BABEL: often capitalized: a place or scene of noise and confusion; also: a confused sound
The story of the Tower of Babel comes from the Bible, specifically Genesis 11:4-9. It describes an attempt by Noah's descendants to build a giant tower that would reach to heaven. God interrupted the project, however, by causing the builders to begin speaking different langauages. Construction of the tower ceased, and the people were disperesed over the earth. The account of the Tower of Babel, which may have been inspired by an actual tower in Babylonia, is generally read as an attempt to explain the diversity of languages on earth. The story has also given English a word for any situation that calls to mind the noisy chaos that would have surely have ensued as the workers first tried to communicate using different languages.
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