The Tower of Babel (Part 3)

Mel Rosenberg, 2002© all rights reserved

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III.

One night an even greater roar was heard throughout the palace of Shinar. It was not coming from the village of Babel, it was coming from the king. The far-off babbling was keeping him awake. “What is that terrible noise?” he asked his servant. “Your majesty”, said the trembling servant, “that is the babbling of the workers building the Tower of Babel”.  “Tower shmower” said the king.  Send my army to the village, and tell them that the King has politely requested them to remain quiet. Or else.”

Since the King’s word was law, it was not long before the people of Babel stopped their babbling.  The desert people went back to the desert. The mountain people went back to their mountains, and the forest people went back to their trees. And as far as we know, the Tower never did get built. Legend has it that Gamla spent the rest of his long life sifting flour in the mill, and never had a good idea again. Today, there is no trace of any tower, and we cannot even find the village of Babel. We cannot even prove that this story is true.  But every time you here people babbling, you have to wonder whether they might be the great great great great great great great great great great grandchildren of the babblers of Babel.

And one more little thing. They did become famous after all, didn’t they?

 

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