Latest / The Chosen People / The Tower of Babel
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: This is an iHeart Podcast.
- 0:02Speaker 2: Guaranteed Human.
- 0:04Speaker 3: Previously on The Chosen People.
- 0:07Speaker 4: Behold, I would destroy them with the earth. I would
- 0:12Speaker 4: bring a flood to wipe this earth clean.
- 0:16Speaker 5: Remember me.
- 0:19Speaker 6: Remember my family and the animals with me.
- 0:23Speaker 3: God hadn't forgotten Noah. The Creator remembered him and all
- 0:28Speaker 3: the beasts within the ark.
- 0:31Speaker 4: Go out from the ark, Noah. As a sign of
- 0:35Speaker 4: my covenant with you, I have set my bow in
- 0:38Speaker 4: the clouds.
- 0:39Speaker 3: The never-ending pattern of sin and struggle didn't cease with
- 0:43Speaker 3: the flood. Cup after cup, Noah drank away his sorrows,
- 0:50Speaker 3: yet it only numbed the pain. His youngest son, Han,
- 0:54Speaker 3: watched from a distance, disdain etched on his face. as
- 0:59Speaker 3: he witnessed his father's shameful display.
- 1:02Speaker 2: I present to you the Honorable, the Stoic, and the
- 1:07Speaker 2: Righteous Noah! Naked and sleeping in his own vomit!
- 1:13Speaker 5: Ham, you've disgraced our father.
- 1:17Speaker 6: Cursed be Canaan for what his father has done. Shut up,
- 1:21Speaker 6: old man.
- 1:22Speaker 3: Men's sins stretched alongside Noah's descendants, but God's promises remained.
- 1:29Speaker 3: His faithfulness wouldn't waver, even in the face of human imperfection.
- 1:40Speaker 3: The sons of Noah spread across the land, hands stretching
- 1:45Speaker 3: out to seize the promise God gave them. Japheth sired
- 1:49Speaker 3: many sons, whose clans became the people of the coastlands.
- 1:54Speaker 3: They were voyagers, fishermen, and tradesmen of great renown. Their
- 1:59Speaker 3: influence stretched beyond the seas to lands untouched. The sons
- 2:04Speaker 3: of Shem scaled the hill country of the east. They
- 2:07Speaker 3: were people of the promise, just as God had foretold.
- 2:12Speaker 3: From his line would come Terah, the father of Abraham.
- 2:16Speaker 3: Yet the sons of Ham were cursed with ambition. His
- 2:20Speaker 3: sons were Canaan, Egypt, Put, and Cush. Out of the
- 2:25Speaker 3: line of Cush came a man unlike any other, a
- 2:29Speaker 3: man of strength, influence and power. His name was Nimrod.
- 2:37Speaker 3: Nimrod stood atop the hill, a silhouette against the dying
- 2:42Speaker 3: light of the sun. The air was thick with the
- 2:45Speaker 3: scent of earth and blood. The spoils of his latest
- 2:49Speaker 3: hunt arrayed around him. His cloak, fashioned from the pelts
- 2:53Speaker 3: of lions, billowed in the evening breeze. To his people,
- 2:58Speaker 3: He was not just a man. He was a legend,
- 3:02Speaker 3: a giant among mortals, a hunter favoured by the Creator.
- 3:07Speaker 3: As the last rays of sunlight bled out of the sky,
- 3:11Speaker 3: Nimrod descended from the hill with the carcass of a
- 3:14Speaker 3: stag carried over his shoulders. His eyes, sharp and piercing
- 3:18Speaker 3: as an eagle's, scanned the crowd at the bottom. They
- 3:22Speaker 3: looked upon him with awe and reverence. Whispers of his
- 3:26Speaker 3: name rippling through the assembly like a prayer. The whispers
- 3:30Speaker 3: rose like a song, eventually becoming a chant, singing his glory.
- 3:36Speaker 3: The great hunter's gaze fell upon the carcass of a stag,
- 3:40Speaker 3: its antlers spanning wide, a testament to its once proud stature.
- 3:45Speaker 3: Nimrod's hand rested on its flank, his fingers brushing against
- 3:50Speaker 3: the coarse fur.
