(בּבל, bābhēl; Assyro-Bab Bâb-îli, Bâb-îlāni, “gate of god,” or “of the gods,” rendered in Sumerian as Ka-dingira, “gate of god,” regarded as a folk-etymology): See BABEL, TOWER OF, section 14.
The name of the great capital of ancient Babylonia, the Shinar of Genesis 10:10; 14:1, other names of the city being Tin-dir, “seat of life,” Ê (ki), probably an abbreviation of Êridu (ki) “the good city” (=Paradise), Babylonia having seemingly been regarded as the Garden of Eden (PSBA, June 1911, p. 161); and Šu-anna, “the high-handed” (meaning, apparently, “high-walled,” “hand” and “defense” being interchangeable terms). It is possible that these various names are due to the incorporation of outlying districts as Babylon grew in size.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Babel, Babylon
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.