10. The Derivation and Development of Language!

10. The Derivation and Development of Language!  “These people are one people, and they all have the same language. So they began to build the Tower of Babel, and this is just the beginning of what they will do. They will be able to do anything they set their minds to. So let us go down and confuse their language so that they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:6) After the great flood ended, Noah’s ark rested on Mount Ararat. Through this ark, humanity’s greatest crisis barely passed, and only Noah’s family of eight survived. Through them, the lineage of humanity was barely maintained. However, as the great crisis that had shaken the world passed, the world gradually entered an era of peace and prosperity, washing away the pain of the flood. In this time, Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, followed God’s command and had many descendants. The population, which had been small after Noah’s flood, gradually recovered to pre-flood levels through Noah’s children. These descendants spread across the world, and over time, different tribes, nations, and languages emerged. Language had a significant impact on this growth and development, and as it evolved, it became more complex. This development led to the emergence of more diverse languages, accelerating growth and development. Consequently, culture also grew and developed rapidly. However, as this happened, people often became self-centered and worldly in their thinking. Many things changed after Noah’s flood compared to before. Most notably, people’s lifespans changed. Shem, who inherited Noah’s faith and work, lived for 600 years, Arphaxad for 438 years, Shelah for 433 years, Eber for 464 years, Peleg for 239 years, Reu for 237 years, Serug for 230 years, Nahor for 148 years, and Terah for 205 years before he fathered Abraham and died. Thus, the lifespan of humans, which was close to 1,000 years before Noah’s flood, gradually decreased to about one-fifth of that. However, compared to now, it was still two or three times longer. This indicates that the Earth’s environment has deteriorated significantly compared to before the flood. Noah and his family came out of the ark and built an altar before God. They chose sacrifices from the cattle and sheep that God had placed in the ark in pairs and offered a burnt offering of thanks to God. After offering the burnt offering, they saw that most of the visible world had been recreated, just as God had created the heavens and the earth. The single continent had divided into the five oceans and six continents, and the humans who had flourished after Adam had all died due to their sins, leaving only Noah and his children. This recreated a situation similar to the garden that God had initially planned. God chose one people through Noah, maintained one language through them, and they had a unique faith in God. This was the new appearance of the earth after Noah’s flood. Noah’s family came down from Mount Ararat, where the ark had rested, and settled in the plains, starting to farm. The only difference from when God created the heavens and the earth was that sin had come upon humanity and they had been expelled from the Garden of Eden. Otherwise, humanity, with the chosen people of faith, entered an era of peace and prosperity, spreading rapidly in all directions. The story of the flood that covered the entire earth and the fact that the survivors communicated with a single language can be found in cave paintings and oral traditions in various countries around the world. When these legends and stories are combined, they are similar to what the Bible says, with only slight variations in regional names, languages, or content. It is interesting that such similar legends exist in different continents and distant parts of the world, suggesting that they experienced the same event and passed down the story to their descendants, with slight modifications over time. God wanted the earth to be filled with people who walked with Him through Noah. So, He appointed Shem, who remembered and served God the best among Noah’s three sons, to perform the role of a priest and be the chosen people among the chosen people who walked with God. After fulfilling this mission, Noah left his children on this earth and was called to God’s kingdom at the age of 950.