The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 3 Mythic theme 2 Hebrew story of the flood

Hebrew story of the flood

Noah‘s Ark (1846), a painting by the American folk painter Edward Hicks.

In the story of the Flood that follows there are evident borrowings from the Mesopotamian stories of a flood sent by the gods to destroy mankind, but in the biblical account it is emphasized that man’s extreme wickedness is the cause and that Noah is saved along with his family by God’s deliberate choice because he is a righteous man. (In the flood story in the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic, by contrast, there is no apparent moral reason why the gods resolved to destroy mankind, and the only reason why the hero of the Flood and his kin are saved is that he is favoured by one of the gods, who tricks the others, including the chief god.) After the Flood, God blesses Noah and bestows on man the earth and the things on it for sustenance and makes a covenant with Noah and all creatures that he will never again unleash a world-destroying flood. The permanent order of the world is assured, and God’s blessing and covenant make their first explicit appearance in the Bible.

This detail from a 16th century Mogul miniature gives a Moslem interpretation of Noah and the Flood. Notice how the cat calmly sits aloof from the rest of the passengers on the ark and seems unconcerned about the activity around her. century, Noah and the Flood (detail), Mogul, miniature http://www.­netserves.com/­gallery/catsart2.htm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Setting of the ark

Little Ararat (left) and Greater Ararat (right); View from Yerevan, Armenia

Eastern Anatolia is composed of lofty ranges and recent volcanic cones, such as Agri Dagi (Mt. Ararat, the highest peak in Turkey with an altitude of 16,945 feet [5,165 metres]—the legendary site where Noah’s ark came to rest) and Süphan Dagi (14,547 feet [4,434 metres]) These rise above high plateaus often covered by extensive lava flows. The plateaus are interrupted by basins, one, which is occupied by Lake Van, a salt lake formed by action of the now-extinct volcano of Nemrut Dai, which last erupted in 1441.

Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) is the highest peak in Turkey at 5,165 m (16,946 ft.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Preceding

The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 1 Flooding and Water-waves

The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 2 Mythic theme 1 God or gods warning

Continued with: The flood, floods and mythic flood stories 4 Mythic theme 3 Chinese mythology

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Additional reading

1. Disobedient man and God’s promises
2. Noahs Ark
3. Ignorance of Today’s Youth (and Adults)
4. For fun: the greatest financier in the Bible
5. Oscar Weekend 2014
6. De Falende mens #1 Voor en na zondvloed
7. De nacht is ver gevorderd 5 Studie 2 Schrik of troost 1 Dagen van Noach
8. De Wederkomst en de eindtijd #6 De Dagen van Noach en Lot

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