Who Were The Babylonians?
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, January 31, 2025
Archbishop James
Ussher dates the Flood to 2348 BC and the Tower of Babel to about 2242 BC,
approximately 106 years later (though this date may be slightly off). When
Nebuchadnezzar began dominating the Middle East, it was around 600 BC (Ussher
places it at 605 BC). Thus, much had occurred in the intervening years.
Babylon and Babel
were the same place, and the Hebrew name behind both is actually the same word
(0894 בַבֶל Babel baw-bel’). We often translate it slightly differently to
distinguish between the two. The later empire under Nebuchadnezzar commonly
uses a variation of the Greek name Babylonos—hence, Babylon.
As an
archaeological reference, see the Tower of Babel Stele (see here), which depicts Nebuchadnezzar and a
reconstructed iteration of the tower that required repairs. This tower existed
in his time before being demolished by Alexander the Great. For more on the archaeology
and the city see here.
So, who were the
Babylonians, and where did they come from? Well, everyone post-Flood descends
from Noah and his lineage back to Adam. In short, the Babylonians were
Chaldeans, native to the land since their inception at Babel.
Girded
with belts around their waists, Flowing turbans on their heads, All of them
looking like captains, In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, The land of
their nativity. Ezekiel 23:15, NKJV
So then, who were
the Chaldeans? Abraham, if you recall, was a Chaldean—he came from Ur of the
Chaldeans.
And Haran died before his father Terah in
his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Genesis 11:28, NKJV
And Terah took his son Abram and his
grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s
wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of
Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. Genesis 11:31, NKJV
Then He said to him, "I am the LORD,
who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit
it." Genesis 15:7, NKJV
"You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham. Nehemiah 9:7, NKJV
The Chaldeans were
a group of Hebrew people. They were descendants of Heber (Eber) (e.g., Genesis
10:24-25), hence the name Hebrew (Heberew/Eberew). Noah had three sons:
Japheth, Shem, and Ham. One of Shem's sons was Arphaxad (Genesis 10:22). The
Bible then states:
Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber.
To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the
earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Genesis 10:24-25, NKJV
The term
"Hebrew" denoted both the people and the language that descended from
Eber through Peleg. For example, Abram (Abraham), a descendant of Peleg, was
called a Hebrew.
Then one who had escaped came and told Abram
the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother
of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. Genesis 14:13, NKJV
This is why the
Israelites of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, when captured by the Babylonians,
were often placed in Nebuchadnezzar's courts as servants (e.g., Daniel 1:7).
Their language was similar, making communication easier. By contrast, regarding
the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Jeremiah prophesied that a nation would conquer
them whose language they did not know (the Assyrians).
Behold, I will bring a nation against you
from afar, O house of Israel," says the LORD. "It is a mighty nation,
It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you
understand what they say. Jeremiah 5:15, NKJV
The Chaldean
language is a form of Hebrew (often called "East Chaldee" or
"East Chaldean"). The language known as "West Chaldee" or
"West Chaldean" is also called Aramaic. When the Babylonians
conquered Judah and other regions, their language became the common trade
language. The area known as Aram (another grandson of Noah), where his progeny
settled, was also conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Chaldean Hebrew language
became dominant there.
After the
Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Persians, the Chaldean languages
remained as the common trade languages. The language of the
Chaldeans/Babylonians in Aram morphed and became known as West Chaldean or
Aramaic. Jesus even spoke some Aramaic, and portions of the Bible are written
in Aramaic.
East Chaldean and
West Chaldean (the two primary forms of Aramaic), Biblical Hebrew (from Jacob),
Modern Hebrew, Moabite (from Moab), Ammonite (from Ammon), Edomite (from Esau),
Arabic (from Ishmael), and other dialects are variations of the language of
Eber and his son Peleg, shaped by their descendants over the ages.
Thus, the
Babylonians were Abraham’s kin, relatives descending from the same lineage at
Babel (Eber) from which the Israelites came. However, besides the Chaldeans,
many different peoples conquered and ruled Babylon over the ages—Nimrod,
Hammurabi, the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and others (see here for a more complete history).
As a result, the population likely became a mixture of various peoples.
Regardless of
history, all descendants of ancient Babylon today, like everyone else, are in need of eternal salvation
through Jesus Christ.
For more, see the Tower of
Babel book by Bodie Hodge.
Images Credits from Presentation Library
