King James Bible Dictionary

watch of him that sleeps

(country of two rivers), the ancient name of the great alluvial tract through which the Tigris and Euphrates pass before reaching the sea

the tract known in later times as Chald'a or Babylonia. It was a plain country, where brick had to be used for stone and slime for mortar. (Genesis 11:3) Among the cities were Babel (Babylon), Erech or Orech (Orchoe), Calneh or Calno (probably Niffer), and Accad, the site of which is unknown. It may be suspected that Shinar was the name by which the Hebrews originally knew the lower Mesopotamian country where they so long dwelt, and which Abraham brought with him from "Ur of the Chaldees."

See Babylon
Babylon

LXX. and Vulgate "Senaar;" in the inscriptions, "Shumir;" probably identical with Babylonia or Southern Mesopotamia, extending almost to the Persian Gulf. Here the tower of Babel was built (Genesis 11:1-6), and the city of Babylon. The name occurs later in Jewish history (Isaiah 11:11; Zechariah 5:11). Shinar was apparently first peopled by Turanian tribes, who tilled the land and made bricks and built cities. Then tribes of Semites invaded the land and settled in it, and became its rulers. This was followed in course of time by an Elamite invasion; from which the land was finally delivered by Khammurabi, the son of Amarpel ("Amraphel, king of Shinar," Genesis 14:1), who became the founder of the new empire of Chaldea. (See AMRAPHEL.)