Noah (biblical figure)
Noah is a prominent figure in the biblical tradition, most notably known for his role in the flood narrative found in the book of Genesis. According to the Bible, he is depicted as a righteous man who was chosen by God to survive an impending flood meant to cleanse the world of human corruption. At the age of five hundred, Noah received divine instructions to build a large ark to save his family and pairs of every animal species from the floodwaters. The ark, measuring approximately 450 feet long, was constructed over a span of more than one hundred years. After the flood, which lasted for forty days and nights, Noah's family emerged from the ark to repopulate the earth, and God promised never to destroy humanity with a flood again.
The narrative also touches on Noah's later life, including his introduction of winemaking, which leads to a controversial incident involving his son Ham. The story of Noah and the flood is not unique to the Bible; variations exist in other cultural myths, suggesting a shared human experience of catastrophic flooding. This has prompted discussions about the historical basis of such events, with some theories proposing that they may reflect localized disasters in ancient regions like Mesopotamia. Noah's legacy is significant, as he is often viewed as a foundational figure in the genealogies leading to later biblical characters.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Noah (biblical figure)
Noah is the main character in the biblical flood story. He is said to be responsible for constructing a great ark to survive a worldwide flood sent by God to destroy humanity. The Bible portrays Noah as a good man who remains loyal to God even as the world around him falls into corruption. Because of his faith, Noah is warned of the impending flood and instructed to build a vessel to save his family and the creatures of the world from God's wrath. After the flood, Noah becomes the second figurative father of the human race and introduces wine making to the world.
The account of Noah and the flood is detailed in the book of Genesis and is one of the most well-known stories of the Bible. It is one of several flood stories found in religious texts and myths from across the world, suggesting the possibility of a real catastrophic deluge sometime in humanity's ancient past.
Background
Accounts of a great flood destroying the world are common in many of the world's cultures. In ancient Mesopotamia—a region that corresponds to modern-day Iraq—a Sumerian myth tells of the gods becoming angry with the people of the world and deciding to send a flood to destroy humanity. A good king named Ziusdra is forewarned of the upcoming catastrophe and builds a giant boat to survive the flood. In the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, the title character travels the world seeking the gift of immortality. He meets Utnapishtim, who along with his wife, were the only people to have been granted immortality by the gods. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that he was the survivor of a devastating flood, having been ordered by one of the gods to construct a large, circular vessel to carry him, his family, animals, and the world's precious metals to safety. Other flood stories are found in the myths of ancient Rome and Greece, the legends of Ireland, and the lore of India.
Some religious leaders who adhere to a literal interpretation of the Bible see the proliferation of flood stories as proof of a worldwide flood. Scientists, however, say that while the tales may have originated from a real event, the historical flood was a localized, if devastating, experience. Some theories hold that a disastrous flood struck the region around the Tigris and Euphrates—the rivers that flowed through the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Another idea suggests that the flood story originated in the area of the Black Sea, north of modern-day Turkey. At one time the sea was a freshwater lake with humans settled on its shores. For thousands of years, melting ice from the last ice age had been causing sea levels to rise. Sometime about seven thousand years ago, sea water may have broken through a narrow opening from the Mediterranean and quickly flooded the region around the lake. Over the course of many generations, the flood story would have been retold until it became legend and spread among the different cultures of the world.
Overview
Noah is first mentioned in the Bible in the fifth chapter of Genesis when he is listed as part of a genealogy of the linage of Adam, the first man. He is the son of Lamech and was named from the Hebrew word noach, meaning "rest" or "comfort." The Bible makes no mention of Noah's early life, simply stating he was five hundred years old when he became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
According to the Bible, the world in Noah's time was full of corruption and violence. God was so displeased with the wicked nature of humanity that he resolved to send a flood to wipe the people from the face of the earth. Because Noah and his family were the only people who remained righteous and faithful to God, he decided to spare them. God appeared to Noah and told him of his plans to destroy humanity. He commanded Noah to build a large vessel from cypress wood and gave him specific dimensions for the project. The ark was to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. A cubit was an ancient measure that corresponded to about eighteen inches. If the ark were a real ship, the Bible's measurements would have made it about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
Noah did as God commanded without complaint. He was said to have taken more than one hundred years to build the ark. When he was finished, he loaded it with provisions and collected a male and female of each bird and animal species on earth and led them onto the ark. God then brought down rain upon the earth for forty day and forty nights. The waters began to rise and the flood became so great that it covered the highest mountains, killing all life on earth. After 150 days, the floodwaters began to recede, so Noah sent out birds to search for a place to land. After a number of attempts, a dove finally flew back to the ark with an olive branch in its beak, signifying that land had been found.
The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, a location corresponding to a range of mountains in modern-day Turkey. Noah released the animals and then left the ark with his family, building an altar to make a sacrifice to God. Noah and his family received God's blessing and were told to spread out and repopulate the earth. God also made a promise to Noah that he would never again send a flood to destroy humanity.
In the time after the ark landed, Noah was said to have planted the first vineyard and created wine. After drinking what he had made, a drunken Noah passed out naked inside his tent. His youngest son, Ham, saw his father lying naked and did not cover him. Instead he told his brothers who covered their father with a garment. When Noah awoke, he was angry at Ham and cursed him and his descendants. He also praised Shem and Japheth, giving their descendants authority over the sons of Ham. Noah's outburst at Ham is the only time in the Bible he is recorded as speaking. Noah was said to have lived for 350 years after the flood, dying at the age of 950.
Bibliography
"Ballard & the Black Sea." National Geographic, 1999, www.nationalgeographic.com/blacksea/ax/frame.html. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.
Cohn, Norman. Noah's Flood: The Genesis Story in Western Thought. Yale UP, 1999.
Collins, Lorence G. "Yes, Noah's Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth." National Center for Science Education, 2009, ncse.com/library-resource/yes-noahs-flood-may-have-happened-not-over-whole-earth. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.
Finkel, Irving. The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood. Hodder & Stoughton, 2014.
"Genesis 5:32-10:1." Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+5:32-10:1. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.
Gnuse, Robert. "Noah and His Sons." Misunderstood Stories: Theological Commentary on Genesis 1-11. Cascade Books, 2014, pp. 225-239.
Kuruvilla, Carol. "Bob Ballard, Explorer Who Found the Titanic, Now Says He May Have Found Evidence of Noah's Flood." New York Daily News, 14 Dec. 2012, www.nydailynews.com/news/world/explorer-bob-ballard-finds-proof-ancient-flood-article-1.1220407. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.
Tharoor, Ishaan. "Before Noah: Myths of the Flood Are Far Older than the Bible." Time, 1 April 2014, time.com/44631/noah-christians-flood-aronofsky/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.