The Tower of Babel scripture is among one of the most famous stories of the Old Testament. The story of its construction, given in Genesis 11:1–9, appears to be an attempt to explain the existence of diverse human languages. According to Genesis, the Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower “with its top in the heavens.” God disrupted the work by so confusing the language of the workers that they could no longer understand one another. The city was never completed, and the people were dispersed over the face of the earth.
Being interested in studying international relations in college, foreign language will certainly be a requirement moving forward in my life. I have interest in learning multiple languages: Greek in homage to my heritage, Chinese in order to become more marketable in the globalized world, maybe even German because I think it's quite interesting. While my work ethic and capacity to learn may prevent me from learning each word, tone and character of all of those languages and more, I feel simply learning the basics opens a new understanding of a culture you never even fathomed. For example, my great grandmother in Greece once told me that in Greek, the statement "I miss you" translates into Greek as "You are missing from me." Such discrepancies are so intriguing and open up new facets of understanding in different cultures.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Tower of Babel (mythological Tower, Babylonia)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/47421/Tower-of-Babel>.
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