The Pan-Babylonism Myth — Flood

John Walton

• 3 creation myths docs about the flood
  • Sumerian - “Eridu Genesis”
  • Akkadian - Atrahasis Epic
  • Gilgamesh Epic - tablet 11
• 2.1 - Divine Decision - No divine assembly in operation
  • Heiser - Unless you include other texts (overstated)
• 2.2 - Hero - Noah is given no official position as king or priest
  • ANE: King Shuruppak has 3 separate titles
  • Noah delivered / kings escaped
  • Heiser - How about Adam presented as king?
• 2.3 - Dealing with the Population
  • Preserve civilization or hero’s family?
  • ANE: Animals saved somehow
  • ANE: Less on flood, more on thunder
  • The preaching of Noah (2Pet 2:5)
  • The evidence of the text would argue against that possibility
  • It is far more likely that people would have clamored to get on board than that they would ridicule Noah for his undertaking
  • Heiser - Perhaps they were trusting in their own heroes
• 2.4 - Boat - If so, the result would be a floating shrine. This would coincide with the conjecture that the shape of the boat in the Mesopotamian tradition was similar to that of a ziggurat (Holloway).
• 2.5 - Occupants - guild members of verious sorts, possessing specialized knowledge of the technology of their trades, are taken on the boat (Gilg 11.85)
• 2.8 - Birds - which, by the way, does not grow
• 2.10 - End Result – a sign of remembrance given in the lapis on the neck of Nintu

Heiser Comments on Walton’s

• Issues with dismissing Divine Council presence
• Noah (via Adam) priestly / kingly figure
• NT says Noah preached to the saved folks
• Apkallu tradition not factored in
• Bible olive branch (not in Mesopotamia)
• Queset - sounds similar in Akkadian kisadu
• gods petty, fickle vs YHWH justice
• Role of the flood
  • Extermination vs restart the covenant
• Creation (life0 vs de-creation (death)
• What do you think are the most significant differences and why?
  • Look at their characters - YHWH very different than other gods
  • Role of the floods
    • Let’s get rid of these people
    • Bible - restart (keep) the covenant
  • YHWH makes a unilateral process (with inputs)
    • Brings them in but does not alter the decree
    • Participation but without circus

Wenham

• Coherent narrative – against document hypothesis
• Writer / editor because of “palistrophe” (aka chiasm)

A  Noah (vi 10a)
Β   Shem, Ham and Japheth (10b)
C    Ark to be built (14-16)
D     Flood announced (17)
E      Covenant with Noah (18-20)
F       Food in the ark (21)
G        Command to enter ark (vii 1-3)
H         7 days waiting for flood (4-5)
I          7 days waiting for flood (7-10)
J           Entry to ark (11-15)
Κ            Yahweh shuts Noah in (16)
L             40 days flood (17a)
M              Waters increase (17b-18)
Ν               Mountains covered (19-20)
O                150 days waters prevail ((21)-24)
Ρ                 GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (viii 1)
O'               150 days waters abate (3)
Ν'              Mountain tops visible (4-5)
M'             Waters abate (5)
υ             40 days (end of) (6a)
Κ'           Noah opens window of ark (6b)
J'          Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)
K'         7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)
Η'        7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)
G'       Command to leave ark (15-17(22))
F'      Food outside ark (ix 1-4)
Ε'     Covenant with all flesh (8-10)
D'    No flood in future (11-17)
C'   Ark (18a)
Β'  Shem, Ham and Japheth (18b)
Α' Noah (19)

Genesis vi 8-9

A   Noah
Β    found favour
C     in the eyes of the LORD
D      These are the generations (toh dot) of Noah
E       Noah was righteous
E'      perfect he was
D'     in his generations (dôrôt)
C'    with God
B'   walked
A'  Noah

• Theological messaging
• Biblical writer dealing with traditions of his people; trying to take that story and weaving it into the larger ANE
• 150 days / 7 days to make the chiasm
• Sacrifice is de-creation
• Numbers do not add up because that’s not the point, it theological messaging

Holloway

• Ark are modeled after temples
• 6 propositions that temples are “cosmic mountains” interact between God and human (Eden)

Propositions

1. The temple is the architecture embodiment of the cosmic mountain
   • Sumerian names given to ziggurats
   • Heiser: Cosmic Mountain: Temple -> Tabernacle -> Sinai -> [Ark] -> Eden?
2. The cosmic mountain represents the primordial hillock, the place which first emerged from waters that covered the earth during the creative process
   1. The temple is often associated with the waters of life which flow forth from a spring within the building itself – or rather the temple is viewed as incorporating within itself or as having been built upon such a spring. Conversely, the temple is founded upon the chaos waters, which have the potential for overwhelming the world with death and destruction; the temple and its ritual guard against the eruption of the waters.
   2. The world is re-created every year by agency of the temple, whose activities serve to define the primordial and liturgical New Year
3. The plan and measurements of the temple are revealed by God to the king, and the plan must be carefully carried out.
4. The temple is associated with abundance and prosperity, indeed is perceived as the giver of these. It follows that the temple is a sanctuary, a haven from the powers o f chaos that threaten from without
5. The destruction or loss of the temple is seen as calamitous and fatal to the community in which the temple stood. The calamity subsequent to the destruction o f the temple is understood as the sentence of divine judgment
6. The temple is a place where human beings relate themselves to the divine by means of sacrifice

Heiser on Holloway

• Tower of babel – God came down and no one noticed
• Temple or not? Distraction that has to be a boat
• Ark – cosmic temple
• Heiser: Supplementarian Messianic Covenant