- 3:51Speaker 7: Tonight we feast. We honor the life taken. and we
- 3:55Speaker 7: give thanks to the creator for his bounty.
- 3:58Speaker 3: He watched as his men began to prepare the feast,
- 4:02Speaker 3: the crackle of firewood and the savory scent of roasting
- 4:05Speaker 3: meat filling the air. Nimrod turned away, his mind already
- 4:10Speaker 3: drifting to thoughts of the hunt to come. He craved
- 4:14Speaker 3: another challenge in the wilds of Shinar. For Nimrod, the
- 4:18Speaker 3: hunt was more than a means of survival.
- 4:21Speaker 4: It was a test.
- 4:22Speaker 3: A sacred rite that affirmed his dominance over nature.
- 4:26Speaker 6: And man alike.
- 4:28Speaker 3: His camp was a sprawling expanse of tents and makeshift
- 4:32Speaker 3: shelters filled with warriors and craftsmen, women and children. It
- 4:38Speaker 3: was a kingdom in its infancy, a realm forged from
- 4:42Speaker 3: blood and sweat under the rule of a man who
- 4:45Speaker 3: feared nothing. As he walked through the camp, his people
- 4:49Speaker 3: parted before him. their eyes shining with admiration. Nimrod's presence
- 4:55Speaker 3: was a promise of protection and prosperity. In his tent,
- 4:59Speaker 3: lit by the flickering light of torches, Nimrod sat before
- 5:04Speaker 3: a map of his domain. It was drawn from charcoal
- 5:07Speaker 3: on parchment, crafted from tanned pelts. The parchment was marked
- 5:12Speaker 3: with symbols and drawings, a record of his conquests and
- 5:16Speaker 3: the cities he had founded. Babel, Erech, Akkad and Kalna.
- 5:23Speaker 3: His kingdom was growing, and with it, his power. Yet
- 5:28Speaker 3: Nimrod's ambitions stretched further still. He envisioned a city like
- 5:33Speaker 3: no other, a monument to his greatness, a testament to
- 5:38Speaker 3: human ingenuity and divine favor. A shadow fell across the
- 5:44Speaker 3: entrance of his tent. Nimrod looked up to see one
- 5:47Speaker 3: of his trusted servants, a man named Elam, standing there
- 5:52Speaker 3: with a grim expression.
- 5:54Speaker 2: My lord, the scouts have returned. There are whispers of
- 5:58Speaker 2: dissent among some of the tribes.
- 6:01Speaker 5: What's the matter?
- 6:03Speaker 2: Your bow is mighty, Lord Nimrod, and your arrow strong,
- 6:08Speaker 2: but its reach wanes in the borderlands. Some tribal elders
- 6:14Speaker 2: seek to make a name for themselves by stretching further out.
- 6:18Speaker 2: They want to scatter, as the descendants of Japeth and
- 6:21Speaker 2: Shem have. Troubling. It was the divine mandate passed from
- 6:28Speaker 2: the forefathers, was it not? We are meant to stretch
- 6:31Speaker 2: outward and fill the earth.
- 6:34Speaker 7: Yes, but that isn't how greatness is achieved, Elam. Greatness
- 6:40Speaker 7: is built brick by brick, stone by stone, on top
- 6:44Speaker 7: of one another. If we spread and disperse, we weaken
- 6:49Speaker 7: what we've built here. Prey scatter outward, but the predators
- 6:54Speaker 7: gather together.
- 6:56Speaker 2: Would you like me to send more men to the
- 6:58Speaker 2: Borderlands to impose your will?
- 7:00Speaker 7: No, no, that would be short-sighted. Why use force against
- 7:06Speaker 7: each other when we can use force for each other?
- 7:11Speaker 7: These people dissent because they want to be significant. They
- 7:16Speaker 7: don't want to live in my shadow. But what if
- 7:19Speaker 7: I could somehow manufacture greatness for them? What if I
- 7:24Speaker 7: could give them the feeling of greatness under my rule?
- 7:29Speaker 2: Are you suggesting you give up some of your power
- 7:32Speaker 2: and divide it among the elders?
- 7:36Speaker 7: Oh, no, sweet Elam. I don't need to relinquish freedom
- 7:41Speaker 7: or power. I need to rally them under an ideology.
