The Mantle of Shinar and the Four Bans Achan Coveted

"A goodly mantle of Shinar" (Joshua 7:21) means a Babylonian purple robe. Rav said: a fine woolen cloak. Samuel said: a felted garment of Tzerifa. And what is Babylon doing here? Rather, any king or ruler who held no dominion over the Land of Israel was reckoned as nothing; and the king of Babylon kept his vice-regent seated in Jericho, and this one would send the other dates and the other would send this one gifts. It is written, "And he laid his hand upon his hand the second time," and "it came to pass as he drew back his hand," and "the one whose hand was" the second — how many "hands" are written here? Rabbi Yudan says: four, corresponding to the four bans that he [Achan, or his lineage] was destined to stretch out his hand against — the ban of Amalek, the ban of Sihon and Og, the ban of Jericho, and the ban of the Canaanites. Rabbi Huna said: corresponding to the four things he was destined to take from the devoted spoil, as it is said, "and I saw among the spoil" and so forth (Joshua 7:21). "A mantle of Shinar" — Shinar is Babylon, which is shaken out [meno'eret, a wordplay on "Shinar"] of the commandments: without heave-offering, without tithes, without the Sabbatical year. Shinar, whose officers die in convulsion. Shinar, whose officers die young [ne'arim]. Shinar, whose children peer into Torah while they are still young. Babylon — Rabbi Yochanan said: it is blended [belulah, a play on "Babel"] in Scripture, blended in Mishnah, blended in Talmud.