by Isaac Asimov
17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; 230 and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
230. Again the J-document mentions the forty-day period. This time it is not merely to say that it will rain for forty days, but that the duration of the Flood (presumably the total duration) was forty days.
18 And the waters prevailed and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.231
231. This verse is essentially a repetition of the preceding one, but now it is the P-document that is being quoted, and there is no mention of the forty days.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.232
232. Assuming that the Flood was, in actual fact, confined to the Tigris-Euphrates valley, it is not surprising that “all the high hills” were covered. The valley is flat, and elevations are not great. In a bad flood or tsunami or both, everything in the region would indeed be covered.
To the stricken survivors, it would certainly seem that all elevations “that were under the whole heaven” were covered. But then the Sumerians of 2800 B.C. could scarcely have had much more than a very local idea of the extent of the world.
If one were to accept the verse literally and assume that the Flood covered the entire world as we know it today (as, in fact, most Biblical readers did assume, and probably still do assume today), then we would have to imagine that the sea level rose five and a half miles in order to cover even the Himalayas. The amount of water required to raise the sea level by that amount is over three and a half times the total quantity of water on Earth.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail: and the mountains were covered.233
233. Fifteen cubits is about twenty-two feet, and this is laughably insufficient to cover the mountains. or even low hills, if we accept the implication of the verse as given in the King James Version: that the water was twenty-two feet deep and that this was sufficient to cover the mountains.
A more correct interpretation, perhaps, given in the Revised Standard Version, reads, “the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.”
In other words, the total depth of the water was twenty-two feet higher than Mt. Everest’s 29,028 feet, so that the sea level at the height of the Flood was 29,050 feet (5.5 miles) above the present sea level.
From the scientific standpoint, this is clearly impossible, since there is not enough water on Earth to accomplish the task; what is more, there is no sign of such a universal deluge in the third millennium B.C. Egyptian history, for instance, carries right through the entire third millennium B.C. without any sign of a break or any mention of a flood.
On the other hand, if we consider the flatness of the Tigris-Euphrates valley, and consider the Flood to have been a local phenomenon of the region, we might well imagine twenty-two feet to be a sober estimate of the depth to which the elevations of the region were covered.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land 234 died.
234. The implication is that sea life was not disturbed.
It is a horrible death by drowning that is thus unemotionally dismissed in the Bible. One can imagine drenched people trying to find high ground, trying to keep their heads above water. We can imagine animals fleeing uselessly. Whatever their sins, a more merciful deity, one might imagine, would have simply swept them painlessly out of existence with a word, and begun over again.
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.235
235. In three successive verses, it is stated that every living thing on the dry land died. This needless repetition arises from the fact that verse 21 is the J-document saying so, while verses 22 and 23 are the P-document saying so, and the Biblical editors decided that both statements must be included.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.236
236. The J-document has the rains lasting for forty days and forty nights, but the P-document has the waters “prevailing” for 150 days. In order to avoid any contradiction, some commentators assume that it rained for forty days, bringing the flood to its crest, and that the crest was maintained, without additional rain, for 150 additional days (or perhaps for a total of 150 days, counting the forty days of rain).
It makes more sense to suppose that the two documents tell stories that differ from each other in various ways.
Chapter 8
1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, 237 and the waters assuaged.
237. This wind is presumably the breath or “Spirit of God,” which in Genesis 1:2 began the task of creating Order out of Chaos. Now that Chaos has in part returned, the Spirit must refurbish Order.
2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, 238 and the rain from heaven was restrained; 239
238. This, following the previous two verses, all of which is from the P-document, makes it clear that the rain had continued for 150 days, according to the P-document, and that Order had been flowing back to Chaos for that period-until the Spirit of God intervened.
239. Stating that “the rain from heaven was restrained” repeats that “the windows of heaven were stopped.” The repetition arises from the apparent fact that the earlier phrase is part of the P-document and the later part of the J-document. It is only in the P-document that mention is made of the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven, implying a return to Chaos and a reversal of the deeds of Genesis 1. In the J-document, only rain is mentioned.