- 7:46Speaker 7: A cause that gives them a sense of significance. But
- 7:50Speaker 7: it will all be under my rule.
- 7:53Speaker 2: Will you build a temple?
- 7:55Speaker 3: Nimrod rose to his feet, his stature imposing, even in
- 8:00Speaker 3: the confines of the tent. He opened the flap of
- 8:03Speaker 3: his tent and looked up, gazing at the night sky.
- 8:07Speaker 3: The stars scattered like diamonds across the velvet darkness.
- 8:12Speaker 5: Not a temple. Temples are for gods. We are men.
- 8:19Speaker 5: We will build a tower.
- 8:22Speaker 3: Nimrod turned to his friend and grabbed his shoulders. His
- 8:26Speaker 3: massive hands nearly wrapped around his entire back. He shook
- 8:30Speaker 3: him enthusiastically.
- 8:32Speaker 7: I have been blessed by God with the strength and
- 8:35Speaker 7: the will to lead. I will lead them to greatness.
- 8:39Speaker 7: Upward we will ascend. People want to scatter abroad for greatness.
- 8:44Speaker 7: They want to go into the unknown and venture out. No!
- 8:49Speaker 7: No true greatness is found above. We will build a
- 8:54Speaker 7: city so great, so large, that it reaches the heavens.
- 9:00Speaker 2: I can begin preparations. We can consolidate the tribes and
- 9:05Speaker 2: bring them closer together. Of all your kingdoms... Where shall
- 9:10Speaker 2: this tower be? Where will the people gather?
- 9:14Speaker 3: Nimrod looked back at Elam with a glint in his eye.
- 9:19Speaker 3: His mind was set, his path clear. He would build
- 9:23Speaker 3: his tower, and it would reach the heavens. In doing so,
- 9:28Speaker 3: he would carve his name into the annals of history,
- 9:31Speaker 3: a name spoken with reverence and fear for generations to come.
- 9:37Speaker 3: For Nimrod... The mighty hunter was more than a man.
- 9:41Speaker 3: He was a force of nature, a king among kings,
- 9:45Speaker 3: destined to leave his mark on the world. And nothing,
- 9:49Speaker 3: not even the will of God, would stand in his way.
- 9:53Speaker 7: Bring them to battle.
- 9:58Speaker 3: Nimrod's dreams were turned to stone and stacked upon each other.
- 10:02Speaker 3: His kingdom rose from the plains of Shinar. The city
- 10:06Speaker 3: he founded was a marvel of architecture and ambition, its
- 10:11Speaker 3: walls high and strong and streets bustling with life. Babel, Erech, Akkad,
- 10:18Speaker 3: and Kalna These were the jewels of his realm, each
- 10:23Speaker 3: a testament to his vision and might. Yet, for all
- 10:28Speaker 3: their splendour, they were but the beginning of Nimrod's grand design.
- 10:33Speaker 3: In the heart of Babel, Nimrod stood atop a balcony
- 10:38Speaker 3: overlooking his city. Below, the streets teemed with people, merchants
- 10:43Speaker 3: hawking their wares, craftsmen plying their trades, children playing and laughing.
- 10:49Speaker 3: It was a city alive with energy and purpose, a
- 10:53Speaker 3: city that bore the mark of its king. Nimrod's gaze
- 10:57Speaker 3: was steady, his expression one of pride and determination. This
- 11:03Speaker 3: was his creation, his legacy, and he would see it flourish.
- 11:09Speaker 3: Elam interrupted his gaze.
- 11:11Speaker 2: My lord, the council is assembled. They await your command.
- 11:18Speaker 6: Nimrod nodded.
- 11:19Speaker 3: His eyes lingering on the city for a moment longer
- 11:22Speaker 3: before he turned and strode inside. The council chamber was
- 11:27Speaker 3: a grand hall. Furs from Nimrod's hunts laced the ground.
- 11:32Speaker 3: The pelts of bears, lions, and wolves draped over his
- 11:35Speaker 3: throne centered at the head of a large table. Beside
- 11:39Speaker 3: the table sat the leaders of Shinar, men who had
- 11:43Speaker 3: sworn fealty to Nimrod and shared in his vision for
- 11:47Speaker 3: the kingdom.
