What was the condition of mankind at the end of Genesis chapter 11?

Answer 1

Mankind had again entered into rebellion and idolatry. The events at Babel demonstrated this. God called Abraham out of Ur to establish once again a Godly line.

There could have been as many as 300 million people on the earth. Excavations at Ur alone revealed a large library filled with thousands of clay tablets.

Answer 2

Genesis chapter 11 is set after the Flood and possibly, but not certainly after the death of Noah. It was some 4000 years ago and there were said to be fewer than 100 people in the entire world (although the actual figure was in the millions). They spoke the same language, but there were already separate kingdoms across the earth.

Answer 3

By the time of Abraham the Hebrew (Genesis, end of ch.11) the area where he lived had become full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities and using their supposed behavior as an excuse for excessive conduct. Abraham was the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.

The names listed in Genesis 10 and 11 are only the heads of families. The actual number of their descendants was quite large, as evidenced by the cities named in chapter 10.

See also:

How did polytheism get underway?