A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis

LEGENDS l8l
in the course of ages the spring- equinox must traverse the watery
(southern) region of the Zodiac : this, on their system, signified a submergence
of the whole universe in water ;
<strong>and</strong> the Deluge-myth symbo-
lises the safe passage of the vernal sun-god through that part of the
ecliptic.—Whatever truth there may be in these theories, it is certain
that they do not account for the concrete features of the Chaldean
legend ; <strong>and</strong> if (as can hardly be denied) mythical motives are present,
it seems just as likely that they were grafted on to a historic tradition as
that the history is merely the garb in which a solar or astral myth
arrayed itself. The most natural explanation of the Babylonian
narrative is after all that it is based on the vague reminiscence of
some memorable <strong>and</strong> devastating flood in the Euphrates valley, as to the
physical possibility of which, it may suffice to quote the (perhaps too
literal) description of an eminent geologist : "In the course of a seismic
period of some duration the water of the Persian Gulf was repeatedly
driven by earthquake shocks over the plain at the mouth of the
Euphrates. Warned by these floods, a prudent man, Hasis-adra, i.e.
the god-fearing philosopher, builds a ship for the rescue of his family,
<strong>and</strong> caulks it with pitch, as is still the custom on the Euphrates. The
movements of the earth increase ; he flees with his family to the ship ;
the subterranean water bursts forth from the fissured plain ; a great
diminution in atmospheric pressure, indicated by fearful storm <strong>and</strong>
rain, probably a true cyclone, approaches from the Persian Gulf, <strong>and</strong>
accompanies the most violent manifestations of the seismic force. The
sea sweeps in a devastating flood over the plain, raises the rescuing
vessel, washes it far inl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> leaves it str<strong>and</strong>ed on one of those
Miocene foot-hills which bound the plain of the Tigris on the north <strong>and</strong>
north-east below the confluence of the Little Zab " (Eduard Suess, The
Face of the Earth, i. 72). See, however, the criticism of SoUas, The
Age of the Earthy 316.
IX. 18—27.
—
Noah as Vine-grower: His Curse
<strong>and</strong> Blessing (J).
Noah is here introduced in an entirely new character, as
<strong>and</strong> the first victim
the discoverer of the culture of the vine ;
to immoderate indulgence in its fruit. This leads on to an
account of the shameless behaviour of his youngest son,
<strong>and</strong> the modesty <strong>and</strong> filial feeling of the two elder; in
consequence of which Noah pronounces a curse on Canaan
<strong>and</strong> blessings on Shem <strong>and</strong> Japheth.—The Noah of vv.^^"^'^
almost certainly comes from a different cycle of tradition
from the righteous <strong>and</strong> blameless patriarch who is the
hero of the Flood. The incident, indeed, cannot, without
violating all probability, be harmonised with the Flood-