- 11:48Speaker 7: Welcome.
- 11:48Speaker 5: Welcome.
- 11:49Speaker 7: Friends, our kingdom thrives, but there is still much to
- 11:54Speaker 7: be done. The cities we have built are merely stepping
- 11:58Speaker 7: stones to our ultimate goal. A city that will be
- 12:02Speaker 7: the envy of the world. A tower that will touch
- 12:07Speaker 7: the heavens.
- 12:08Speaker 3: Murmurs of agreement rippled through the council. Nimrod's ambitions were
- 12:13Speaker 3: well known, and his charisma had won him the loyalty
- 12:17Speaker 3: of even the most skeptical among them. Yet, as he spoke,
- 12:21Speaker 3: a note of caution crept into a few voices.
- 12:25Speaker 2: My lord, there are whispers of unrest among some of
- 12:29Speaker 2: the tribes. They fear that our ambition may bring the
- 12:35Speaker 2: wrath of God upon us.
- 12:38Speaker 7: Haven't you heard the songs? I am Nimrod, the hunter
- 12:43Speaker 7: who stands before God. He is the one who has
- 12:47Speaker 7: blessed us with this land and this power. It is
- 12:52Speaker 7: our duty to use it to its fullest. We will
- 12:57Speaker 7: build this tower, and in doing so, we will show
- 13:01Speaker 7: the world that the people of Babel and the entire
- 13:05Speaker 7: region of Shinar are not to be trifled with.
- 13:10Speaker 6: The tower is how we reach God. The tower is
- 13:13Speaker 6: how we reach greatness.
- 13:15Speaker 7: Perhaps together we can reach paradise again. Maybe we could
- 13:21Speaker 7: be like God himself.
- 13:24Speaker 3: The council members nodded. Nimrod's words had a way of
- 13:28Speaker 3: dispelling doubts, of igniting a fire in the hearts of
- 13:32Speaker 3: his followers. He was a leader unlike any other. A
- 13:36Speaker 3: man whose vision extended beyond the horizons. whose will could
- 13:40Speaker 3: bend even the most obstinate to his cause. In the
- 13:46Speaker 3: days that followed, Nimrod's vision began to take shape. Plans
- 13:51Speaker 3: were drawn, resources gathered, and work on the tower commenced.
- 13:55Speaker 3: The people of Babel toiled day and night, their efforts
- 13:59Speaker 3: guided by the hand of their king. The tower rose steadily,
- 14:03Speaker 3: its base broad and robust, its height a testament to
- 14:07Speaker 3: human ingenuity and ambition. Yet, for all the progress made,
- 14:14Speaker 3: some harboured doubts. Among them was Javen, a builder of
- 14:19Speaker 3: great skill and wisdom who had been tasked with overseeing
- 14:23Speaker 3: the construction. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,
- 14:28Speaker 3: Javen approached Nimrod, his expression troubled.
- 14:32Speaker 6: My lord, I fear our ambition may be our undoing.
- 14:38Speaker 6: Some speak of omens. God may not look kindly upon
- 14:42Speaker 6: our attempt to reach the heavens.
- 14:45Speaker 5: It is God who has given us the strength and
- 14:48Speaker 5: the will to achieve greatness. We honor him by striving
- 14:53Speaker 5: for the impossible and pushing the boundaries of what is
- 14:56Speaker 5: known and possible. Fear not, Javon.
- 15:00Speaker 7: We are destined for glory.
- 15:04Speaker 3: Javen nodded, though the worry did not leave his eyes.
