REBELLION

When mankind had become so evil and alien from God, God had to start over with Noah and his 3 sons and their families. This was a rebellion that nearly annihilated people.

The Bible says that rebellion is the same as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).  Satan had tried to pollute the DNA of man with corrupted genes from his influence. The Nephilim in Genesis 6:4 were the offspring of a mixture of men possessed with demonic forces and the women of the earth. Some say that the actual fallen angels had sexual relations with the earth women...but, angels do not reproduce, they do not have reproductive organs. The Bible declares Noah was perfect in his generations. In other words pure, and not polluted. When Noah was 500 he had 3 sons; Shem, Ham, and Japeth, apparently triplets, Genesis 5:32. Of the 8 survivors on the Ark was the earth again overspread, Genesis 9:19. We have already had a couple of posts about the great flood.

After the Ark had landed, Noah planted a vineyard. He drank the wine and passed out naked in his tent.

Apparently Noah's grandson, Canaan, the son of Ham had molested Noah in his drunken state. It is not clear what happened, but Canaan was cursed for it to servant hood, Genesis 9:20-27.

Ham also had another son, Cush. From Cush came Nimrod whose name means rebel.

Genesis 10:8-9, "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord."
It is a Jewish myth that Nimrod had the very skins that God clothed Adam and Eve with when they left the garden. That when he wore these animal skins all animals would come to him as they were attracted to the skins from the 1st animals.
It is also part of this legend that Nimrod knew that one was coming that would bring in the Messiah, Abraham. He hunted for him and killed thousands of children to try and stop his birth. So he was a hunter of men.

According to Josephus, Jewish historian from the first century, Nimrod was more than a rebel, he was at war with the Lord. In book 1 chapter IV, Josephus tells of the end of the flood and that God had told the people to spread out and enjoy the fruits of the land. They dwelt in the plain of Shinar and did not obey. Nimrod excited them to such an affront and contempt of God and persuaded them not to ascribe their prosperity to God but their own courage. He changed the government to tyranny and made the people have constant dependence on him and not God. He vowed to be revenged on God and if God were to try and flood the earth again, he would build a tower that would be too high for the flood to reach. Nimrod said he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.

Now the land of Shinar is in the modern country of Iraq. Among Nimrod's kingdom was Nineveh and Babel. The people followed the great rivers South from the mountains of Ararat in Turkey. Nineveh is where modern Al Mousil is in Iraq along the Tigris River. Further South is Babel or Babylon. Baghdad is on the Euphrates River. All of these are in Iraq.

Nimrod left his mark on the country and was probably the one most responsible for the scattering of the people and confusion of tongues.

Ruins of  Nineveh along the Tigris River.

Nineveh Adad gate.

Nineveh Nigral gate.

Nineveh Mashki gate.

Nineveh ruins and gate.

We see Nimrod here in several places.

Even the "bull man" may have depicted Nimrod.

The Bible is not the only historic document that talks about Nimrod. In the ancient tablets found also in Iraq of the Epic of Gilgamesh, we see the story of the flood and the people going down the river to the plain.

King Gilgamesh was their rebellious leader who challenged God.

According to the website, christiananswers.net, they believe that King Gilgamesh and Nimrod were one and the same person.

Regardless, Nimrod was a very powerful and evil King who led the people away from God. Again he was known for being a great hunter. We see that not only animals, but people, and according to Jewish myth, he hunted God.

Nineveh was a very great city for a long time. In the 8th century BC, God sent Jonah to tell the people there to repent.

Jonah ran from God and ended up inside a fishes belly for 3 days. He then humbled himself and obeyed God and the fish vomited him out on the beach where he went to Nineveh and briefly told them to repent or perish...they listened, repented and God spared them from destruction.
However is was not too long after when Nineveh was the capitol of Assyria that the great city was brought down, Nahum 2. Al Mousil is the modern city in the area of Nineveh in Iraq, but is only a small area compared to the size of ancient Nineveh.


Nimrod also went South along the Tigris River.

Here he built Babylon and started construction of his tower that would reach into heaven and protect him incase God sent another flood.

Josephus says that the tower was so wide, that it did not look as high as it really was.
In the Book of Jubilees (ancient Jewish religious text) the height of the tower was 5433 cubits, which according to the Egyptian cubit of 20.5" would be 9281'.  This would be quite a feat that has not been surpassed by man since.

The Bible says the whole earth was of one language. They being led by Nimrod were to build a tower whose top would reach unto heaven and make a name for themselves so they would not be scattered upon the face of the earth. They had made bricks and used butimen (asphalt) for mortar, Genesis 11:1-4

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, ehold the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: an now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do, Genesis 11:5-6.

The people according to Josephus, had dissobeyed God, who wanted them to spread and not stay in one place.

Once again God had to intervene with the rebellion of man. He said,
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth..., Genesis 11:7-9

 Nimrod bulit an elaborate palace for himself as well as the original hanging gardens.

According to Jewish legend, Esau, son of Issac was the one who hunted and finally killed Nimrod.

Nebuchadnezzar was King of Babylon when Israel and Judah were taken captive. This would be the time of Daniel. His palace and hanging gardens were rebuilds, but no doubt the same places as the ancient ones of Nimrod. They were part of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

These are the ruins of the hanging gardens from the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

Saddam Hussein thought that he was a re-incarnated Nebuchadnezzar. He had a coin made with him on one side and Nebuchadnezzar on the other. He also spent millions of dollars to partially rebuild the ancient palace complex.

Saddam also built a palace in the same area. He built several.

The foundation for the rebuilt Tower of Babel that was done by Nebuchadnezzar is still there. The tower may have been a temple used for astrology. It had a square base and was about 300' high.

There is a lot of evidence in the cradle of our civilization that has not been escavated. What has been, shows us that the Bible is true, and that the history that is described in it is reliable.

Well to finish this post, when rebellion against God and His ways happen, it always brings something that you won't like. It got Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Rebellion against God brought the Flood. Nimrod's rebellion against God confused the languages and scattered the people. There are other examples in scripture, but I won't go into them now.

In our world today there is a lot of rebellion against God. The human race longs to be at peace with God. The only way for that to happen is to come to Him on His terms. He came to earth and died for you and me, as a man. But, He rose from the dead as the eternal Almighty. His Name is Jesus and there is no other way to the Father, John 14:6. 

All pictures and art were found on the Internet and Google Earth. Artists are on the HTML.