From Genesis 10 we first encounter Nimrod, the first world emperor. Moses writes about how he went about subduing other kingdoms in his quest to consolidate his empire under his rule in Genesis 10:8-12 [RSV], 8. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord." 10. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. 11. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12. Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
In chapter 11 of Genesis, we see how Nimrod set about to build his empire in rivalry to God: 3. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth." (Genesis 11:3-4 [RSV])
In order to accomplish his goal of gaining a world empire, Nimrod needed to accomplish two things. First of all, he needed a center of unity, a city headquarters or capital were required. Secondly, he needed to supply a motive for the encouragement and inspiration of his followers. This latter was supplied in the phrase "let us make us a name." It was an inordinate desire for fame. Nimrod’s aim was to keep mankind all together under his own leadership "lest we be scattered."
It is tough to build an empire while simultaneously defeating one’s enemies. While Nimrod was engaging in putting down all of his opponents, he began the building of the great ziggurat temple, the Tower of Babel, which would reach to Heaven. Finally, he was left with just one enemy group left to defeat. Try as he might, Nimrod was unable to locate where his nemesis and his enemies’ followers were meeting. So Nimrod decided to send out his top general in order to search out and destroy this group. So one night while the general and his company were out on patrol, they noticed something strange and peculiar taking place inside the unfinished temple. No one was supposed to be inside the temple at that hour of the night, and yet there was smoke seen coming out of the ziggurat. So the general and his men slowly entered the temple to see what they could find. They discovered that they had stumbled upon the hidden lair of Nimrod’s last enemies! The general and his men captured Nimrod’s last rival and all of his followers who had been hiding out in secret in the ziggurat all that time. So when a reporter for the local Babylonian paper called The Babble On interviewed the heroic general, the headline ran in the next day’s edition read as follows: WARNING: The Searching General Has Determined that Smoking Ziggurats Can Be Hazardous to One’s Stealth.
In chapter 11 of Genesis, we see how Nimrod set about to build his empire in rivalry to God: 3. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth." (Genesis 11:3-4 [RSV])
In order to accomplish his goal of gaining a world empire, Nimrod needed to accomplish two things. First of all, he needed a center of unity, a city headquarters or capital were required. Secondly, he needed to supply a motive for the encouragement and inspiration of his followers. This latter was supplied in the phrase "let us make us a name." It was an inordinate desire for fame. Nimrod’s aim was to keep mankind all together under his own leadership "lest we be scattered."
It is tough to build an empire while simultaneously defeating one’s enemies. While Nimrod was engaging in putting down all of his opponents, he began the building of the great ziggurat temple, the Tower of Babel, which would reach to Heaven. Finally, he was left with just one enemy group left to defeat. Try as he might, Nimrod was unable to locate where his nemesis and his enemies’ followers were meeting. So Nimrod decided to send out his top general in order to search out and destroy this group. So one night while the general and his company were out on patrol, they noticed something strange and peculiar taking place inside the unfinished temple. No one was supposed to be inside the temple at that hour of the night, and yet there was smoke seen coming out of the ziggurat. So the general and his men slowly entered the temple to see what they could find. They discovered that they had stumbled upon the hidden lair of Nimrod’s last enemies! The general and his men captured Nimrod’s last rival and all of his followers who had been hiding out in secret in the ziggurat all that time. So when a reporter for the local Babylonian paper called The Babble On interviewed the heroic general, the headline ran in the next day’s edition read as follows: WARNING: The Searching General Has Determined that Smoking Ziggurats Can Be Hazardous to One’s Stealth.
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