Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D
Noah and the Ark is one of the
most popular myths in the ancient Western world. The story of the Flood is told in the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of
Genesis (ch 6-9), but it is based on a
variety of similar stories found in the greater Ancient Near East (ANE). We now
have a Sumerian, two Akkadian, a Hittite, and even a Hurrian version of this
fascinating story.
The basic outline of the
legend is this: at the beginning of time, God told Noah about the upcoming destruction
of the world. Noah then built an ark and brought in his immediate family, a
number of animals and food. They survived the devastating flood. The ark landed
on a mountain, and God made a covenant with Noah, promising not to destroy the
universe in the future.
Even though some people take
this story literally, I believe this is not history but a myth. The miraculous
aspect of the episode, including the placing of all the animals in one boat,
and the destruction of all humanity except for one couple strain the credulity of any critical mind. Furthermore,
there are some differences between the biblical version and the myths found in
other cultures of the ANE. Here are some:
1.
In the Bible, only
one god decrees the Flood. In the others, we have a multiplicity of gods.
2.
In the Bible, the flood
comes because of the depravity of the human race. In the others, it is not so
clear. In the Atrahasis Epic, which is one of the two Akkadian texts, the
rationale is that people are so noisy that the god Enlil cannot sleep!!
3.
In the Bible, Noah
is chosen because he is deemed righteous. In the others, the hero’s character
is irrelevant.
4.
In the Bible, Noah
brings into the ark his immediate family. In the others, the hero brings in
even different kinds of crafts people.
5.
In the Bible, the ark
has three stories and numerous cells. In
the others, the ark is divided into six decks.
Obviously, there was a
wide-range belief circulating in the entire region of the ANE that in ancient
times there was a devastating flood that
caused great damage.
Is there a message
attached to the myth? It is not clear. The Rabbis, however, have many
suggestions. According to one of the commentators, Noah should be praised for
taking care of everyone in the ark. He did not sleep day or night “occupied as
he was with feeding the creatures that
were with him” ( The Book of Legends, p. 28). I would broaden the message, and
based on the biblical claim that in Noah’s days, “the earth was filled with
lawlessness” (hamas in Hebrew), I would say that the editors of the Bible wanted
to stress the need to avoid corruption in society and instead to pursue righteousness
and wholeness in life.
SONSINO’S BLOG,
rsonsino.blogpost.com
