Feels kinda reductive, but I can’t help thinking of the quote from Pirates of the Caribbean: “it’s not just about living forever. The trick is living with yourself forever.”
I am reading Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible. In his notes to Genesis 5, he asserts that the text of the Tower of Babel story does not support the interpretation that its purpose was to scale the heights of heaven. Rather, he writes, " The polemic thrust of the story is against urbanism and the overweening confidence of humanity in the feats of technology."
Yes, he does, and Prager says something similar in the rational bible. Urbanism is certainly part of it. There’s a critique of autarchic Near Eastern city-cults for sure. But that’s not totally incompatible with the older interpretation, since cults like the ones at Ur and Shinar had the express purpose, not so much of climbing up to be among the stars, as of dragging the sacred down to earth in physical form, embodied in a tower and a cult statue. Ziggurats like the one described in the Babel story had names like “Etemenanki”, the “house of the foundation of heaven and earth.” There were grand theological *and* technological/political pretensions here. They were intertwined and I think the Genesis story is supposed to puncture them both.
Hey--my comment isn't really for this post but I wanted to say thanks for all of your podcasting! I started a humanities "reading course" and I've found some of your old commentary on Greek philosophy really helpful, and enjoyable to listen to. I've been a Young Heretics fan since way back but your first episode on the Oresteia reminded me to say thank you. Agamemnon and blood guilt...is there anything the Greeks didn't think about?!
Feels kinda reductive, but I can’t help thinking of the quote from Pirates of the Caribbean: “it’s not just about living forever. The trick is living with yourself forever.”
Quite!!
What are Bryan Johnson’s dreams made of?
Silicone of course!
Hahahahaha
I am reading Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible. In his notes to Genesis 5, he asserts that the text of the Tower of Babel story does not support the interpretation that its purpose was to scale the heights of heaven. Rather, he writes, " The polemic thrust of the story is against urbanism and the overweening confidence of humanity in the feats of technology."
Yes, he does, and Prager says something similar in the rational bible. Urbanism is certainly part of it. There’s a critique of autarchic Near Eastern city-cults for sure. But that’s not totally incompatible with the older interpretation, since cults like the ones at Ur and Shinar had the express purpose, not so much of climbing up to be among the stars, as of dragging the sacred down to earth in physical form, embodied in a tower and a cult statue. Ziggurats like the one described in the Babel story had names like “Etemenanki”, the “house of the foundation of heaven and earth.” There were grand theological *and* technological/political pretensions here. They were intertwined and I think the Genesis story is supposed to puncture them both.
Great thread on it: https://x.com/arilamm/status/1560611614226882560?s=46
Hey--my comment isn't really for this post but I wanted to say thanks for all of your podcasting! I started a humanities "reading course" and I've found some of your old commentary on Greek philosophy really helpful, and enjoyable to listen to. I've been a Young Heretics fan since way back but your first episode on the Oresteia reminded me to say thank you. Agamemnon and blood guilt...is there anything the Greeks didn't think about?!
Nothing that I’m aware of!! Thank you so much, Cheryl, for this kind and encouraging note.