- 15:08Speaker 3: As he departed, Nimrod watched him go, a flicker of
- 15:12Speaker 3: uncertainty crossing his mind. He pushed it aside, focusing instead
- 15:17Speaker 3: on the task at hand. The tower would be built,
- 15:21Speaker 3: and it would stand as a monument to his reign,
- 15:24Speaker 3: a symbol of the indomitable spirit of Shinar. Days turned
- 15:30Speaker 3: into weeks and weeks into months. The tower rose higher
- 15:34Speaker 3: and higher, its shadow stretching long across the plains. The
- 15:38Speaker 3: people of Babel looked upon it with a mixture of
- 15:41Speaker 3: awe and pride, their faith in Nimrod unshaken. For in
- 15:46Speaker 3: their king, they saw a man who could turn dreams
- 15:50Speaker 3: into reality and lead them to unimagined heights. And so,
- 15:55Speaker 3: under the watchful eye of Nimrod, the tower of Babel
- 15:59Speaker 3: continued to rise. Fires burned in the heart of Babel,
- 16:06Speaker 3: casting long shadows that danced across the half-built tower. Nimrod
- 16:11Speaker 3: stood on a platform high above the ground, surveying the
- 16:15Speaker 3: work below. The structure was a marvel, its base broad
- 16:20Speaker 3: and solid, climbing steadily toward the sky. Every stone laid,
- 16:26Speaker 3: every brick set, was a step closer to his vision. Below,
- 16:32Speaker 3: people were chanting and singing. A smile curled on the
- 16:36Speaker 3: edges of Nimrod's face.
- 16:38Speaker 6: It was working.
- 16:40Speaker 3: They had made the tower a religion in itself. They
- 16:43Speaker 3: wouldn't dream of leaving it or leaving him. They would remain,
- 16:48Speaker 3: because their greatness was tethered to the tower. Nimrod turned
- 16:53Speaker 3: to his gathered advisors, their faces illuminated by the flickering light.
- 16:58Speaker 3: They were his most trusted lieutenants, the pillars upon which
- 17:02Speaker 3: he built his kingdom.
- 17:04Speaker 4: Yet, even in.
- 17:05Speaker 3: Their eyes, he could see the flicker of doubt. Javen
- 17:10Speaker 3: stepped forward, his eyes earnest.
- 17:13Speaker 6: My lord, the tower's design is sound. The higher we go,
- 17:18Speaker 6: the more challenging it becomes. The weight, materials, and labor
- 17:23Speaker 6: pose a new set of challenges. We must be cautious.
- 17:27Speaker 5: Yes.
- 17:28Speaker 7: Caution has its place, Javad. But this is not a
- 17:31Speaker 7: time for fear. It is a time for boldness. We
- 17:35Speaker 7: will face these challenges and overcome them, just as we
- 17:40Speaker 7: have overcome all others.
- 17:43Speaker 3: The days that followed were a blur of activity. The
- 17:47Speaker 3: people of Babel worked tirelessly, driven by their desire to
- 17:51Speaker 3: be part of something greater than themselves. Yet, as the
- 17:55Speaker 3: tower grew, So did the whispers of descent. Some questioned
- 18:00Speaker 3: the wisdom of such an undertaking, fearing the wrath of
- 18:03Speaker 3: the Elohim. Others worried about the strain it placed on
- 18:07Speaker 3: resources and labor. Nimrod heard these whispers, but paid them
- 18:12Speaker 3: no heed. He had come too far, sacrificed too much
- 18:16Speaker 3: to be swayed by fear and doubt. One night, as
- 18:20Speaker 3: the stars shone brightly above, Nimrod found himself alone at
- 18:25Speaker 3: the base of the tower. He placed his hand on
- 18:28Speaker 3: the cool stone, feeling the pulse of the dream that
- 18:32Speaker 3: lived within it. The tower was more than a monument.
- 18:36Speaker 3: It was his legacy, a mark that would endure long
- 18:39Speaker 3: after he was gone. A figure approached, and Nimrod turned
- 18:44Speaker 3: to see Javen standing there, his expression thoughtful.
- 18:50Speaker 1: My lord.
- 18:51Speaker 6: I have seen many wanderers in my time, but this tower,
- 18:56Speaker 6: this is something beyond anything I ever imagined.
- 19:01Speaker 7: It is the work of our many hands, Javan, but
- 19:05Speaker 7: it is also the work of one vision, a vision
- 19:09Speaker 7: that we share.
- 19:10Speaker 3: Javan looked up at the tower, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
- 19:15Speaker 6: Do you ever fear, my lord, that That we are
- 19:20Speaker 6: reaching too high. That God might take offense.
- 19:26Speaker 3: Nimrod's smile faded, his expression turning solemn.
