Shinar

Shinar was an old name for the southern part of a land called Mesopotamia. People a long time ago used this name in special books known as the Hebrew Bible. This area was important because many early cities and cultures grew there, helping shape the history of the world. It was a place where many important stories and events from the past took place.

Etymology

The name Shinar comes from ancient languages. In Hebrew, it is called Šinʿār, which is similar to the Egyptian Sngr and the Hittite Šanḫar(a). These all refer to the southern part of a place called Mesopotamia.

Some scholars thought Šinʿār might be connected to the name Šumer, which was used for an ancient land called Sumer. However, this idea has many language-related problems. Another idea is that the name came from a group of people called the Šamharu, who were part of the Kassite tribe. Their name was later used for a larger area known as Babylonia.

Hebrew Bible

The name Šinʿār is used eight times in the Hebrew Bible to refer to Babylonia. It includes places like Babel (also called Babylon) and Erech (also called Uruk). In the Book of Genesis, it tells us that the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom was in Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, all in the land of Shinar. The story of the Tower of Babel also happens in a plain in Shinar, long after the Great Flood.

Shinar is mentioned again in other books of the Bible, like Joshua, Isaiah, Daniel, and Zechariah 5:11, where it is used to mean Babylonia.

Jubilees

The Book of Jubilees says that Shinar was given to Ashur, who was the son of Shem. It also tells us that the Tower of Babel was built using special sticky material called bitumen that came from the sea of Shinar.

Main article: Book of Jubilees

In popular culture

The name of this ancient region appears in the title of the video game Chants of Sennaar. The game uses ideas from the story of the Tower of Babel.