The Tower of Babel: Symbol of Human Diversity, or Divine Punishment?

The expression ‘Tower of Babel’ alludes not only to a construction, real or less so, but also to a vast and dense body of symbolism. It is an extremely potent emblem, as rich in meanings as it is well known; the reflections and interpretations of the Bible story arising from re-readings by theology, philosophy, and art, as well as a profusion of historical-archaeological inquiries that attempt to excavate some real foundations for the tower, are many and varied. Through the ages, this subject as old as the world has never failed to provide an up-to-date metaphor for humanity’s swaggering arrogance.