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Gen 6:1-4

Gen 6:1-4. Sons of God = members of the divine council (or Sethites) Offspring = Nephilim or giants History of Jewish interpretation (Life of Adam and Eve; Testament of Reuben; Jubilees; Enoch) Explains why humans don’t live forever Moral deterioration before flood.

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Gen 6:1-4

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  1. Gen 6:1-4 • Sons of God = members of the divine council (or Sethites) • Offspring = Nephilim or giants • History of Jewish interpretation (Life of Adam and Eve; Testament of Reuben; Jubilees; Enoch) • Explains why humans don’t live forever • Moral deterioration before flood

  2. Mesopotamian Flood Stories • Ziusudra, king of Shuruppak 1600 • Gilgamesh library of Ashurbanipal (7c) • Atrahasis (also contains creation account) 1700 • Berossus (Babylonian priest writing in Greek) 3rd c.

  3. Gilgamesh Epic: The Quest for Life • Gilgamesh, oppressive king of Uruk • Enkidu’s death The quest for everlasting life • Utnapishtim and Ms. Utnapishtim • Clamor; role of Ea • Flood

  4. Gilgamesh Epic (continued) • Gods gathered like flies around sacrifice • Ea: How could you, unreasoning, bring the flood? • Reward for Utnapishtim • Who will assemble gods for you, Gilgamesh? • Non-sleeping Contest • Snake and the plant of life

  5. Bible vs. Mesopotamian Stories • Warning, worldwide flood, size of boat noted, rests on a mountain, birds, acts of worship after flood, blessings on survivors • Polytheism vs. monotheism • Whim of the gods/unmeasured response vs. human violence as cause of flood • Otherworldly salvation vs. this worldly salvation

  6. Flood and history • Mountains of Ararat (“arkeologists”); 16c • Archeological evidence in Mesopotamian cities • not in same century (Shuruppak, Uruk, and Kish = 2800; Ur and Nineveh = 3500) • not over whole city of Ur • Carbon 14 data on wood

  7. Yahweh 7 pairs unclean; 1 pair clean animals 40 + 21 days man and his wife sacrifice Good news: no more floods God 1 pair of each kind of animal year-long flood male and female Noah perfect; promise to establish covenant; be fruitful; God will remember Yahwist vs. Priestly Writer

  8. Covenant in P • Everlasting covenant (“establish”; “give”; not “cut”) • With the entire creation • Signs of covenant • Bow as a reminder to God • Circumcision (Gen 17) • Sabbath (Exod 31) • Unconditional

  9. Noahide Laws • Do not worship idols • Don’t blaspheme • Establish courts of justice • Do not kill • Do not commit adultery • Don’t steal • Don’t eat flesh cut from a living animal

  10. The Curse of…Canaan 9:20-27 • The sin of Ham (the father of Canaan) • Cursed be Canaan…the lowest of slaves! • Blessed be Shem (Israel) • Let Canaan be his slave • May God make space for Japheth (Philistines); may he live in tents of Shem

  11. The New Era after the Flood • Image of God persists • Human fear and dread on animals • Meat permitted • Sanctity of human life • Capital punishment? • Be fruitful and multiply

  12. Table of Nations • An example of being fruitful and multiplying • 70 Nations (Deuteronomy 32:8) • Three “families”: Japheth (Europe); Ham (Africa); and Shem (Semites, east of Palestine) • Composite list that reflects various geo-political realities • Canaan = son of Ham = Canaan was considered part of Egyptian province

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