Yesterday, i watching the history channel on the documentary called son's of abraham. It was truly an eye opener. God's promised certainly came through for Abraham when God promised him that he will the father of many nations.
In fact many religion trace their one common root to Abraham. Through Issac his Son came forth Judaism and Christianity. And through Ishmael came the Islam faith. It was fascinating when the documentary brought us to Hebron the place of Abraham's grave. On one side was a Jewish Synagogue and the other a Mosque, in the middle surrounded by bars was the tomb of Abraham.
What struck me was that you can see the muslim praying from the Synagogue, and all these separated by a wall. The show talks about the common link of Abraham between the 3 big faith of the world. But admist all these i came to see the promise God made to Abraham, he was certainly the father of many nations.
Another name that stood out was these person called Nimrod. He was mentioned in the bible but not much was said of him. I was really intrigued because according to some story Abraham met with nimrod and contend with him about the one and only true God. So i decided to find out abit more.... below is from Wikipedia. Really fascinating reading.
Biblical accounts
Mention of Nimrod in the Bible is rather limited. According to the "documentary hypothesis" of the Bible's origin, the Jahwist writer(s) make the earliest mention of Nimrod.[1]
He is described as the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, great-grandson of Noah; and as "a mighty one on the earth" and "a mighty hunter before the LORD".
He also appears in the First Book of Chronicles and in the Book of Micah.
Nimrod is said to be the founder and king of the first empire after the Flood, and his realm is connected with the Mesopotamian towns Babylon (Babel), Uruk, Akkad and Calneh. He is mentioned in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), where he is said to have founded many cities.
Owing to an ambiguity in the original Hebrew text, it is unclear whether it is he or Asshur who additionally founded Nineveh, Resen, Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, and both of these interpretations are reflected in the various English versions.(Genesis 10:8–10)
[edit] Traditions and legends
Though not clearly stated in the Bible, Nimrod has since ancient times traditionally been considered the creator of the Tower of Babel. Since his kingdom included the towns in Shinar, it is believed likely that it was under his direction that the building began. This is the view adopted in the Targums and later texts such as the writings of Josephus. Some extrabiblical sources[specify], however, assert to the contrary, that Nimrod left the district before the building of the tower.
According to Hebrew traditions, Nimrod was of Mizraim by his mother, but came from Cush son of Ham and expanded Asshur, which he inherited. His name has become proverbial as that of a "mighty hunter". His "kingdom" comprised Babel (Babylon), Erech (Uruk), Accad (Akkad), and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, otherwise known as the land of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10; 1 Chronicles 1:10, Micah 5:6).
Josephus wrote:
Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power… Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion…
If you want to know more... type Nimrod in google. Its good to know that Bible is not just some airy fairy story but one with historial and factual account.