- 19:32Speaker 7: I have heard this exhausted warning too many times. Has
- 19:37Speaker 7: the Elohim not given us the earth, the sky, and
- 19:41Speaker 7: the strength to build, to dream? If we do not
- 19:46Speaker 7: use these gifts... if we do not strive for greatness.
- 19:50Speaker 7: then we dishonor him. This tower is not an affront.
- 19:57Speaker 7: It is an offering.
- 19:59Speaker 3: Javen nodded slowly, his doubts not entirely dispelled. Nimrod sensed
- 20:05Speaker 3: his trepidation. Irritated, The king continued his pontificating.
- 20:10Speaker 7: And why should I fear him anyways? Did he not
- 20:14Speaker 7: flood the earth? Did he not curse my grandfather Ham?
- 20:19Speaker 7: If he doesn't accept my offering, then maybe I shall
- 20:23Speaker 7: build my tower even higher.
- 20:27Speaker 5: Higher than him.
- 20:28Speaker 7: Maybe then it is he who will fear me.
- 20:31Speaker 3: Nimrod's voice reverberated through the empty stone halls. Javen said nothing.
- 20:38Speaker 3: Together they stood silently, gazing up at the tower that
- 20:42Speaker 3: reached ever closer to the heavens. Dawn broke, casting a
- 20:47Speaker 3: golden light over the plains of Shinar. Babel awoke to
- 20:52Speaker 3: the sound of hammers, chisels, and stone being set upon stone.
- 20:57Speaker 3: Nimrod watched them with pride, his heart swelling with the
- 21:01Speaker 3: knowledge that they were building something that would endure, something
- 21:05Speaker 3: that would be remembered for generations to come. As the
- 21:09Speaker 3: day wore on, the heat grew oppressive. The sun beat
- 21:13Speaker 3: down mercilessly on the workers, sweat pouring from their brows
- 21:18Speaker 3: as they toiled under the watchful eyes of the overseers.
- 21:22Speaker 3: Nimrod's presence was a constant, his shadow falling over every
- 21:26Speaker 3: aspect of the project. He was a man possessed, driven
- 21:31Speaker 3: by a vision that consumed him. The sounds of construction
- 21:35Speaker 3: filled the air. Hammers and chisels rang out in a
- 21:39Speaker 3: symphony of labor, mingling with the shouts of foremen and
- 21:42Speaker 3: the grunts of workers. Nimrod moved among them, his presence
- 21:46Speaker 3: a constant reminder of the stakes. He spoke with the masons,
- 21:51Speaker 3: offering words of encouragement and, when necessary, stern rebukes. His
- 21:57Speaker 3: people needed to see that their king was as invested
- 22:00Speaker 3: in this endeavor as they were. In the midst of
- 22:03Speaker 3: the chaos, a cry went up. Nimrod turned to see
- 22:07Speaker 3: a group of workers gather around a fallen scaffold, a
- 22:10Speaker 3: man pinned beneath the wreckage. He strode over, his expression grim.
- 22:16Speaker 7: What happened here?
- 22:17Speaker 2: The supports gave way, my lord.
- 22:19Speaker 4: It was an accident.
- 22:21Speaker 7: There are no accidents, only failures of preparation and vigilance.
- 22:26Speaker 7: Ensure that that man receives the care he needs, and
- 22:28Speaker 7: see to it that the supports are reinforced properly. We
- 22:33Speaker 7: cannot afford any more mistakes.
- 22:35Speaker 2: Yes, my lord. It will be done.
- 22:37Speaker 3: Javen came out from among them, eyes intense with anger.
- 22:42Speaker 6: I told you that something like this might happen.
- 22:44Speaker 4: It will continue if we don't relent.
- 22:47Speaker 7: We will only relent when I stand atop my tower
- 22:50Speaker 7: looking out at the world like it's an apple fitting
- 22:53Speaker 7: in the palm of my hand.
- 22:54Speaker 3: Nimrod gestured to the crowd, charisma dripping from him like sweat.
- 22:59Speaker 7: Are the people of Babel cowards? Will you shrink back
- 23:04Speaker 7: at the first sign of weakness? Will you scatter and
- 23:08Speaker 7: scurry like prey? Or will you gather and build like predators?
