2.4 Noah’s Flood

A painting by the American artist Edward Hicks (1780–1849), showing the animals boarding Noah’s Ark two by two.

Although the story of Noah’s flood may not be the most ancient of the flood stories, it is by far the most well known. In the story recorded in the book of Genesis, God is saddened by seeing all the evil which has entered man’s heart, and decides to destroy all living things on earth (Genesis 6:5-8). He selects Noah, who alone is “righteous in his generation,” and instructs him to build an ark and to preserve two of each creature. Noah builds the ark and God makes it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. After 150 days, the ark comes to rest on the mountain of Ararat. Noah opens a window of the ark and sends forth a raven and a dove. After the earth becomes dry enough, Noah and his family, together with the animals, descend from the ark. Noah offers a sacrifice to God, who accepts his offering and promises: “never again will I destroy all living creatures.” (Gen 8:21) God blesses Noah to “be fruitful and multiply” and places a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant with Noah and his descendants.

New World Encyclopedia. (February 9, 2017).  Great Flood.  Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Great_Flood Used under CC BY 3.0.