Ancient Flood Stories and The Tower of Babel

Genesis 6:9-11:32

By Irv Jacobs, MD

Irv Jacobs

LA JOLLA, California — This parasha is about Noah, the flood, and its sequelae; a listing of the generations after Noah; and an interlude about the Tower of Babel.

I have chosen three passages for comparison, via the internet, with writings by ancient Israel’s neighbors.

I. Genesis 6:13-8:20 “…God said to Noah…’I have decided to put an end to all flesh…earth is filled with lawlessness…Make…an ark…I am about to bring the Flood…enter…with your sons…wives…all flesh…birds…cattle… creeping things…and…waters of the flood…swelled on the earth…one hundred and fifty days…(and finally) earth was dry…Then Noah…offered burnt offerings…”

There are over 500 collected non-Biblical flood stories from around the globe. The most famous is contained within the epic legend of Gilgamesh. He may have actually been a historical person, a wise Sumerian king on an adventure to win fame. He encountered Utnapishtim, the actual flood figure, who survived in a vessel, a Great Deluge that destroyed mankind. Gilgamesh learned the details from Utnapishtim.

There are numerous elements in the ‘righteous’ Utnapishtim’s  story which parallel those of Noah in the Bible. His flood also was global, sent by gods because of man’s sins. His orders came via a dream in which he was ordered to build a boat to contain his family plus a few others, and all species of animals. The ark came to rest atop a mountain. The hero ultimately released three birds to test the ground for dryness. Then Ushnaputim offered a sacrifice after which he was blessed by the gods.

Because of all these similar details, scholars believe that both stories emerged from a common source. As background, in the Middle East flooding of the Tigris-Euphrates Valleys was a common event. [1]

Here is a sampling of the world’s other flood stories:

(a) The Aztecs learned that Titlacauan warned Nota and his wife Nena of a coming flood. They hollowed out a cypress tree, Titlacauan sealed them inside, warning them to eat only one ear of maize each. The earth was flooded, but people weren’t killed. After the flood, Nota and Nena disobeyed and ate fish, and thus were turned into dogs by Titlacauan. After this, the world started over, with a hearty fish population and a couple of dogs.

(b) Zeus, the king of Greek gods, was displeased with humans over the Aegean region. He told Deucalion, to construct an ark for himself and his cousin-wife. After nine days of flooding, the world was destroyed and the ark rested atop Mt. Parnassus. The survivors offered a sacrifice to Zeus who advised how to repopulate the earth. Zeus: “Throw stones over your shoulders.” Those from Deucalion became men, those from his wife became women.

c) The Hindu tale is more unique. Manu, the first man, was visited by a great fish, who told him that the world would be destroyed by a great flood. Manu built a boat and tied it to the horn of the great fish, which guided him through the floods, to the top of a mountain. When the floodwaters receded, Manu gave a sacrifice and poured butter and sour milk into the sea. A year later, a woman rose from the water and announced herself ‘the daughter of Manu.’ Thus Manu and his daughter repopulated the earth.

(d) Throughout history, flooding in China has been a major problem. Its notable story: One day a farmer managed to capture and imprison a thunder god. The farmer went into town, but warned his children to stay away from the caged deity. However, the children released the god. In gratitude, the god warned them of a great flood. He provided them with a large gourd. When the rains came, the brother and sister entered the gourd, and became the only survivors of the flood. Via incest, they repopulated the earth. [2]

In general, it can be said that the Hebrew God is more ethical and holy, and Genesis’s view of humanity is higher. In contrast, pagan gods are petty, conniving, and capricious. Also, in Gilgamesh the gods are actually frightened by their own flood. To quote the story: ‘The gods were frightened by the Flood…cowering like dogs…like a woman in childbirth…’ [3]

II.  Genesis 9:11 “(God): “I will maintain My covenant…never again…shall all flesh be cut off by…flood to destroy the earth.”

Did pagan gods promise no subsequent floods? Google, scanning 4,970,000 results, found no such promise.

III.  Genesis  11:3-9 “They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks…let us build…a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves…the Lord scattered them…over the face of the whole earth…it was called Babel…”

Were there pagan writings about an equivalent to the Tower of Babel? Google, in a report scanning 2,110,000 results, found no such writing.

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NOTES

[1] The Flood of Noah and the Flood of Gilgamesh, Acts & Facts 26 (3), Frank Lorey, M.A., March 01, 1997

[2] More About We Believe In Dinosaurs, Lenlee Keep, Faith, February 14, 2020

[3] https://focusmagazine.org/different-accounts-of-the-flood-and-the-theology-behind-them.php

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Irv Jacobs is a retired medical doctor who delights in Torah analysis.  He often delivers a drosh at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, and at his chavurah.