Vernon wrote:
>The true nature and extent of the Flood can hardly be downplayed as a
>"non-essential" matter for the Christian because our correct reading of
>earth history rests largely upon this one event - as I'm sure you
>must agree.
We differ actually on what constitutes the essentials of our faith.
We also differ on the extent of the flood. For those of us who have
spent time studying the flood, myself, Paul Seeley, Davis Young,
Robert Best, and others, there is agreement on the time and place and
scope. That should tell you something. We use data and evidence in
the normal way to reach conclusions based upon them.
In his book, "Noah's Ark and the Ziusudra Epic," Robert Best compared
the flood texts from Ziusudra, Atrahasis, the eleventh tablet of
Gilgamesh (written in four languages), Genesis 6-9, Berossus, and a
version from Moses of Khoren.
Best concluded, "Distinctive story elements and phrases that are
common to two or more of these six stories indicate a common origin.
Parallel quotations make it obvious that these six flood stories did
not originate independently:"
If you know anyone who thinks the flood was global, send them this
list. For anyone who thinks the flood occurred somewhere else, send
them this list. For anyone who thinks the flood occurred early in
the dawn of human history, send them this list.
Parallel Quotations
"Side-wall ... pay attention" Ziusudra iv, 155
"Wall, listen to me." Atrahasis III,i,20
"Wall, pay attention" Gilgamesh X1,22
"the decision that mankind is to be destroyed" Ziusudra iv,157-158
"The gods commanded total destruction" Atrahasis Il,viii,34
"The great gods decided to make a flood" Gilgamesh X1,14
"God ... decided to make an end of all flesh" Genesis 6:13
"Destroy your house, spurn property, save life" Atrahasis III,i,22
"Tear down house, abandon property, save life" Gilgamesh
"Enki...over the capitals the storm will sweep" Ziusudra iv, 156
"He [Enki] told him of the coming of the flood" Atrahasis III,i,37
"God said to Noah ...I will bring a flood" Genesis 6:13,17
"Kronos...said ...mankind would be destroyed by a flood" Berossus
"...the huge boat" Ziusudra v,207
"Build a ship" Atrahasis III,i,22
"Build a ship" Gilgamesh X1,24
"Make yourself an ark" Genesis 6:14
"build a boat" Berossus
ìwho protected the seed of mankind" Ziusudra vi,259
"Bring into the ship the seed of all life" Gilgamesh X1,27
ìto keep their seed alive" Genesis 7:3 (KJV)
"Like the apsu you shall roof it" Atrahasis 111j,29
"Like the apsu you shall roof it" Gilgamesh X1,31
ìMake a roof for the arkî Genesis 6:16
ìcoming of the flood on the seventh night" Atrahasis,lll,i,37
"after seven days the waters of the flood came" Genesis 710
"...and addressed the elders" Atrahasis 111,01
"I answer the city people and the elders" Gilgamesh X1,35
"This is what you shall say to them..." Gilgamesh X1,38
"If asked where he was sailing he was to reply..." Berossus
ìI cannot live in (your city)î Atrahasis III,I,47
ìI cannot live in (your city)î Gilgamesh XI, 44
"An abundance of birds, a profusion of fishes" Atrahasis III,i,35
"[an abundance of] birds, [a profusion of] fish" Gilgamesh X1,44
"pitch I poured into the inside" Gilgamesh X1,66
"cover it inside and out with pitch" Genesis 6:14
"some people scrape pitch off the boat" Berossus
"your family, your relatives" Atrahasis DT,42(w),8
"he sent his family on board" Atrahasis III,ii,42
"into the ship all my family and relatives" Gilgamesh X1,84
"Go into the ark, you and all your household" Genesis 7:1
"he sent his wife and children and friends on board" Berossus
"animals which emerge from the earth" Ziusudra vi,253
"all the wild creatures of the steppe" Atrahasis DT,42(w),9
"The cattle of the field, the beast of the plain" Gilgamesh X1,85
"clean animals and of animals that are not clean" Genesis 7:8
ìand put both birds and animals on board" Berossus
"Enter the boat and close the boat's door" Atrahasis DT,42(w),6
"Pitch was brought for him to close his door" Atrahasis III,ii,51
"I entered the boat and closed the door' Gilgamesh X1,93
"And they that entered ... and the Lord shut him in" Genesis 7:16
"Ninurta went forth making the dikes [overflow]" Atrahasis U rev, 14
"Ninurta went forth making the dikes overflow" Gilgamesh X1,102
"One person could [not] see another" Atrahasis III,iii,13
"One person could not see another" Gilgamesh X1,111
"to Puzur-Amurri the boatman" Gilgamesh,Xl,94
"the boatman shared the same honor" Berossus
"the storm had swept ... for seven days and seven nights" Ziusudra
"For seven days and seven nights came the storm" Atrahasis III,iv,24
"Six days and seven nights the wind and storm" Gilgamesh X1,127
"rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights" Genesis 7:12
"consigned the peoples to destruction" Atrahasis III,iii,54
"All mankind was turned to clay" Gilgamesh X1,133
"And all flesh died ... and every man" Genesis 7:21
"Ziusudra made an opening in the large boat" Ziusudra vi,207
"I opened the window" Gilgamesh X1,135
"Noah opened the window of the ark" Genesis 8:6
"he pried open a portion of the boat" Berossus
"On Mount Nisir the boat grounded" Gilgamesh X1,140
"the ark came to rest upon the mountains" Genesis 8:4
"the boat had grounded upon a mountain" Berossus
"After Khsisuthros...landed ...a long mountain" Moses of Khoren
"The dove went out and returned" Gilgamesh X1,147
"sent forth the dove and the dove came back to him" Genesis 8:10
ìlet out the birds and they again returned to the shipî Berossus
"The king slaughtered ... bulls and sheep" Ziusudra vi,211
"He offered [a sacrifice]" Atrahasis III,v,31
"And offered a sacrifice" Gilgamesh X1,155
"offered burnt offerings on the altar" Genesis 8:20
"built an altar and sacrificed to the gods" Berossus
"[The gods smelled] the savor' Atrahasis III,v,34
"The gods smelled the sweet savor" Gilgamesh X1,160
"And the Lord smelled the sweet savor..." Genesis 8:21
"the lapis around my neck" Atrahasis Ill,vi,2
"the lapis lazuli on my neck" Gilgamesh X1,164
"That I may remember it [every] day" Atrahasis III,vi,4
"I shall remember these days and never forget" Gilgamesh X1,165
"I shall remember my covenant ...I may remember' Genesis 9:15-16
"How did man survive the destruction?" Atrahasis III,vi,10
"No man was to survive the destruction" Gilgamesh X1,173
"[on the criminal] impose your penalty" Atrahasis III,vi,25
"On the criminal impose his crimes" Gilgamesh X1,180
"Who sheds the blood of man, by man his blood be shed" Genesis 9:6
"he touched our foreheads to bless us" Gilgamesh X1,192
"And God blessed Noah" Genesis 9:1
"elevated him to eternal life, like a god" Ziusudra vi,257
"they shall be like gods to us" Gilgamesh X1,194
"I lived in the temple of Ea, my lord" Atrahasis RS 22.421,7
"go down to dwell with my lord Ea" Gilgamesh X1,42
"he had gone to dwell with the gods" Berossus
"Noah walked with God." Genesis 6:9c
Dick Fischer - The Origins Solution - www.orislol.com
ìThe Answer we should have known about 150 years agoî
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