3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: 240 and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.241
240. This first part of the verse is from the J-document and presumably describes the waters draining away after the rain of forty days and forty nights.
241. This second part of the verse is from the P-document, and it states that the waters began to drain away after 150 days, mentioning the time specifically.
4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, 242 upon the mountains of Ararat.243
242. The rains started on the seventeenth day of the second month, so that exactly five lunar months had passed at the time the “ark rested.” That is just about 147.5 days-roughly, 150 days.
243. At the time the Flood reached its crest, then, by the reckoning of the P-document, the ark was in Ararat. This is a mountainous kingdom where the Tigris and Euphrates both have their sources in what is now eastern Turkey. It flourished in Assyrian times, and its name was Urartu—of which Ararat is clearly a version.
The tradition that the ark came to rest among the mountain ranges of Urartu is rather a point in favor of the tsunami theory of the Flood. Ordinary river flooding would sweep floating objects downstream—southeastward into the Persian Gulf. A huge tsunami would sweep it upstream—northwestward toward Urartu.
Despite the fact that a land is named, and a mountain range, there is a general feeling that Ararat is the name of a definite mountain peak. Indeed, the name was eventually applied to one. Mount Ararat is found on modern maps in the easternmost region of Turkey, about seventy miles northeast of Lake Van. Its highest peak is 16,783 feet (3.2 miles) above sea level.
There are fanciful tales now and then of mysterious wooden objects located on its upper slopes, but none of these tales will withstand serious scrutiny.
5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first
day of the month, 244 were the tops of the mountains seen.245
244. This would be 218 days after the beginning of the Flood and sixty-eight days after the waters began to recede.
245. In the preceding verse, it is stated that the “ark rested … upon the mountains of Ararat.” If this is taken to mean that the ark came to rest on a mountain peak, why would this verse say that it took sixty-eight days of recession before the mountain peaks were visible above the water?
It might be better to suppose that the ark floated to Urartu and then floated no more, but came to rest there, and when the mountain peaks were exposed, it reached land on one of them.
6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: 246
246. This makes it seem as though Noah waited for forty days after the mountain peaks appeared above the waters. However, we are back in the J-document now, and in that version of the story, it would appear that there was a rain of forty days and nights, followed by a reasonably rapid recession of waters. In this version of the story, apparently, Noah begins to investigate the situation at the instant the rains ceased.
7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth lo and fro, 247 until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
247. In this portion of the J-document Flood-story, there is a similarity to the Sumerian Flood-story. Ut-Napishtim sends out three birds—a dove, a raven, and a swallow-to act as reconnaissance. Noah’s raven, as described in this verse, seems to serve no purpose.
8. Also he sent forth a dove from him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.
9. But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: 248 then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
248. The dove, which Noah sends out as a second bird, does perform an effective reconnaissance function. The only reason for mentioning the raven at all would be to tie in with the Sumerian Flood-story, one might think.
If the dove could find no resting place because the waters were on the face of the whole earth, she must indeed have reconnoitered far and wide. Here again is an indication that the Flood was a local phenomenon and that the Sumerian knowledge of the world at the time of the Flood was restricted indeed.
10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf 249 pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.250
249. The olive is an old symbol of peace. Olive trees require careful cultivation for years before they begin to bear their much desired fruit, so that a flourishing olive grove is an indication that the region has known peace. Had there been an invading army, it would have been sure to hack down the olive trees in order to impoverish and weaken the enemy for a number of years.
Similarly, the dove is a symbol of peace because it is a gentle bird that makes soft, cooing noises.
Primarily because of this particular verse in the Bible, the double symbol—a dove carrying an olive branch (though the Bible says merely “leaf”)—is the accepted symbol for peace among us.
250. The land has been under water forty-seven days, according to the J-document; at least three hundred days, according to the P-document; but an olive tree is still alive.
Actually, land plants covered by a deep layer of ocean water for an extended period will die just as surely as land animals will. The Biblical writers, however, did not view plants as living things, but merely as an outgrowth of the Earth. It would seem natural to them that once the dry land was exposed again, its outgrowth would form at once—or perhaps had never disappeared.
