The Flood Story Before Noah

The story of Noah's Flood has striking parallels in ancient Mesopotamia, but some of those flood traditions predate the biblical text by more than a thousand years. This week, Joseph Lam joins Bible & Archaeology to explore the flood stories of Atrahasis, Gilgamesh, and ancient Mesopotamia.

Why did the gods send the flood? What did an ancient ark supposedly look like? And does the evidence really mean that the Bible simply “copied” an older story? We look beyond the familiar similarities to ask what these different versions of the flood share and what the biblical authors are actually trying to say when they retell the flood story.

🔗 Resources & Links

Watch Joseph's episode on Why Creation Stories All Look the Same

Check out Joseph's Creation Stories of the Ancient World with Great Courses

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🎙️ Credits

Guest: Dr. Joseph Lam

Edited and Produced by Dr. Jordan Jones

Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa.