Genesis 10:8-10

"Nimrod, the mighty hunter ..." As the founder of both Babylon and Nineveh, both of which were noted for their rebellion against God, Babylon, in fact, having come to stand in all ages as the great symbol for opposition and rebellion against God, Nimrod must be considered to have exhibited the same evil qualities. Whitelaw wrote that:

"Eastern tradition has painted Nimrod as a gigantic oppressor of the peoples' liberties and an impious rebel against Divine authority. Josephus credited him with having instigated the building of the tower of Babel."[9]

The unreliability of tradition is, of course, notorious; but there seem to be good reasons for accepting it in the case of Nimrod. Under his power there rose the first of the godless states that were to plague the existence of the human family throughout its whole sojourn on earth. The very name, Nimrod means "We will revolt."[10] and the expression "mighty hunter" likely means, "one who hunts men to enslave them."[11] Some scholars have translated it "tyrant" or "despot."