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The Tower

Album: 32: Hidden Treasures

Episode: 416

Lesson/Theme: Evilness of mankind

Bible Verse: Genesis 11:1-9

Characters: Eugene

Writer:

Sound Designer:

Original Air Date: November 21, 1998

Last Air Date: August 20, 2009

Description:
Nathaniel Graham and Eugene Meltsner are debating Nathaniel's assertion that a united mankind can overcome anything. Eugene decides an adventure in the Imagination Station would give Nathaniel more information with which to decide if this is true or not. A skeptical Nathaniel agrees, and once inside they find themselves in ancient times, at the foot of a the Tower of Babel, where they are immediately mistaken for slaves and put to work. Joktali, an overseer, informs them that they are working on the temple of Marduk, one of many Babylonian gods. Joktali silences them when he hears them talk of the one true God, as it is forbidden to speak of any god but Marduk or any king but Nimrod. That evening, Joktali leads Eugene and Nathaniel through the darkened streets to a secret meeting of those who want to speak freely of God. Even in Babel, a great and prosperous city, people are persecuted for their belief in God. They meet Eber, a 420-year-old man, and his granddaughter, Lilia, whose parents were killed by Nimrod's men because of their faith in God. As Eber is describing King Nimrod to them, men begin to break down the door. Nathaniel and Joktali escape through an alley passageway, but Eugene and Lilia are arrested. Eugene and Lilia are brought before King Nimrod and express their belief in the one true God and, as a result, are sent to the tower to be held for sacrifice. Nathaniel is immediately ready to gather a group and storm the castle to free his friends, but Joktali insists he go to Eber instead. Eber explains to Nathaniel that people are persecuted for their faith in God because the Babylonians have become so sure of their power that they have forgotten that their power comes from God. A mysterious visitor arrives and asks to be taken into Babel and shown the evil that goes on there. Eber and Nathaniel take the visitor, whom they believe to be a messenger from God, to the city, and soon see the procession leading Eugene and Lilia. Nathaniel and Joktali are prepared to raise a band of people and attack, but Eber urges them to allow the messenger to work instead. They watch in amazement as the people rise from paying homage to Marduk, speaking many different languages and unable to understand one another. Eugene, Nathaniel, Eber, and Lilia watch from afar as the smoke of war rises in Babylon, and Eugene explains to Nathaniel that this is because of man's fallen human nature.

Questions:
Who was the man who came down to see the city of Babel "with his own eyes?" Why did God divide up the people of the earth at the end? What reasons did Nathaniel give for saying that mankind was basically good? What did Eugene use the Imagination Station to show him?