Episode 134: Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory (Continued)

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En provenance du cours de University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

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University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

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This course examines the nature of both science and religion and attempts to explore the possible relationships between them. The primary purpose is to dispel the popular myth that science and religion are entrenched in a never-ending conflict. As a result, this course argues that if the limits of both science and religion are respected, then their relationship can be complementary. Topics include: Science and Religion Categories and Foundational Principles, Definitions of Science and Religion, Science-Religion Models and Relationships, Intelligent Design and Natural Revelation, the Galileo Affair, Geology and Noah’s Flood, Evolution and Darwin’s Religious Beliefs, the Modern “Evolution” vs. “Creation” Debate, the Problem of Evil, and Interpretations of the Biblical Accounts of Origins in Genesis 1-11. The course employs a Constructive Teaching Style in order that students can develop their personal views on the relationship between science and religion and on each of the topics listed above. St. Joseph's College is a Catholic, undergraduate, liberal arts college on the University of Alberta campus. It is an independent institution that is affiliated with the University of Alberta.

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Geology & the Biblical Flood

Over the 20 years that I have taught this course, I have found that religious students struggle the most with the topic of Noah’s flood in the Bible (Genesis 6-9). The first half of this section is a brief history of geology, beginning with the worldwide flood as the central paradigm and ending with its complete elimination from science. This is another example of science powerfully impacting religion. In the second half, the three basic views of the biblical flood are presented—Global Flood, Local Flood, and Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory. In particular, the challenging topic of whether or not Noah was a real person in history is explored. We also consider the notion that the biblical flood (Genesis 6-9) is composed of two original sources (Jahwist and Priestly sources).

Episode 117: Key Thoughts. Biblical Texts on the Flood6:11

Episode 118: Biblical Texts on the Flood (Continued) Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood4:10

Episode 119: The Early Church & the Flood. Flood Scholarship4:07

Episode 120: Flood Scholarship (Continued). St. Augustine on the Flood4:23

Episode 121: St. Augustine on the Flood (Continued)5:51

Episode 122: The Middle Ages & the Flood. The Early Modern Period & the Flood5:27

Episode 123: The Early Modern Period & the Flood (Continued)4:57

Episode 124: Niels Steensen & Principle of Superposition. Global Flood Theories5:43

Episode 125: The Beginning of Geology. James Hutton & Principle of Actualism4:37

Episode 126: Catastrophism. Adam Sedgwick’s Recantation5:05

Episode 127: Conclusion: The Beginning of Geology. 19th Century Modern Geology4:43

Episode 128: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Anti-Geologists3:53

Episode 129: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Harmonizers4:55

Episode 130: Conclusion: Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood7:00

Episode 131: What about Noah’s Flood? (1) Global Flood Theory7:37

Episode 132: (2) Local Flood4:19

Episode 133: (3) Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory5:34

Episode 134: Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory (Continued)5:28

Episode 135: Origin of the Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)4:39

Episode 136: Evidence for Two Sources in Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)9:24

Episode 137: The BIG Question: Who Was Noah?5:28

Hermeneutics 13B: The Heavens & Ancient Astronomy (Part I). The Firmament8:33

Rencontrer les enseignants

Denis Lamoureux
Associate Professor
St. Joseph's College

Episode 134.

If you read these four Mesopotamian Flood Accounts,

here is where it gets interesting and quite challenging.

There are many similarities between them and the Biblical Flood Account.

Please turn to page 29 in the class handouts for a comparison between the four

flood accounts from ancient Mesopotamia and the flood account in the Bible.

You will notice that these include a reason for

destroying the world with a flood, a warning to build a boat and

its construction by the flood hero and then a flood destroys all life on Earth.

There's also the preservation of the hero, his family, and animals in the boat.

And afterwards, the hero sacrifices to the god or gods who smell the offering.

There is also the use of stylistic numbers, 7 and 60.

The similarities are even more striking between the epic of Gilgamesh, and

the Biblical Flood Account.

In both a boat lands on a mountain after the flood.

A dove and a raven are used to determine if the Earth is dry.

And there are seven day periods for the bird reconnaissance.

To fully appreciate the similarities between the Epic of Gilgamesh and

Noah's Flood, this is what I suggest,

first read the Biblical Flood Account in Genesis 6 to 9.

And then turn to pages 30 to 32 in the class handouts,

and read an excerpt of the flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In my opinion, this is the best way for you to see and

experience the similarities.

The first time I read the Flood accounts in the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh,

I was amazed to see how similar they were.

And this leads to the question, there are too many similarities to be coincidental.

Who borrowed from who?

Did the Mesopotamians borrow from the Hebrews, or

did the Hebrews borrow from the Mesopotamians?

First, let's consider the possibility that the Mesopotamians

borrowed from the Hebrews.

This is the position of Christian tradition and young Earth creation.

This approach has two assumptions.

Assumption number one, a global flood is required so that the oral

account of the flood can descend through Noah's sons to the Mesopotamians.

But as we've seen, there is no evidence for a global flood.

A second assumption required by this position is that a major civilization,

in this case Mesopotamia, would inherit an account from a small insignificant

tribe like the Hebrews, and then make it a major part of their history.

But these seems doubtful.

For example, when Europeans came to North America,

did they incorporate the oral traditions of indigenous people and their history?

Of course, this did not happen.

The second possibility is that the Hebrews borrowed

the notion of a worldwide flood from the Mesopotamians.

This is the position of many Old Testament scholars.

This view aligns with the archaeological and historical evidence.

The Mesopotamians pre-date the Hebrews by over 2,000 years.

The first Mesopotamian city, Erech had a population of over 10,000, and

it was established about 3500 BC, BCE.

In contrast, as we've noted earlier,

the first archaeological evidence of the Hebrews is 1200 BC,

BCE with the Merneptah Stele.

But more importantly,

the Mesopotamian flood accounts pre-date the Biblical flood account.

They were written between 2000 and 1600 BC BCE,

while Genesis 6 to 9 was composed between 1000 and

500 BC BCE, as we'll see below.

Here are the assumptions of this second approach.

First the Hebrews borrowed the flood motif from the Mesopotamians.

And then under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

they replaced the Pagan theology with their spiritual truths.

In this way the flood motif is an incidental vessel

that transports messages of faith.

From this perspective these assumptions are more plausible than those which assume

that the Mesopotamians inherited the flood account from the Hebrews.

It's very important for me to emphasize that the recycling and

reinterpreting of accounts was common in the ancient Near East.

Take for example the Babylonian creation account Enuma Elis.

The Assyrians inherited this account and

replaced the Babylonian god Marduk with their god Assur.

Therefore, for the Hebrews to borrow, the Mesopotamian Flood accounts and replace

the Pagan gods with their God is typical of the literary practice of the day.

End of episode.

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