Today while out running errands, I was flipping through the radio trying to find something to listen to. I ended up on some Christian type of station, and the guy was talking about the ark, and the flood during Noah's time. Personally I no longer believe this fable, because the facts just don't line up. Back when I did believe this story, when I was a kid, my thoughts were what kind of animals were on the ark, you know things like lions, tigers, cows, and other animals we see to this day. But this guy popped up and was saying that even the dinosaurs like the T-Rex, Brachiosaurus and other such creatures were there as well. After he was saying that nonsense, I turned it off but I got to thinking. Let's say that guy was correct, just how huge would the ark have to be to hold that many creatures, plus enough food and water to feed all of them, not to count all the solid and liquid waste that those animals would produce. Not to even mention only 8 people took care of the feeding, watering, waste removal, and who knows what else is involved in animal care. How in the world did those bible fables even get started?
How did the bible fables get started?
by Tameria2001 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Tameria2001
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Xanthippe
There are many flood legends. Have a look at the Epic of Gilgamesh.
I suppose there have always been floods and people living in Bronze Age settlements knew only their area, not having jet planes or ICT so it must have seemed like the whole world had flooded.
In their minds the gods were in charge of weather so it was easy to believe God or gods were angry with them when bad weather killed family or tribal members.
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Crazyguy
There’s are about three story’s of the flood found in Sumeria dated before the Noah’s flood story. The story of Job is most like likely taken from a poem called The righteous sufferer, found in Nineveh. Cain and Abel is a copy of another Sumerian tale about two minors gods fighting to get approval from a higher god, can’t remember the name of the tale.
The story of Jericho has similarities to a story found in Ugarit. The baby Moses being put into a basket and floated down a river to be found by a special person is a copy of Sargon birth story.
Similarities between the exodus story can be found related to the expulsion of the Hyksos as well as someone just wrote a thesis on how Ramses tent looks to be very similar to how the tent of the tabernacle was.
A part of proverbs come directly from the writings of an Egyptian named Amenope.
There are several stories about the god named Enki that created man in Sumerian mythology. He calls the first man Adamu. He creates man with the help of a female goddess and the sacrifice of another god of his blood and it’s mixed with the clay. So one can say he made man on a potters wheel from clay. This is also mentioned in the Bible. Enki in another story gets sick and is cured by a female goddess and a mistranslations seems to call her lady of the rib. Scholars think they idea of Eve being created from Adams Rib has something to do with the goddess and this possible mistranslation.
Enki is a wise trickster god that is the god of the earth and was depicted as a serpent. He is also the same god that denied or tricked Adamu from getting immortality. He is also the same god that in every story of the flood before Noah warns man of the impending flood and to build a boat save animals and other living things.
Can’t think of anymore at this time.
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Finkelstein
How in the world did those bible fables even get started ?
Human ignorance , an indefensible fact.
Along with the ancients trying to create power and relevance to the god(s) they worshiped, which equates to mythology
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cofty
Human ignorance , an indefensible fact
But we are all ignorant of many things.
Humans evolved a propensity to assign agency to random events. Communities tell stories about their origins. These myths deal with origins and trials endured by their forefathers. The point of these myths is not historical accuracy. They bond people together.
It is ridiculous when post-enlightenment people still insist that these things really happened.
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Bungi Bill
Those Jewish people who are well versed in the history of their own people would be quick to tell us that the Jewish writers of the Old Testament never intended their writings to be taken literally. Rather, these were folk tales compiled during their exile to Babylon - and written to forge a national identity.
The point of these myths is not historical accuracy. They bond people together.
Exactly!
Why get all bent out of shape over a collection of Middle Eastern fairy tales.
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Magnum
Crazyguy, interesting. Can you provide the name of, for example, a book where I can read about some of the things you mentioned? If not, thanks anyway.
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Giordano
You can start here:
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Vidiot
Tameria2001 - "How did the bible fables get started?"
Peyote?
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Finkelstein
One might say the supernatural world had to exist for the ancients as there was no other answer to what the ancients saw and experienced, such as that glowing bright light in the sky, earthquakes, lightening, darkness etc.
So humanity were pressed to engage themselves with these supernatural beings who were thought to activity cause things to happened on earth, to not only give answer to the unknown but for at times help in humanity's enduring perils.
As well to give support to the set civilization who worshiped their particular god against other civilizations who worshiped their own gods, which inevitability created an identity for each civilization.
The competition to whose god was the most powerful and almighty was a conscious ongoing awareness among the ancients.