Dear Editor,

I write to offer my thoughts on the letter entitled ‘Are Bible stories factual?’ by Van Yandell published in the Jamaica Observer on February 16.

Admittedly, there are several ancient accounts of floods in the Near East. These are to be found in Mesopotamian and Sumerian creation myths.

So there are accounts dating back to 18th century BCE — Atra-Hasis clay tablets include both a creation myth and one of three surviving Babylonian flood myths and Gilgamesh clay tablets about 2100–1200 BCE tell of a flood or a deluge sent by a deity or deities that destroys civilisation as an act of divine retribution.

So Noah’s flood story is based on previous ancient flood accounts to which the writers of Genesis gave their own spin.

Then, of course, there is Noah’s flood as told in Islam. Again, this account is influenced by the Jewish/Christian account of Noah’s flood. But there are differences between the Islamic flood account and the Jewish/Christian one.

So, for instance, the Islamic account tells that Noah’s wife and his eldest son were not on the boat, they were unbelievers; there were as many as 80 people who were believers on the boat; and the landing of the ark was not on Mount Ararat as the Bible says, but on Mount Judi. And these locations, although in Turkey, are miles apart.

But the Genesis account that you rely on is beset with inconsistencies. For instance, according to Genesis 6:19, “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.” Yet Genesis 7:2 says, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.”

So seven sets of animals is an afterthought. For if there were just sets of two and one of the two was killed for sacrifice, the species or kind would be wiped out. And, of course, after the flood Noah made animal sacrifices to God.

Genesis 7:12 says the rain was upon the Earth 40 days and 40 nights. Yet Genesis 7:24 and Genesis 8:3 says that it rained 150 days.

Genesis 7:20 gives the height of the flood as 15 cubits (22.5 feet). And we have to assume it was 15 cubits above the highest mountain top. But the highest peak of Mount Ararat is over 16,000 feet. So it would be unlikely that the whole world was flooded given that there would have been higher mountains then, as there are now.

So, basically, this Noah’s flood must not be taken as factual history but as a teaching tool to tell people to live upright lives or else they will be destroyed.

George Garwood

merleneg@yahoo.com