I had thought about this when I read Gen 11:2 "As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there"

I asked myself "east" from where? The answer, as has been stated above, is "east from Eden". Eden is where God's Presence was. The way back to Eden was now protected by Cherubim:

Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

We now have a metaphor for east: to go east is to move away from God, to go away from His presence. To move from the east to the west to to come back to His Presence.

Note that the Tabernacle and Temple are ALWAYS set up that way: To approach God is by going from east to west. It is in this direction by entering the Tabernacle that one meets the Alter of Sacrifice first for forgiveness, and then the basin of water for cleansing. When the Priests entered the Tent of meeting (the Holy Place) where the lamp, table of Shewbread, and alter of incense were - it was always from east to west.

Psa 103:12 says "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."

When Jesus came to be our sacrifice at Calvary on the Triumphal entry, He came from the east to the west.

I encourage all the readers to look up more references and ask the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Word, for His illumination. May we all be on our journey from the east back to His Holy Presence and the Tree of Life.

**To move from the east to the west to to come back to His Presence**.

Note that the Tabernacle and Temple are ALWAYS set up that way:  To approach God is by going from east to west.  It is in this direction by entering the Tabernacle that one meets the Alter of Sacrifice first for forgiveness, and then the basin of water for cleansing.
When the Priests entered the Tent of meeting (the Holy Place) where the lamp, table of Shewbread, and alter of incense were - it was always from east to west.

Psa 103:12  says "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."

When Jesus came to be our sacrifice at Calvary on the Triumphal entry, He came from the east to the west.

I encourage all the readers to look up more references and ask the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Word, for His illumination.
May we all be on our journey from the east back to His Holy Presence and the Tree of Life.