3. Genesis §The Flood Narrative Rabbinical Tradition in Judaism §Questions, Details: Sins, Food, Animals, Continence, §Names of God: YHWH - Mercy; Elohim - Justice §Noah - in the hierarchy of Justice with Moses and Abraham

4. Genesis Philo of Alexandria §Contemporary of Jesus, influenced by Greek philosophy §Three Senses of Scripture: --Historical: event, what happened --Moral Sense: Acting, How to act --Allegorical Sense: Alexandrian Allegory - Spiritual Realities l Flood = flood of human passions, the purification of the soul. l Going out of the Ark = escape from the body and its passions l to be free l Philosophy of body/soul -- Biblical text as image of this l Meaning: Philosophy, Ideas--Bible dresses this in narrative form.

5. Genesis Fathers of the Church: Origen, Ambrose, Augustine and others Allegory that is Christological, Soteriological, Ecclesiological Christ Salvation of Soul Church Noah as symbol of Christ; New Adam Christ was just; Ark of death leads to life Other historical events: Life, Death, Resurrection of Jesus Ark as grave, sepulchre of the soul and of Christ Flood as passage through death Ark as image of the Church (Cyprian) - whoever is in the ark is saved. Flood as judgment. Extra ecclesia, nulla salus. -- Appeal to enter the ark. Wood of the ark compared to wood of the Cross.

6. Genesis §The Dove - symbol of the Holy Spirit (Baptism of Christ) §Christ sends His Spirit after Resurrection - Pentecost. §Going out of the Ark: Resurrection §Raven that doesn’t return: evil, sin expelled from the soul. §Sinners expelled, excommunicated from the Church. §Details allegorically interpreted as figures of other things. §O.T. text understood in view of faith in Christ.

7. Genesis Critical Exegesis §Names for God: YHWH/Elohim - parallel stories §Problems discussed today 1. Relationship of the Sources 2. Possibility of a Synchronic reading 3. Link between the Biblical Story and other Flood accounts

8. Genesis P & J Compared §P - more complete than J §J - lacks construction of the Ark § lacks going out of the Ark § other elements fragmentary §J - considered more ancient than P

9. Genesis Various positions: 1. Independent - no relation between sources Some elements of P from other sources, e.g. Mesopotamian myths a. Tebah - Ark b. Mabbul - Flood c. P has covenant of God with all animals d. Mount Ararat only in P (8:1-2) e. Rainbow f. Flood as end of a Golden Age 2. P depends on J P knows J and changes certain elements 3. P more ancient than J and J represents a later addition to P J is editor of the P story, adding elements from Mesopotamia

10. Genesis Parallels in Mesopotamian Literature §Atrahasis §Gilgamesh (11th Tablet) §Sumerian Flood - Eridu §Berossos - Babylonian priest

11. Genesis Points of Contact §Decision to Send the Flood: noise of humanity §A god who helps a hero §Flood §Sacrifice §Decision not to send a Flood again

12. Genesis Synchronic vs. Diachronic reading §Synchronic: text as a whole, without history of text sources §Diachronic: take history of text into consideration §Suggestion: Palistrophic symbol - candelabra §Tensions within the text: e.g. Number of animals - § one pair of all vs. 7 pairs of clean/one pair of unclean §Stylistic Study - research to find structure. §Exegesis: aim is to understand the text, to see how it functions, § what are the elements of its dynamics, logic of the text itself?

13. Genesis The Flood Narrative Text of the Flood §Where does it begin? 6:1, 6:5 or 6:9 §Where does it end?8:22, 9:17, 9:19 or 9:29

14. Genesis The Flood Narrative §5:28Birth of Noah §5:32Birth of Noah’s three sons §6:1-4Union of sons of God, daughters of men - cause of the flood? §6:5-8First decision of God - suppress all living things §6:8Noah finds favor in God’s eyes §6:9Formula: generations of Noah §Most likely beginning: 6:5 Perception of God that begins the story. cf. Gen. 18:2; Gen. 19:16; Gen. 33:1 § Most likely ending: 9:19 New beginning

15. Genesis Elements of the Biblical Account §1. Preparation: 6:5-7:5 §6:5-8 and 6:9-12Two introductions §6:13-22Discourse of God §7:1-5Particulars

16. Genesis 2. The Flood as such: 7:6-8:22 §7:6-16Entrance into the Ark §7:17-24Complete Destruction of the Universe §8:1-5God enters §8:6-14The birds §8:13-19Exit from the Ark §8:20-22Offering of sacrifice

17. Genesis 3. After the Flood: 9:1-19 §9:1-7Blessing §9:8-17Covenant concluded §9:18-19End of the story §Transformation: §Initial situation--final situation §Flood: new beginning §One episode in the history of the universe