The Mesopotamian Flood!

Hi Glenn, you wrote:
 
>>I would believe Dick were it not for the lack of evidence for his
thesis (which is as lacking as is the evidence for the YEC global flood)
and the laws of physics which show that 8 people don't have the energy
output to move an ark upstream.<<
 
I have been reading Stephen Langdon's material he published for the
University of Pennsylvania Museum. They led a joint expedition to
excavate Nippur along with a French team. Sumerologists all agree the
flood stories that come from this region are interrelated, and that the
Hebrew version incorporated in Genesis is simply an adaptation from the
earlier accounts written in Accadian and Sumerian. I think it is beyond
question that the stories are related. (I've included some of the
commonalities in case any have forgotten) The commonalities are far too
abundant to be mere coincidence. That's my conclusion, anybody else can
conclude differently. I believe along with the Sumerologists who
translated all that stuff that all the stories are connected. Probably
they point to one common event - a flood.
 
Our hang up is simply that we being Christians believe that the flood
story in Genesis is factually true in every detail. This means that the
other Mesopotamian accounts would be true when they agree with Genesis
and are untrue wherever this is a difference. I'm not saying that's
wrong. I'm just saying that is the burden we place upon ourselves and
the Genesis text. One of the Sumerian versions puts our hero in Dilmun
after the flood. Zimmern connects Bahrain, an island in the Persian
Gulf, with Dilmun.
 
If the biblical account said the boat landed at Dilmun we'd have no
problem, right? The Koran lists Jubel Judi, and Mount Baris is
mentioned in one of the Mesopotamian epics, and the Bible says mountains
(hills) of Ararat which corresponds roughly to Armenia. So the low
lying hills going east from the Tigris River toward the Zagros Mountains
roughly fits the Genesis account. Or maybe the boat docked at Dilmun
where Noah took on fresh water and provisions, and then sailed up the
Tigris to find some nice hill country where he could grow grapes.
 
I'm comfortable knowing there was a flood and that it can be
corroborated. Whether a "perfect" version was handed down through the
line of Semites and recorded in Genesis is really up to the believer.
 
Selected Commonalities
 
"The great gods decided to make a flood" - Gilgamesh XI,14
"God ... decided to make an end of all flesh" - Genesis 6:13

"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

"who protected the seed of mankind" - Ziusudra vi,259
"to keep their seed alive" - Genesis 7:3

"Ten dozen cubits the height of each of her walls" - Gilgamesh XI
"... three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits" - Genesis
6:15

"Like the apsu you shall roof it" - Atrahasis 111j,29
"Like the apsu you shall roof it" - Gilgamesh XI,31
"Make a roof for the ark" - Genesis 6:16
 
"pitch I poured into the inside" - Gilgamesh XI,66
"cover it inside and out with pitch" - Genesis 6:14

"coming of the flood on the seventh night" - Atrahasis,lll,i,37
"For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain ." - Genesis 7:4

"animals which emerge from the earth" - Ziusudra vi,253
"clean animals and of animals that are not clean" - Genesis 7:8

"Enter the boat and close the boat's door" - Atrahasis DT,42(w),6
"I entered the boat and closed the door' - Gilgamesh XI,93
"And they that entered ... and the Lord shut him in" - Genesis 7:16
 
"the storm had swept ... for seven days and seven nights" - Ziusudra
"For seven days and seven nights came the storm" - Atrahasis III,iv,24
"after seven days the waters of the flood came" - Genesis 7:10

"Below the fountain of the deep was stopped" - Atrahasis
"The fountains also of the deep . were stopped" - Genesis 8:2

"I opened the window" - Gilgamesh XI,135
"Noah opened the window of the ark" - Genesis 8:6

"The dove went out and returned" - Gilgamesh XI,147
"sent forth the dove and the dove came back to him" - Genesis 8:10

"Then I sent forth and set free a raven" - Gilgamesh XI
"And he sent forth a raven" - Genesis 8:7

"He offered [a sacrifice]" - Atrahasis III,v,31
"And offered a sacrifice" - Gilgamesh XI,155
"offered burnt offerings on the altar" - Genesis 8:20

"The gods smelled the savor' - Atrahasis III,v,34
"The gods smelled the sweet savor" - Gilgamesh XI,160
"And the Lord smelled the sweet savor..." - Genesis 8:21

"That I may remember it [every] day" - Atrahasis III,vi,4
"I shall remember these days and never forget" - Gilgamesh XI,165
"I shall remember my covenant ...I may remember" - Genesis 9:15-16

"he touched our foreheads to bless us" - Gilgamesh XI,192
"And God blessed Noah" - Genesis 9:1
 
Dick Fischer
Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org> www.genesisproclaimed.org

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Received on Sun Jun 4 14:14:31 2006