Tag: Noah
-
The Birth of Moses (ii)
Following on from the previous post, let’s say some more about the legend of the birth of Moses. It’s worth noting that there is a Hebrew word תֵּבָה (tevah) which appears in only two places in the Hebrew Bible. It means a box, or a chest. It’s used, firstly, of Noah’s Ark in the Genesis…
-
The Bible and Babylonian Myth (ii)
My previous post showed how the Hebrew Bible writers made use of the Babylonian myth ‘Enuma Elish’ in finalising their own great national epic, and how the conflict between the god Marduk and the goddess Tiamat, hinted at in Genesis 1:2, finds clear parallels in the books of the Psalms and Job. In the Babylonian…
-
Noah and Biblical Abuse – Slavery
The Bible pictured above, displayed at the ‘Museum of the Bible’ in Washington D.C., was used to educate slaves. Cut out of it, were passages which might encourage rebellion – “There is no difference between .. slaves and free people .. you are all one in union with Christ Jesus”. (Gal. 3:28). Other passages, not…
-
Noah’s Flood
Five centuries before Israel appeared, along with the tales that form its national epic, a story was told by the Sumerian people in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). The gods created humans to do the heavy work, like digging drainage ditches, harvesting crops, and animal husbandry. They multiplied too rapidly, however, becoming obstreperous, ‘bolshie’ nuisances. “The country…
-
Biblical Abuse and Black Slavery
Before leaving Genesis, I want to highlight something that happens in its 9th chapter, after the tale of the Flood. There was no rest for old Noah, clearly a man of many talents. Not only did he build a huge boat, and successfully look after a vast menagerie of birds and beasts, but we’re told…
-
Noah’s Flood (ii) with Fresh Eyes
There was a time when most people were familiar with many of the biblical stories. With a decline in attendance at Church and Sunday-school, this is no longer the case, which is unfortunate, but not terminally so. The stories are all still there, crying out to be read. On the other hand, over-familiarity with these…
-
Noah’s Flood (i) Two in One
In the ancient near east, where the Israelites lived, there were several versions of the story of the Great Flood. These were contained in the national epics of the Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian peoples. These texts, the earliest of which precede the Hebrew Bible by hundreds of years, were used in the training of scribes,…
-
Noah’s Flood
One of the things I enjoy about the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) is that it reminds us that if people think they’ve got God taped, they haven’t. Academic systematic theology (try saying that after a few glasses of wine) tells us that God can do anything, knows everything, and is absolutely good. But hold…
RAY'S VIEWS ONLINE 