The the survival of Abraham did not cause Nimrod to change his conduct; he remained an idolater. The night following the release of Abraham he saw in a dream a man coming out of the furnace and advancing toward him with a drawn sword. Nimrod thereupon ran away, but the man threw an egg at him; this was afterward transformed into a large river in which all his troops were drowned, only he himself and three of his followers escaping. Then the river again became an egg, and from the latter came forth a small fowl, which flew at Nimrod and pecked out his eye. The dream was interpreted as forecasting Nimrod's defeat by Abraham, wherefore Nimrod sent secretly to kill Abraham; but the latter emigrated with his family to the land of Canaan.
Ten years later Nimrod came to wage war with Chedorlaomer, King of Elam, who had been one of Nimrod's generals, and who after G-d's dispersion (at the hand of the Dodanim) of the builders of the tower went to Elam and formed there an independent kingdom. Nimrod is generally considered to have been the one who suggested building the Tower of Babel and who directed its construction. God said: "I made Nimrod great; but he built a tower in order that he might rebel against Me" (Ḥul. 89b). The tower is called by the Rabbis "the house of Nimrod," and is considered as a house of idolatry which the owners abandoned in time of peace; consequently Jews may make use of it ('Ab. Zarah 53b). Abraham had warned Nimrod of the coming destruction and subjugation to Elam, but Nimrod had ignored him. According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar" (l.c.), he at this time acquired the name "Amraphel" in allusion to the fall of his princes () during the dispersion. The destruction of the tower did not change Nimrod's heart and, at the head of a small army, he set out with the intention of punishing his rebellious general, but the latter routed and subjugated him. Nimrod remained in Shinar where, as a vassal to Cherdorlaomer of Elam, he reestablished part of his kingdom. It was Chedorlaomer, who involved him in the war with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, and with whom he was defeated by Abraham ("Sefer ha-Yashar," l.c.; comp. Gen. xiv. 1-17).
Nimrod was slain by Esau, between whom and himself jealousy existed owing to the fact that they were both hunters (Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxv. 27; "Sefer ha-Yashar," section "Toledot," p. 40b; Pirḳe R. El. l.c.; comp. Gen. R. lxv. 12).W. B. M. Sel.
