Reading Notes: Noah, Part B

Unlike yesterday's reading, today's reading on Noah was taken entirely from Louis Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. As such, it was all new material for me. While I was familiar with some of the stories from my personal reading of the Pentateuch, the Jewish legends offered interpretations to which I had never been exposed. I recommend reading portions 1-9 of section B to learn more.

This set of legends was more episodic in nature. While telling a chronological story, the progression of legends could skip only days or many years in between. Some legends recounted concise stories and portions of dialogue, while others were dry and historic in nature. Overall, two accounts stood out to me. The first, The Flood, offers a description of what it was like to care for the multitude of animals on the ark. Next, Nimrod describes the effects of Nimrod's favorite outfit, and how he came to possess it.

The Animals Entering Noah's Ark by Jacopo Bassano

The Flood
As I wrote yesterday, I am interested in learning more (or writing about) how Noah managed a large and diverse group of animals in an enclosed space for so long. This story gave some clarity to that idea, while also instilling in me further inspiration. It is said that Noah went to great efforts to make sure that the animals were well-fed, "feeding the day animals by day, and the night animals by night." He innovated in order to provide for them. He also asked a blessing up the urshana, an animal that was especially peaceful and patient. This supports my idea that Noah is, and must continue to be, characterized as kind and thoughtful.

Nimrod
Deviating from the common theme of this week's reading notes, the final story did not feature Noah, but one of his descendants. Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah; Cush, the son of Ham, was Nimrod's father. In his resentment after being cursed, Ham stole from Noah the garments of skins that  had been given to Adam and Eve by God after they had eaten of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Ham passed down the garments, which eventually ended up in Nimrod's possession. The power of these garments resulted in Nimrod's being popular, so much that he led his people astray from God. I would love to flesh out the story of the garments - Did Nimrod struggle with their power, or did he always relish it? If the garments were so valuable, did anyone ever try to steal them?

Reading Notes: Noah, Part A

Today's reading on Noah featured both fresh and familiar accounts of the Biblical narrative. I began by reading the included pieces from the King James translation of the Bible, Genesis chapters 5 - 11. Then, I read a few related excerpts from Louis Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. To follow along, read portions 1-8 of section A here.

 Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat by Simon de Myle

Unlike the previous readings for which I have written notes, which were mostly short fables, today's reading is a more continuous story. Within the story presented in these readings, several aspects of Noah's life stood out to me, including the wickedness of the generation in which he lived, the meaning of his name, and his relationship with his grandfather, Methuselah.

A Wicked Generation
In both the Biblical translation and Ginzberg's Legends, emphasis is placed on the evil nature of mankind. "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,...his heart was only evil continually." Ginzberg goes on to explain that at the time, fallen angels had committed multiple acts of fornication with human women, resulting in a strong but sinful race. Thus, Noah exists in stark contrast to all other people. He is sent as a hero that will restore God's creation to peace and purity. In my writings about Noah, I hope to capture this sense of endowment upon Noah's life, continuing to create contrast between him and his surroundings.

No Normal Name
In Ginzberg's "The Birth of Noah," Noah's name is said to indicate that "he would cause the earth to rejoice in compensation for all destruction." However, he is called Menahem, which means comforter. Ginzberg states that Noah could have been a comforter to his fellow men, if only they had repented from their wicked ways. This information about Noah has two possible implications for future stories. First, it goes a long way in characterizing Noah, presenting him as someone who is gentle and relatable. Next, it could provide the basis for a story explaining how Noah kept peace between the animals in the confines of the ark.

Mighty Methuselah
In the same story that details Noah's birth, Ginzberg shares that Noah's grandfather was the only one to refer to him as Noah, rather than Menahem. Methuselah also advocated on behalf of Noah when Noah's father, Lamech, is troubled by Noah's behavior and appearance. In later stories, it is also noted that God did not allow the flood to come upon the earth until after the death of Methuselah, who, besides Noah, was the only "pious" man on earth. Such facts lend themselves to the idea that Noah's purpose is closely connected to his grandfather.