Irving Finkel: The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood
Jul 28, 2018
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Dr. Irving Finkel, expert in ancient Mesopotamian history, decodes the Babylonian Flood Story with a new tablet discovery, revealing unique ark details and boat building specs. He explores the origins of flood narratives, comparing biblical and Babylonian accounts, and discusses the mythological tale of Enki warning about the flood. The conversation delves into the cultural significance of ancient tablets and the survival of historical memory through translations.
The flood story in ancient Mesopotamian texts inspired hope and resilience in the face of catastrophe.
Ancient cuneiform tablets described a circular ark, symbolizing preservation and renewal in flood narratives.
The 1800 BC tablet sheds light on Mesopotamian beliefs in divine intervention and life preservation during disasters.
The practical construction details of the ark reflect accuracy and functionality, emphasizing successful reconstruction projects.
Deep dives
The Significance of the Flood Story in Ancient Mesopotamia
The flood story found in ancient Mesopotamian texts, such as the Ark tablet dated back to 1750 BC, indicates a cataclysmic event where most people perished. The story served as a cultural reference point in Mesopotamia, invoking fear of a tsunami-like disaster. This memory evolved into myths to assure Babylonians that such devastation would not recur, instilling hope and resilience in the community.
Cuneiform Tablets and the Story of Atra-Hasis
Cuneiform tablets, like the Atra-Hasis narrative, detailed divine warnings of an impending flood, instructing a human survivor, Atra-Hasis, to build a boat to safeguard life. The tablets provide blueprints for a circular ark, challenging traditional depictions of rectangular vessels in flood narratives and highlighting the symbolism of preservation and renewal.
Irving Finkel's Discovery of the Unique Ark Tablet
In 1985, Dr. Irving Finkel encountered a rare cuneiform tablet describing the flood story from 1800 BC, 1000 years older than previously known accounts. The tablet illuminates ancient Mesopotamian beliefs in divine intervention and the importance of safeguarding life during catastrophic events.
Coracles and Round Boats in Flood Narratives
The instructions for a round boat in the ancient Mesopotamian flood account align with historical use of coracles, circular watercraft prevalent in many cultures. These buoyant vessels symbolized hope and survival, embodying resilience and protection amidst calamity.
The Detailed Specifications of the Ark
The tablet outlines specific details regarding the construction of the ark, resembling both a wedding cake recipe and an IKEA instruction manual. Providing precise measurements, materials required, and construction methods, the tablet stands out for its practicality compared to typical exaggerated mythological instructions. This unique approach emphasizes the importance of accuracy and functionality, leading to a successful reconstruction project based on the translated tablet.
Enki - The God of Wisdom and Mischievousness
Enki, a prominent god in Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, is revered for his wisdom and intelligence, associated with the origin of writing and ideas. Despite being part of a pantheon of gods, Enki stands out for his mischievous nature, known to play tricks and engage in antics. Notably, during the flood story, Enki defies divine orders to save life by secretly aiding Atrahasis in building the ark, showcasing his benevolent and rebellious character.
The Remarkable Reconstruction of the Ark
A documentary and book titled 'The Ark Before Noah' extensively explores the decoding and reconstruction of the ark based on ancient cuneiform texts. The project involved building a coracle-like ark using specific measurements and materials depicted in the tablet. Despite scaling down the size for practicality, the ark's construction was meticulous, involving traditional boat-building methods and computer-assisted calculations to ensure functionality. The project's success highlights the fusion of ancient knowledge with modern techniques to bring a legendary artifact to life.
The recent translation of a Babylonian tablet launches a groundbreaking investigation into one of the most famous stories in the world, challenging the way we look at ancient history.
Since the Victorian period, it has been understood that the story of Noah, iconic in the Book of Genesis, and a central motif in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, derives from a much older story that existed centuries before in ancient Babylon. But the relationship between the Babylonian and biblical traditions was shrouded in mystery. Then, in 2009, Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum and a world authority on ancient Mesopotamia, found himself playing detective when a member of the public arrived at the museum with an intriguing cuneiform tablet from a family collection. Not only did the tablet reveal a new version of the Babylonian Flood Story; the ancient poet described the size and completely unexpected shape of the ark, and gave detailed boat building specifications. Decoding this ancient message wedge by cuneiform wedge, Dr. Finkel discovered where the Babylonians believed the ark came to rest and developed a new explanation of how the old story ultimately found its way into the Bible. In The Ark Before Noah, Dr. Finkel takes us on an adventurous voyage of discovery, opening the door to an enthralling world of ancient voices and new meanings.
Dr. Irving Finkel is Assistant Keeper of ancient Mesopotamian script, languages, and cultures at the British Museum. He is the curator in charge of cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia, of which the Middle East Department has the largest collection of any modern museum.
