Genesis 6:11 - :17 Discussion Topics and Questions

Noah and the Flood Cycle

• Why do you think God felt like God had to destroy the world?
• Why was Noah chosen out of all the people of the earth to be saved?
• If some animals were unclean, why did God tell Noah to save those animals too?
• God asked Noah to do a pretty big, impossible-sounding task. Has God ever asked anything of you that you felt you were not ready for? What happened?

Did you know...?

1. The story of the Flood not only appears in the Bible, but in the folk literature of many ancient cultures. The most famous of these is the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic tale from ancient Sumeria that takes place roughly between 2750 and 2500 B.C.
2. The Epic of Gilgamesh was discovered in the ancient Assyrian capital of Ninevah by an archaeologist named Austen Henry Layard in 1853 A.D. It was discovered inscribed on twelve stone tablets.
3. On the 11th tablet was inscribed a story about a cataclysmic flood that went, in part, like this:

" Utanapishtim spoke to Gilgamesh, saying: "I will reveal to you, Gilgamesh, a thing that is hidden, a secret of the gods I will tell you! Shuruppak, a city that you surely know, situated on the banks of the Euphrates, that city was very old, and there were gods inside it. The hearts of the Great Gods moved them to inflict the Flood...O man of Shuruppak, son of Ubartutu: Tear down the house and build a boat! Abandon wealth and seek living beings! Spurn possessions and keep alive living beings! Make all living beings go up into the boat. The boat which you are to build, its dimensions must measure equal to each other: its length must correspond to its width. Roof it over like the Apsu...The boat was finished by sunset. The launching was very difficult. They had to keep carrying a runway of poles front to back, until two-thirds of it had gone into the water(?). Whatever I had I loaded on it: whatever silver I had I loaded on it, whatever gold I had I loaded on it. All the living beings that I had I loaded on it, I had all my kith and kin go up into the boat, all the beasts and animals of the field and the craftsmen I had go up. Shamash had set a stated time: 'In the morning I will let loaves of bread shower down, and in the evening a rain of wheat! Go inside the boat, seal the entry!'That stated time had arrived. In the morning he let loaves of bread shower down,and in the evening a rain of wheat.I watched the appearance of the weather--the weather was frightful to behold!I went into the boat and sealed the entry...Just as dawn began to glowthere arose from the horizon a black cloud...Stunned shock over Adad's deeds overtook the heavens,and turned to blackness all that had been light.The... land shattered like a... pot. All day long the South Wind blew..., blowing fast, submerging the mountain in water, overwhelming the people like an attack. No one could see his fellow, they could not recognize each other in the torrent...Six days and seven nightscame the wind and flood, the storm flattening the land. When the seventh day arrived, the storm was pounding, the flood was a war--struggling with itself like a woman writhing (in labor). The sea calmed, fell still, the whirlwind (and) flood stopped up. I looked around all day long--quiet had set inand all the human beings had turned to clay! The terrain was as flat as a roof. I opened a vent and fresh air (daylight!) fell upon the side of my nose. I fell to my knees and sat weeping, tears streaming down the side of my nose. I looked around for coastlines in the expanse of the sea, and at twelve leagues there emerged a region (of land). On Mt. Nimush the boat lodged firm, Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway. One day and a second Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway. A third day, a fourth, Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway. A fifth day, a sixth, Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway. When a seventh day arrived I sent forth a dove and released it. The dove went off, but came back to me; no perch was visible so it circled back to me. I sent forth a swallow and released it. The swallow went off, but came back to me; no perch was visible so it circled back to me. I sent forth a raven and released it. The raven went off, and saw the waters slither back. It eats, it scratches, it bobs, but does not circle back to me."

The entire Epic of Gilgamesh can be found by clicking here.

-Fr. Ryan