Tower of Babel

Tower of Babel, mythical tower built in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon. The myth popularly connected with it is related in the Bible (Genesis 11.1–9). According to this version the tower was built by the descendants of Noah and was intended by these peoples to reach heaven. God, however, disapproved of the tower and, as a consequence, confused the builders by causing them to speak in different languages. As a result of their confusion, the people stopped work on the tower and wandered off to various parts of the world. Many people believe today that the myth was an attempt by ancient peoples to explain the origin of different languages.