Kaitlin Anderson The Flood Religion 110 Fall 2012 Dr.

Starbuck Word Count = 724

In the Hebrew Bible, stories may seem to flow seamlessly together, but can actually have different authors and be written in completely different time periods. The story of The Flood is a prime example, as the narrative switches between the Yahwist and Priestly sources. The fusing of the two stories, their connections with their respective creation stories, and their historical placement all help us to understand their intended meaning. While the Flood story can be read as just one narrative, there are actually two very separate accounts of what happened. Bandstra writes that The difference here is that these two versions are interwoven with some sentences attributable to the Yahwist writer and others to the Priestly writer. The sentence structure and vocabulary of the flood story varies from time to time this is the changing between the Yahwist writer and the Priestly writer. These two authors write very similar accounts of the flood story, but there are also specific differences between the two. Perhaps most obviously, Their respective contributions can still be identified by their characteristic style and vocabulary. While both versions are essentially saying the same thing, they are identifiable by their differences in syntax and details. For example, where the Priestly version writes In the six hundredth year of Noahs life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of the Heavens were opened, the Yahwist version writes And seven days later the waters of the flood were on the earth.And there was rain on the earth, forty days and forty nights. A general trait of the Priestly source is more attention to detail. Bandstra also argues that In the YHWH version, humanity is at fault and humanity along with all other living things becomes the focus of YHWHs wrath. In the Elohim version, the earth is the focus and how flesh

Kaitlin Anderson The Flood Religion 110 Fall 2012 Dr. Starbuck Word Count = 724

had corrupted it. This shows that there are more than just differing details in the two accounts; there are differing themes as well. The difference of themes can be explained by the difference in writer, background, and historical time period. Another prime example of differences in vocabulary, the Elohim version can be identified by characteristic toledot notice, these are the generations of. Identifiers such as these can be extremely helpful in noticing the difference between different authors. Every author has their own unique style, which can be used to understand when a certain passage in the bible was written. The Yahwist source tells nothing of the building of the Ark, says the rain lasted for 40 days, and involves animals being gathered in groups of seven. The Priestly writer says that there was only one pair of each type of animal, and omits Noahs sacrifice. One key identifier for the Priestly writer is that they found ritual details extremely important, especially when it comes to the chronology of Israels religion. They would have left out the sacrifice because sacrifice rules had not been established yet. However, the Yahwist source would have more animals on the ark, because the clean animals would be used later on for sacrifice. This is yet another example about how these stories can be so similar, yet have so many differences. The historical placement is very helpful in understanding the intended meaning of the flood story, and both stories have strong ties to their respective creation stories. The Priestly source was written in 550 BCE, between the fall of Jerusalem and the return from exile. This was the last of the four sources, and also has themes that both identify the source and tie in very closely with the flood story. These themes include divine blessings that are tied to population growth, covenants, genealogies, and connections among individuals and peoples. The priestly source emphasizes all of these in the flood story. The Yahwist narrative was written around 950

Kaitlin Anderson The Flood Religion 110 Fall 2012 Dr. Starbuck Word Count = 724

BCE. This would put it between the emergence of the kingship and the division of the kingdoms of Northern Israel and Judah. This is the oldest written source of the Torah, and its story line frames the entire Torah. All the other sources build upon the Yahwist narrative, whose themes include divine promises, covenants, and human sin. All of these play major roles in the Yahwist account of the flood. As for the connection between the Flood story and the Creation story, Bandstra writes that The language and imagery of the Flood narrative echo the Elohim Creation story at too many strategic points to be coincidental. The main theme of the flood story implies that God had a desire to bring the earth back to its pre-creation state a chaotic mess, and a clean slate for man. He wanted to start over, and decided to do so by wiping the face of the earth clean. The Flood story is just one of many examples of a bible passage switching between two sources, but it is by far one of the most notable and important. The difference in vocabulary and details clue the reader in to the backgrounds and lives of the authors of each of these sources. By analyzing these sources, the passage itself, and the historical background, it is easier to understand the intended meaning.

Bandstra, Barry. Reading the Old Testament. 4th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2009. Print. The Harper Collins Study Bible. Student Edition. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Print.