- 23:14Speaker 7: We will make a name for ourselves. We will be great.
- 23:18Speaker 7: We will build something to rival Eden.
- 23:22Speaker 3: The crowd cheered, but Javen slunk back into the rubble,
- 23:26Speaker 3: helping the fallen workers to their feet. The Lord God
- 23:30Speaker 3: saw Babel. The tower rose brick by brick, reaching toward
- 23:35Speaker 3: the heavens, a monument to human pride and unity. But
- 23:39Speaker 3: the people of Babel were sorrowfully mistaken. No earthly structure
- 23:44Speaker 3: could pierce the divine realm, the celestial planes where the
- 23:48Speaker 3: Almighty dwelled. These realms existed beyond the mortal coil, destined
- 23:54Speaker 3: to one day reside in the hearts of those who
- 23:57Speaker 3: trusted in him. Seeing the path to their doom, The
- 24:01Speaker 3: counsel of God convened to thwart their endeavors.
- 24:05Speaker 4: They are one people, unified in language, and yet unified
- 24:12Speaker 4: to destruction. This is only the beginning of what they
- 24:16Speaker 4: will do. Soon they will have the power to do
- 24:20Speaker 4: whatever their heart desires, and nothing will be impossible. God
- 24:26Speaker 4: knew men's hearts. He knew that their plans ultimately led
- 24:31Speaker 4: to their demise, so he crafted a plan of his own. Come,
- 24:36Speaker 4: let us go down there and confuse their language so
- 24:40Speaker 4: that they may not understand one another's speech. The words
- 24:44Speaker 4: used to unite them under an impure cause will become
- 24:49Speaker 4: confusing to them. They shall be the city of Babel.
- 24:53Speaker 5: Chaos.
- 24:54Speaker 3: Chaos. The sky above Babel darkened with the approach of
- 25:00Speaker 3: a summer storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low
- 25:04Speaker 3: and ominous growl that seemed to echo the unease growing
- 25:08Speaker 3: among the people of Shinar. Nimrod stood atop the incomplete tower,
- 25:13Speaker 3: his eyes scanning the horizon. The wind whipped his cloak
- 25:18Speaker 3: around him, but he stood unmoved, a statue of unyielding resolve.
- 25:24Speaker 3: Elam approached the balcony, Worry etched on his brow.
- 25:29Speaker 2: My lord, there are omens we cannot ignore. The storm
- 25:36Speaker 2: is but one. The oracles speak of divine displeasure. People
- 25:42Speaker 2: fear that we have angered the Elohim.
- 25:46Speaker 3: Nimrod snarled as he looked out at the incoming storm.
- 25:50Speaker 3: His face scrunched with a contemptuous scowl.
- 25:53Speaker 1: Yeah... He's threatened by us. He's worried that we will
- 26:01Speaker 1: become too great for him to control. He is right
- 26:08Speaker 1: to fear me.
- 26:10Speaker 3: Nimrod turned to Elam, his gaze piercing.
- 26:13Speaker 7: The people need to see strength, not fear.
- 26:18Speaker 3: As Elam departed, Nimrod's eyes returned to the horizons. The
- 26:22Speaker 3: storm clouds gathered thick and black, reflecting the turmoil within
- 26:27Speaker 3: his kingdom. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of
- 26:31Speaker 3: his vision pressing down on him. He could not afford
- 26:34Speaker 3: to falter now. The tower must rise. As the storm
- 26:39Speaker 3: raged on, Nimrod ascended the tower once more, standing defiant
- 26:44Speaker 3: against the elements.
- 26:45Speaker 8: Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark sky, and thunder cracked like
- 26:50Speaker 8: the voice of an angry god. Yet Nimrod stood firm,
- 26:55Speaker 8: a solitary figure against the wrath of nature. The reins
- 26:59Speaker 8: descended like arrows. They beat against Nimrod's broad shoulders. His
- 27:04Speaker 8: eyes glowed in the lightning, reflecting an ancient evil like
- 27:08Speaker 8: the serpent of old.
- 27:10Speaker 7: I can be like God!
- 27:14Speaker 3: The king shouted downward at some of the remaining workers.
- 27:18Speaker 3: His voice bellowed like the thunder above.
