The Tower of Babel

Nimrod — the prototypical city and kingdom builder — marks the beginning of man’s post-Flood quest for domination and autonomy over and against God.

Babel refers to Babylon, the entire Mesopotamian region is sometimes called Babylonia after this city.

Erech refers to Uruk, one of the oldest known and important cities on the Euphrates River, about 40 miles from its mouth. Gilamesh was king of this city, as was Lugal-zage-si— the first individual we know of to govern a sizable empire in Mesopotamia.

Shinar refers to the region of Babylonia.

Calneh is generally believed to be an error, that the word is actually Hebrew for “all of them”. This verse from the Revised Standard Edition reads: “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar.”

Accad, or Akkad was a city who gave its name to the upper region of Mesopotamia, which became known as Akkad. They spoke a semetic language (unlike the Sumerians). The Akkadians were originally under Sumerian domination, but around 2280 bc, Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumeria and began the Akkadian Empire.

Though falsely accused of spying, they saw the Egyptian as the tool of God’s higher justice, matching their punishment with their real crime against Joseph.

As the rest of the narrative shows in Genesis 42, Joseph was acting to ascertain his brothers’ attitudes and to heal the breach between him and his brothers. A quick pardon would not have led to true repentance and spiritual healing within the family.

Joseph corrects the pagan beliefs of the Egyptian prisoners by acknowledging that God alone is the source of reliable interpretation, and that He bestows the gift of interpretation as He pleases.

Dreams were valued in the ancient Near East as a means of discerning the future; professional dream interpreters were often employed by royal courts.

“They served” means that they were subject as vassals to the king of Elam with the obligation to pay tribute.

“I’d really like to see the crafts fair,” says Juranda.

“They usually bore me to tears,” sighs Syovar, “but if you insist…”

He takes them into the tremendous courtyard of the castle. Rows of booths lines the walls, and the aisles are jammed with people. The odor of steaming figs wafts through the air. Monkeys, wearing brightly colored jackets, perform juggling acts, and acrobatic tricks. A band of lute players adds to the festive atmosphere.

The booths displaying a stunning variety of items. Some dwarves from a kingdom far to the south display finely woven silk fabrics of every imaginable color. At the next booth are intricate straw baskets and chairs. The next table displays an amazing collection of tiny, beautifully hand-painted pottery bowls, design to hold magic powders and ointments. Each booth is more intriguing than the last, and they wander down the aisles until twilight signals an end to the crafts fair.

Go to page 20.

“But what I would most like to do, if you’re interested, is go to my library and talk, and get to know each other better. I could tell you tales about the fall of the Great Underground Empire, and about the early campaigns against the evil Krill. I used to be considered a spellbinding storyteller.”

“That sounds interesting,” says Bivotar.

Visit the crafts fair?
Go to page 19.

Stay and listen to Syovar’s stories?
Go to page 21.

Go to the banquet and play?
Go to page 13.

Attending the jousting finals?
Go to page 15.

Syovar, hearing the commotion of their arrival, slowly turns. He notices them, and his face lights up. “Juranda and Bivotar! I was just thinking about you two. How wonderful that you decided to drop in.”

“Well, it wasn’t entirely intentional,” begins Juranda. She explained what happened.

“Frobs above!” explains Syovar. “You two are pretty lucky. You must have been protected by the power of the ring. Or maybe it was the fact that I was thinking of you…Sometimes magic works in ways we don’t understand.”

As if to illustrate Syovar’s last comment, the Ring of Zork suddenly appears in mid-air and falls to the floor. Syovar picks the ring up and puts it safely in his pocket.

“Well. There’s a small banquet going on, and there’ll be a play presented afterwards, I believe. Today is also the date of the jousting finals, on the meadow outside the castle. The competition begins in about an hour. Or, you can go to the annual crafts fair in the couryard.”

“Those all sound like fun,” Juranda says.

Go to page 12.

Bill reaches into his pocket and removes the Ring of Zork, their gateway to the Land of Zork. Placing the ring on one’s finger somehow transports one to that amazing land. As Bill holds up the ring, sunlight glints off its golden surface.

Suddenly, a lizard scurries out from behind a clump of scrubgrass, startling Bill. He drops the Ring of Zork, which begins rolling along the rock toward the edge of the cliff. Bill and June both leap after it. Bill graps as he slips on a patch of gravel at the cliff’s edge. June grabs onto him, but they both lose their balance, and plunge over the precipice!

The ground rushes toward them. Sharp boulders beckon. Bill and June are too terrified even to scream.

Then, just before they hit the ground, the lighting changes. They land jarringly, but the fall is softened by a plush carpet. They look around in amazement, for they are in the throne room of the Castle of Zork! Moreover, they are dressed in adventurer’s garb. Syovar stands with his back to them, apparently lost in thought. Through the wide doorways to the adjoining banquet hall, they can see a modest luncheon being served.

Go to page 11.