12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.251
251. We might be concerned that the dove’s mate might not find him (or her, for the Bible does not specify the sex of this dove) and that the survival of the dove was placed in jeopardy.
The tale of the raven and the dove is part of the J-document Flood-story, however, and in the J-document, there were seven pairs of the clean animals taken. Since the dove is a clean animal, there were some to spare for survival.
13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, 252 in the first month, the first day of the month, 253 the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
252. We are back in the P-document, with its concern for time. The 601st year refers to Noah’s age.
253. This is 337 days after the start of the Flood, by the chronology of the P-document.
14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.254
254. In two successive verses, the earth is declared as dry: first at the beginning of the year, then nearly three months later. Both statements are in the P-document.
The usual explanation is that at the beginning of the year, the ground was totally exposed but still marshy and muddy. It was not till nearly three months later that the earth was completely dry, as it had been before the Flood.
If this interpretation is accepted, then the total duration of the Flood from the seventeenth day of the second month of the 600th year to the twenty-seventh day of the second month of the 601st year is twelve lunar months and eleven days, or 365 days. This is exactly one solar year.
15 And God spake unto Noah, saying,
16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.255
255. This verse switches to the J-document, and it is because of this sacrifice that the J-document describes seven pairs of each clean animal as having been in the ark. The P-document, without the sacrifice, needs only one pair of each animal, clean or unclean.
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; 256and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
256. In the Sumerian Flood-story, Ut-Napishtim also sacrifices to the gods, who flock gratefully about the smoke, gathering “like flies.” The impression one gets is that the gods have been starved for the smell of the sacrifices, which is their food, and they are grateful for the renewal. Enlil, the Sumerian god of the earth who, out of enmity for humanity, sent the Flood, is enraged that any life escaped. The other gods, however, led by Ea (god of fresh water, who, as a friend of human beings, warned Ut-Napishtim of the coming of the Flood), managed to assuage Enlil’s anger and appease him. They labored to do so, presumably, because they dreaded starvation, and even Enlil decided he would rather let human beings live than do without the smell of sacrifices.
The Bible tones this down a good deal, but the Lord “smelled a sweet savour” and at once decided to lift the curse on the ground, placed in Adam’s day, and to devastate Earth no more.
22 While the earth remaineth, 257 seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.258
257. The phrase “while the earth remaineth” might be taken to imply that the earth is not necessarily eternal. If it were, it would have been sufficient for the verse to
read, “Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
The Biblical view (taking the Bible as a whole) is that the Earth—in its present form, at least—will someday end. The Book of Revelation described the process in graphic detail.
From the scientific point of view, too, Earth is not necessarily eternal. There are a variety of catastrophes that could conceivably damage it badly enough to make human life upon it impossible, though most of these are very low-probability events. Even if Earth escapes such catastrophes, however, then by some seven billion years hence the sun will have consumed enough of its hydrogen fuel to enter the next stage of its evolution.
It will be expanding, little by little, into a red giant. Its surface will then be considerably cooler than it is now, but the amount of surface will increase so enormously that it will deliver much more heat in total. Besides, as the sun expands, that surface will come nearer to Earth and may even engulf it.
It is quite certain that as the sun expands, life on Earth will become impossible, and at the height of the expansion, the solid body of our planet may even vaporize.
258. Even though Earth continues to exist, it may well be that the orderly cycle of nature could be interrupted despite this promise that Earth’s rotation about its axis (day and night) and its revolution about the sun (seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter) shall continue uninterrupted and unmodified.
In the scientific description of Earth’s past, it turns out that the planet has gone through drastic ice ages. In those periods, huge ice sheets weighed down the more polar reaches of the continents; the sea level dropped three hundred feet because much water was tied up as ice on land; the weather pattern of the planet changed tremendously.
Past ice ages have not seriously interfered with life on Earth because both the coming and going of the ice has been very slow. Besides, new land exposed at the rim of the continents through the lowering of the sea level made up for the land buried under the ice. Finally, sea life was untouched by the ice age; if anything, it was helped since the slightly lower average temperature of the ocean allowed more oxygen to be dissolved in it.
