Shinar
Shinar is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Mesopotamia in modern-day Iraq. Known today as Babylon. It appears across 8 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Shinar is the biblical name for the southern Mesopotamian alluvial plain — the cradle of civilization in the ancient Near East and the setting for some of Scripture's most pivotal early narratives. It first appears in Genesis 10:10 as the location of Nimrod's kingdom, with cities including Babel, Erech, and Accad. Most famously, Shinar is the location of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), where all humanity gathered to build a city and tower reaching to heaven, resulting in the confusion of languages and the scattering of peoples across the earth. This narrative places Shinar at the origin point of human cultural and linguistic diversity. Later, Shinar appears in Genesis 14:1 as the kingdom of Amraphel, one of the kings in the coalition defeated by Abraham. Joshua 7:21 records that Achan coveted and stole a "beautiful cloak from Shinar" among the spoils of Jericho, indicating Shinar's association with luxury goods and fine craftsmanship. Isaiah 11:11 prophesies a future gathering of Israel's remnant from Shinar among other lands of the diaspora. Daniel 1:2 states that Nebuchadnezzar brought the temple vessels to "the land of Shinar" — the most explicit identification of Shinar with Babylon in the biblical text.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Shinar corresponds to ancient Sumer and Babylonia, encompassing the lower Mesopotamian alluvial plain in modern Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This region has been excavated since the nineteenth century and is recognized as the birthplace of writing, urban civilization, and monumental architecture. Major excavated sites include Uruk (biblical Erech), where the world's earliest writing (cuneiform) and the first large-scale temples were discovered; Nippur, a major religious center; and Babylon itself, extensively excavated by Koldewey. The ziggurat form — a stepped temple tower — is well attested throughout Mesopotamia, with the best-preserved example at Ur, lending credibility to the Tower of Babel's architectural description. Cuneiform records from the region provide rich context for the biblical Shinar narratives.
Verse Appearances (8)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →