Pope Leo XIV's encyclical compares Tower of Babel and Nehemiah
In the encyclical 'Magnifica humanitas', Pope Leo XIV draws on two Old Testament stories: the Tower of Babel and the account of Nehemiah. Both narratives involve collective construction, but with different outcomes: Babel's tower remained unfinished, while Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt. The pope explores why Babel failed—God diversified languages to prevent cooperation—while Jerusalem succeeded. The Tower of Babel is typically seen as a symbol of human arrogance, but the encyclical emphasizes that language diversification aimed to disrupt collective labor for a common good.
Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV wrote the encyclical 'Magnifica humanitas'.
- The encyclical references the Tower of Babel and the story of Nehemiah.
- Both stories involve building and collaboration.
- The Tower of Babel was not completed; Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt.
- God diversified languages at Babel to prevent cooperation.
- The Tower of Babel is often interpreted as a symbol of human arrogance.
- The encyclical was published on June 22, 2026.
- The source is doppiozero.com.
Entities
Artists
- Alfonso Maurizio Iacono
- Anita Romanello
Institutions
- doppiozero