Tower Of Babel Illustration

In addition to its obvious similarity to the Hortus image, the Marseilles design is iconographically similar to other Babel illustrations from the same period (also shown on the above page): the tower's foundation was often depicted with two or three additional wider steps; three windows were often depicted on its upper stratifications; the doorway at the base, when shown, reflects the upper window shapes.

This is not to downplay the other details of Trump XVI--the lightning strike, the crown roof, the circular shapes, even the falling figures--which veer from early iconography and which suggest the trump design to be more than simply an allusion to the Babel tower!