בבל
bavel
Babel in Hebrew is בבל (bavel).
בבל refers to the Biblical city and the site of the Tower of Babel.
Meaning: Biblical city and tower (name)
How do you pronounce it?
bavel
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word בבל is a palindrome, meaning it is spelled the same way forward and backward.
- The biblical story uses a wordplay where the name בבל sounds like the Hebrew verb 'to confuse', creating a pun that justifies the scattering of languages.
- The Hebrew root shared by בבל also forms the modern word בלבול, which is the standard way to say 'confusion' or 'muddle' in everyday Israeli Hebrew.
Examples in context
- בבל הייתה עיר עתיקה מאוד.Bavel hayta ir atika me'od.Babel was a very ancient city.
- הסיפור עוסק במגדל בבל.Hasipur ossek be'migdal Bavel.The story deals with the Tower of Babel.
- הם מדברים על ההיסטוריה של בבל.Hem medabrim al hahistoria shel Bavel.They are talking about the history of Babel.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history assignment.
- עידו Idoמאיה, את יודעת איפה בבל הייתה?Maya, at yoda'at eifo Babel hayta?Maya, do you know where Babel was?
- מאיה Mayaכן, בבל הייתה באזור מסופרימיה.Ken, Babel hayta be'ezor Mesopotamia.Yes, Babel was in the Mesopotamia region.
- עידו Idoבאמת קראו לה עיר בבל?Be'emet kar'u la ir Babel?Was it really called the city of Babel?
- מאיה Mayaכן, וזה מופיע גם במקרא.Ken, ve'ze mofia gam ba'mikra.Yes, and it also appears in the Bible.