- 27:20Speaker 7: Get Javan! Gather all the able-bodied men in the city.
- 27:24Speaker 7: Today we build this tower in defiance of the creator.
- 27:28Speaker 7: Today we seize greatness for ourselves!
- 27:32Speaker 3: Nimrod laughed at the heavens. When Javen arrived, Nimrod commanded
- 27:37Speaker 3: for the furnaces to be lit.
- 27:39Speaker 7: More bricks, Javan! More mortar! We will not be dispersed.
- 27:45Speaker 7: We will be one city, one utopia, one monument to
- 27:50Speaker 7: human greatness.
- 27:52Speaker 3: Javen peered up at Nimrod, then down at the foundation
- 27:56Speaker 3: of the tower. The rains eroded some of the mortar,
- 28:00Speaker 3: the winds shifting the scaffolding at the top. Javen's eyes
- 28:03Speaker 3: widened in alarm. Nimrod was courting disaster. He had to
- 28:08Speaker 3: act before it was too late. Turning to Elam, he shouted...
- 28:12Speaker 3: Elam stared at Javen with confusion. Perhaps Javen was suffering
- 28:20Speaker 3: from an illness. He cocked his head to the side
- 28:23Speaker 3: and responded with concern. The two men stared blankly at
- 28:34Speaker 3: each other, unsure what they heard. They couldn't understand each other.
- 28:41Speaker 6: Why do you think that Nimrod, Gabal, and Yavna, and Zaban.
- 28:45Speaker 4: Are the only ones?
- 28:46Speaker 3: My Atari? Javen couldn't play any more guessing games. Shoving
- 28:51Speaker 3: Elam aside, he sprinted up the tower steps. The rain-slicked
- 28:55Speaker 3: steps slid under his feet, but he pressed on, finally
- 28:58Speaker 3: reaching Nimrod. The king thrashed atop the tower, raising his
- 29:02Speaker 3: fists in defiance. Javen reached out a hand.
- 29:06Speaker 7: And shouted, Nimrod! Inzel!
- 29:09Speaker 6: Yesava! Satan's a leak?
- 29:12Speaker 5: What's the matter, Javad?
- 29:14Speaker 7: Has fear stolen your tongue? Come and bask in the
- 29:18Speaker 7: glory of our creation.
- 29:21Speaker 3: Nimrod looked down. Below, confusion reigned. People shoved each other,
- 29:28Speaker 3: panic setting in. Nimrod turned to Javen, but before he
- 29:31Speaker 3: could speak, a brick slipped from beneath his feet. Nimrod
- 29:35Speaker 3: fell back, catching himself on the scaffolding. It bent to
- 29:39Speaker 3: his way then snapped. Javen stepped forward, but it was
- 29:44Speaker 3: too late. Nimrod plummeted, his screams muted by the thundering skies.
- 29:51Speaker 3: Nimrod struck them, unseen in the chaos. God had confused
- 29:57Speaker 3: their language. people trusted only those they could understand, forming
- 30:02Speaker 3: tribes and leaving Babel to seek peace elsewhere. Thus, the
- 30:08Speaker 3: tribes of the ancient world grew beyond the shadow of
- 30:12Speaker 3: their utopia. God's command to fill the earth was fulfilled
- 30:17Speaker 3: through the diversity of language and thought. Nimrod's body lay
- 30:22Speaker 3: beneath the tower's shadow. Slowly, The elements claimed the stones
- 30:27Speaker 3: and the sands of time covered its greatness. It returned
- 30:31Speaker 3: to dust. The destiny of every man since the Great Fall.
- 30:38Speaker 3: This PrayDogCon production is only made possible by our dedicated
- 30:42Speaker 3: team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager
- 30:47Speaker 3: and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People,
- 30:51Speaker 3: narrated by Paul Colter-Fianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton,
- 30:56Speaker 3: Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok,
- 31:02Speaker 3: Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by
- 31:08Speaker 3: Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and
- 31:12Speaker 3: Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the
- 31:16Speaker 3: Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google
- 31:20Speaker 3: Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate
- 31:23Speaker 3: and leave a review. This is an iHeart Podcast.
- 31:27Speaker 7: Guaranteed human.