Genesis 10:9-12 - He was a mighty hunter before The LORD. Therefore it is said, "like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before The LORD". The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

Map of the Land of Shinar (3rd Millennium BC)

Ancient Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means the land "between the rivers" which were the Tigris and Euphrates. Although the courses have changed dramatically since ancient times we know the area was nearly 700 - 1000 miles long and nearly 300 miles across. The rivers were so large that the land was considered an "island" that was between them. But the heart of ancient Mesopotamia was in the northwest where the Euphrates made a huge bend at the northern portion of the Tigris as shown in the map above.

The Tower of Babel. The Bible records in Genesis 11 that all mankind came to the Land of Shinar and make a name for themselves under the leadership of Nimrod, so they built a tower at Babel, a tower that would reach to heaven. This was the first organized system of idolatry recorded after the flood. They also disobeyed God's command to be fruitful and fill the earth. God came down and gave them new languages which forced them to scatter throughout the whole earth. Before this they all spoke one language.

Genesis 11:4 - They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."

Genesis 11:9 - Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

[Maps are free to use for personal, classroom, or church use]