M3 Flood Myths: Bible: Noah: Ending the Deluge

            Okay, so we’ve established that the ark is not capable of supporting the entire animal population of the world, nor is it capable of holding all of the necessary food. Likewise, Noah’s family wouldn’t not have been able to feed and remove the waste of that many animals. So where does that leave us?

M3 Flood Myths: Bible: Noah: Which Animals?

The Biblical Flood, like the creation of humanity is represented twice. Specifically, there are two versions of which animals to take. The first, and more commonly reference, is found in 6:19 “And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.” It goes on for birds, animals, creeping things. However, in 7:2 we have something different: “Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate.” Again it goes on to talk about the birds.

M3 Flood Myths: Bible: Noah: Logistics

            So, this is the obvious one. The ark measures 300 cubits by 50 cubits, by 30 cubits (Genesis 6:15). A cubit is not the most precise measurement. Many ancient cultures used them, each with their own version of how long it was. Most used a human measurement, somewhere between the length of the forearm measure from the elbow to the tips of the fingers, or from the elbow to the wrist. The Biblical cubit is generally thought to be roughly 18 inches. The Egyptian cubit is longer, but not by much, and since this is a biblical story, we’ll stick with 18 inches (mostly because it makes the math easier. This puts the ark at around 450 feet by 75 feet, by 45 feet.

M3 Flood Myths: Bible: Noah: Morality

            With the Nephilim out of the way, it’s time to get down to it. The reason behind the flood has been established, that people are wicked and violent (and making Nephilim babies). This clearly indicates that God favors certain behaviors over others.

M3 Flood Myths: Bible: Noah: Nephilim

            Noah is what people would consider the de facto flood myth. It is surprisingly straightforward in many ways, but there are some interesting twists we can examine.

Now, before we got in too deep with the flood, we have to make a note of something else, something that many people skip over because it’s so sparsely detailed. Apparently, humanity is not alone. There are others, the Nephilim. “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown” (Genesis 6:4). Now, the word for Nephilim has also been translated to mean giants in various editions. However, what is remarkable is that this word is so sparsely used in the bible. We have no further explanation about them. Moreover, we have no definite idea on who the sons of god are. Are these the descendants of Adam and Eve? Are they angels? We really don’t know definitively.

M3 Flood Myths: Deucalion

            Deucalion starts out like most of the flood myths, with humanity doing something bad. Wicked, uncivilized behavior is the norm, and so Zeus needs to eliminate them. But while the Incan and Biblical stories show the ones responsible for the flood (the Incan gods and God, respectively) giving warning of the impending flood, that is not the case, here. Prometheus, instead, warns his son Deucalion, directing him to build a chest in which to safeguard himself and his wife Pyrrha from Zeus’s flood.

            For nine days they are in the water in this chest, until they land on a mountain. Some believe it to be Etna, others Parnassus, but the result is largely the same, a sacred mountain to the culture.

M3 Flood Myths: Incan

            Now, this is a short myth, similar to Manu and the Fish, but it has the same kind of importance to it. The gods are out to destroy humanity because they have become barbaric, murderous, and no longer respect the gods. The gods are somewhat miffed at such behavior, so they want to hit the reset button by flooding the world. It’s understandable, and will hardly be the last time this idea comes forth. But the two brothers are examples that there is some good in humanity because they treated the llamas well, so the llamas warn them. The Incan flood is interesting because it is one of the few that doesn’t involve a boat.

M3 Flood Myth: Hindu: Manu and the Fish

            Manu and the Fish is a very short myth about Manu, who finds and takes care of a fish. The fish warns him of some terrible things that the fish will help him avoid in exchange for this treatment. Manu feeds the fish, which grows and grows and grows. Manu has to transfer it to successively larger jars until fully grown and returned to the ocean. When the floods come, the fish pulls Manu to safety in a boat.