According to a quote in this infographic, the Biblical flood that affects Noah shares continuity with the flood myths of other Ancient Near Eastern flood stories, like the Epic of Gilgamesh (where all civilisation is also destroyed), but it also has its own original elements. For example, there were forty days and forty nights of rain (7.17) – which, if memory serves, is the same amount of time that Jesus fasts in the desert while resisting the temptation of Satan.
Why 40 days? This link highlights the various instances of the number 40 in the Bible. It seems to me that during that era, 40 days was considered a significant amount of time to endure a spiritual test. In total, Noah and his family were at sea for 150 days.
I'm going to avoid any discuss of numerology (as it's the reserve of conspiracy theorists and crackpots), but it is noticeable that it should be the 600th year, second month and 17th day of Noah's life that the waters gush from the deep and the heavens open up (7.11); when we get to 8.4, it's also the 17th day (of the 7th month) when the ark finally comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The fact that 17 is the 7th prime number seems more than a coincidence to me.
Anyway. After all that drama, it seems that the Lord has now learned from his mistakes and is pleased to see humanity move on with a clean slate (8.21): "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and 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." In fact, the "bow in the cloud" (9.13), or rainbow, is a sign of God's covenant with humanity that he won't wipe them out again in another flood.
After lots more "begetting" in Book 10 (this time, we also have information about the creation of new nations), we arrive at the first mention of the Tower of Babel (11.4). God's motivation for scattering the people and creating language divisions is not entirely clear from the text of the KJV version of the Bible, but cross-referencing with the NIV version, it seems God's main concern was that man (via single language cooperation) was building a tower too big and proud, so He considered it best to create confusion and division to curtail these hubristic designs.
I remember from reading Herodotus last year, that he mentions a vast tower in his description of Babylon, which resembles the Tower of Babel. It seems the inscription (dating from the 6th century BC) on the Borsippa, or "tongue tower", might have been an inspiration for this passage.
A couple more notes:
9.21 I smiled at the fact that Noah gets drunk and falls asleep naked in his tent. After all that time at sea, he acts like any sailor would.
12.17 Strange story about Abraham and the Egyptians – did the Pharaoh sleep with Abraham's wife Sarah? Is that why he and the Egyptians were punished with the plague?
Why 40 days? This link highlights the various instances of the number 40 in the Bible. It seems to me that during that era, 40 days was considered a significant amount of time to endure a spiritual test. In total, Noah and his family were at sea for 150 days.
I'm going to avoid any discuss of numerology (as it's the reserve of conspiracy theorists and crackpots), but it is noticeable that it should be the 600th year, second month and 17th day of Noah's life that the waters gush from the deep and the heavens open up (7.11); when we get to 8.4, it's also the 17th day (of the 7th month) when the ark finally comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The fact that 17 is the 7th prime number seems more than a coincidence to me.
Anyway. After all that drama, it seems that the Lord has now learned from his mistakes and is pleased to see humanity move on with a clean slate (8.21): "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and 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." In fact, the "bow in the cloud" (9.13), or rainbow, is a sign of God's covenant with humanity that he won't wipe them out again in another flood.
After lots more "begetting" in Book 10 (this time, we also have information about the creation of new nations), we arrive at the first mention of the Tower of Babel (11.4). God's motivation for scattering the people and creating language divisions is not entirely clear from the text of the KJV version of the Bible, but cross-referencing with the NIV version, it seems God's main concern was that man (via single language cooperation) was building a tower too big and proud, so He considered it best to create confusion and division to curtail these hubristic designs.
I remember from reading Herodotus last year, that he mentions a vast tower in his description of Babylon, which resembles the Tower of Babel. It seems the inscription (dating from the 6th century BC) on the Borsippa, or "tongue tower", might have been an inspiration for this passage.
A couple more notes:
9.21 I smiled at the fact that Noah gets drunk and falls asleep naked in his tent. After all that time at sea, he acts like any sailor would.
12.17 Strange story about Abraham and the Egyptians – did the Pharaoh sleep with Abraham's wife Sarah? Is that why he and the Egyptians were punished with the plague?
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