Shinar
LocationsGeographical Setting
Shinar is the biblical designation for the region of Babylonia, corresponding to the alluvial plain of southern Mesopotamia.
What is the meaning of Shinar in the Bible?
The name given to Babylonia in the earliest Hebrew records, referring to the district where Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh were located. Shinar is described as the land of the plain where migrants from the East settled and founded Babel.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding Shinar as the ancient name for Babylonia helps readers identify the specific geographic setting of early Genesis narratives, grounding the stories of the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of nations in the historical context of the Sumerian and Akkadian civilizations of southern Iraq.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
- Why did the biblical author mention Shinar in this passage?
- What cultural or historical assumption does Shinar clarify?
Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.