The myth of the Tower of Babel is a representation of the diversity of languages that can be found in our planet.

The term Babel may have it origin in the Accadian (Assyro-Babylonian language) term bab-ilu. The meaning for the hebrew word we may say is clear: gate of god, so was this tower intented to be a door to reach God in the sky? Or not very clear if we give credit to Genesis 11:9 and assume thar derives from Balal, that may be translated into confuse or confound (“Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth“).

Genesis 11:1-9 show us what happened in the Shinar plain, and it is said that the reason for this tower to exist was to make a name for the builders: “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth“, Genesis 11:4.

ז  הָבָה, נֵרְדָה, וְנָבְלָה שָׁם, שְׂפָתָם–אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ, אִישׁ שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ./
”Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

So… what about the reasons for God to confound human languages so no one will be able to understand the other? Nothing could be found in the Genesis about the reason or the purpose, just the consequence. Why Yahveh wanted to limit the humanity in achieving the challenges they want? In Genesis 11:6 it reads “…and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do“. It makes no sense for me that the reason is to forbid the human race to reach the sky, the stars or develop over whatever the obstacles or barriers they will face.

Today we know that the tower is a direct reference for the Etemanki ziggurat, dedicated to Marduk in the city of Babylon.