Babel and New Jerusalem: Two Urban Expressions of Theological Contrast

Numerous researchers have linked the description of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21 to Fallen Babylon in Rev 18 in order to establish intertextual opportunities for comparison and contrast. However, the New Jerusalem is seldom linked to the Tower of Babel in Gen 11—essentially, the urban archetype of Babylon in the Old Testament. Exploring these two urban metaphors—from a largely canonical, theological perspective—it appears that the New Jerusalem and the Tower of Babel stand out as two urban expressions of theological contrast. The two city metaphors contrast each other as they relate to themes of builders, unity/diversity, and temple language when describing divine and human activities.