The tower of Babel
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I think all the info is right there in Genesis 11:1-9. Here is the NIV translation:
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Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
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Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
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Hi AmericanCrusader, welcome to Christian Chat.
About your question about the tower of Babel and what you heard about why God stopped it:
There's no mention of the people taking idols into the tower or planning to. It's more so making an "idol" of the tower itself, or perhaps making an idol of "ourselves", our own ability to build such a tower ("that reaches the heavens"), etc.
Notice also God said woooaa... if, united as one people, speaking as one language, they've been able to do this, then nothing will be impossible for them. So it appears that the Lord decided to slow down technology (by scattering the nations with different languages). Why? Perhaps one reason is because if He didn't, we would have already destroyed ourselves (e.g., with nuclear weapons)? Though it doesn't say that in the text. But what it does seem to clearly say is that man, being made in the image of God (e.g., with intelligence, creativity, etc.), when united with one language and purpose, can accomplish incredible things (e.g., reaching the moon or even mars!), and for some reason(s) God decided to slow that down. I think one clear implication is the whole "make a name for ourselves" attitude. The more advanced we are in technology, the more we get way too confident in "ourselves" and our technology (medical technology, building technology, etc.) and want to "make a name for ourselves" rather than call on the name of God and rely on Him.
I remember when the World Trade Center was suddenly destroyed -- both mighty towers, symbols of American power, suddenly, without warning, within minutes decimated -- it was in the news soon after that many Americans started to turn back to God and go to church, after that very humbling national tragedy which was a reminder of how even man's greatest corporate technological feats with all our pride and confidence are not something we can rely on.
About your question about the tower of Babel and what you heard about why God stopped it:
There's no mention of the people taking idols into the tower or planning to. It's more so making an "idol" of the tower itself, or perhaps making an idol of "ourselves", our own ability to build such a tower ("that reaches the heavens"), etc.
Notice also God said woooaa... if, united as one people, speaking as one language, they've been able to do this, then nothing will be impossible for them. So it appears that the Lord decided to slow down technology (by scattering the nations with different languages). Why? Perhaps one reason is because if He didn't, we would have already destroyed ourselves (e.g., with nuclear weapons)? Though it doesn't say that in the text. But what it does seem to clearly say is that man, being made in the image of God (e.g., with intelligence, creativity, etc.), when united with one language and purpose, can accomplish incredible things (e.g., reaching the moon or even mars!), and for some reason(s) God decided to slow that down. I think one clear implication is the whole "make a name for ourselves" attitude. The more advanced we are in technology, the more we get way too confident in "ourselves" and our technology (medical technology, building technology, etc.) and want to "make a name for ourselves" rather than call on the name of God and rely on Him.
I remember when the World Trade Center was suddenly destroyed -- both mighty towers, symbols of American power, suddenly, without warning, within minutes decimated -- it was in the news soon after that many Americans started to turn back to God and go to church, after that very humbling national tragedy which was a reminder of how even man's greatest corporate technological feats with all our pride and confidence are not something we can rely on.
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L
Best to get it straight from the source! 
In this case, it's only 9 verses to read Though it's some real meat to mediate on.
In this case, it's only 9 verses to read Though it's some real meat to mediate on.
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I found Rob Skiba's material interesting as well... until his research went "flat".
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BTW, based on my rather elevated and thorough study of the Flood and Biblical Chronology vs Genealogies, Skibas attempts at dating events and locating the Garden are utterly unfruitful. Unfortunately, date previous to Abraham are almost impossible to discern with precision. Also, the earth was utterly devastated and complegely terraformed during the course of the Flood, all locations and landmarks being obliterated.