What Did The Tower Of Babel Look Like

The story of the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis describes a tower that was built by a united humanity in the land of Shinar. According to the text, the purpose of the tower was to reach the heavens, which is why God later confounded the languages of the builders, causing them to disperse and abandon the project.

Because there are no detailed descriptions or archaeological evidence of the Tower of Babel, depictions in art and literature throughout history have varied. Some early artists portrayed the tower as a massive ziggurat, a stepped pyramid-shaped structure characteristic of ancient Mesopotamian architecture. Others have depicted it as a spire or more modern skyscraper-like structure, with windows, turrets, and elaborate designs.