Why were there many different dialects and languages by Bible times?
The many dialects and languages by Bible times trace back to the Tower of Babel, after which all kinds of languages spread throughout the then-known world. The dispersion and assimilation of peoples, such as the Jews into the Middle East, also contributed to this linguistic diversity, as groups retained their mother tongues for generations.
Les teaches that the Greek word for tongues means an understandable language, not unknown gibberish. He explains that ever since the Tower of Babel, there have been all kinds of dialects and languages throughout the then-known world. He notes the dispersion of the ten tribes into Syria about 775 B.C. and later Judah into Babylon, with only a few returning; the rest assimilated into the Middle East. This mixing, like immigrants in America who keep their native language for a few generations while children become bilingual, explains the persistence of many languages and dialects.