genesis 11:1 introduces the unity of mankind, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” The first verse beings with the phrase “the whole earth” (kol-hāʾāreṣ). The phrase “the whole earth” appears five times in nine verses (vv. 1, 4, 8, and twice in v. 9). Significantly, Genesis 11:1–9 begins and ends with the phrase “the whole earth.”
Genesis 11 commences with the whole earth speaking one language, and so, it sets the narrative chronologically before Genesis 10, as there the nations are arranged by their own languages. It is common
The actual time of the dispersal at Babel most likely took place in the days of Peleg (Genesis 10:25). Although exactly at what point in Peleg’s life is debated. Based on the MT, if the dispersion is linked with Peleg’s birth, then this suggests the Babel incident occurred around 106 years after the flood. If the dispersion happened at the end Peleg’s life, then this is around 340 years after the flood. Alternatively, the phrase “in his days” (בימיו) could indicate that it happened during his lifespan or at a time when he was prominent.
Genesis 11:1 introduces the unity of mankind, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” The first verse beings with the phrase “the whole earth” (kol-hāʾāreṣ). The phrase “the whole earth” appears five times in nine verses (vv. 1, 4, 8, and twice in v. 9). Significantly, Genesis 11:1–9 begins and ends with the phrase “the whole earth.”
Since the dispersion from Babel is tied to the table of nations (Genesis 10), the context would indicate that the phrase “the whole earth” refers to all the people of the earth collectively.
Q: How large was the population of people who settled at Babel?
Q: How large was the population of people who settled at Babel?
A: It could have been anything from 1,000 to 10,000 people. This would be enough people to build a city and a tower.
The Babel narrative ends the way it began, with a reference to all the earth, “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). It was at Babel that God confused the language of all the earth. But if all the earth did not settle at Shinar and it was only a group of post-flood people, then how did God confuse the language of all the earth at Babel (Genesis 11:9)?
The Babel narrative ends the way it began, with a reference to all the earth, “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). It was at Babel that God confused the language of all the earth. But if all the earth did not settle at Shinar and it was only a group of post-flood people, then how did God confuse the language of all the earth at Babel (Genesis 11:9)?
The disobedience of the people at Babel caused God to reverse their plan by confusing the language of all the earth and dispersing them over the face of the earth (Genesis 11:8–9)."
AIG
