Moment of Meditation: Shinar (Genesis 11:2)

And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Genesis 11:2   As Cain and his descendants settled “east of Eden,” we have the peoples descending from Noah coming “from the east” to settle in Shinar. But where is “the land of Shinar”? Shinar is the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This is one of the most important regions in the Ancient Near East. Babylon was here. So were Nineveh, Asshur, Haran, and Ur. It was a very prominent and fertile place. Sensing the fertility of this plain, the descendants of Noah’s sons come together and settle there. God wants His children to be in one place, having one mind and spirit, but this unity takes a turn, as we will see next time. Amen.