Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark was after the biblical book of Genesis, Chapter 6 EU-9 EU build by the Patriarch Noah buoyant box. The word " ark " is derived from the Latin word for box ( arca ). The Hebrew word for ark is תֵבָה Tevah, the, box, shrine, coffin ', but also, Palace ' means (the latter was probably taken from the Akkadian, where ekallum in the Epic of Gilgamesh, palace ' for the ark is, see also equally important Egyptian. ḏbʔ.t ). In a Tevah ( here mostly as, box 'or' basket ' translated) from rushes and bitumen is also exposed after his birth saved Moses (Ex 2.3 to 11 EU).

Noah was chosen according to the biblical narrative of God (Yahweh ) and warned of a Great Flood ( " Flood" ). He was commissioned to build an ark in order himself and his family, consisting of eight people, and to rescue the animals before the flood. At the end of the flood, the ark was in the mountains of Ararat on reason.

• 2.1 Number symbolism 2.1.1 Ark and time
• 2.1.2 Ark and resurrection
• 2.1.3 Ark and the Word of God
• 2.1.4 Ark and unit

• 3.1 Atrahasis epic
• 3.2 Epic of Gilgamesh

Biblical References

Torah

The construction of the ark were Noah along with his wife, Naama, rescued his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. The ark was after (Gen 6,14 EU) 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. The ratio of length to width ( 6 to 1 ) is still used in the shipbuilding industry today. Substituting the yard with only 44.5 centimeters to ( other estimates of the old Elle are at 56 or 61 centimeters ), the ark would have been 133.5 meters long, 22.3 meters wide and 13.4 meters high. Thus, the ark would have had a gross tonnage of nearly 40,000 cubic meters and would have been almost half as long as the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 Such a ship would have estimated roughly the same displacement as the 269 meter-long ocean liner of the 20th century, the Titanic. She had the Biblical report, because it was reinforced from the inside by two additional floors, three decks and possessed by a floor area of ​​approximately 8,900 square feet. However, the Ark ( cube shape ) was in the Gilgamesh epic with 60 m × 60 m × 60 m ( 216,000 cubic meters ) more than five times as large. After spiritual interpretation (see below) it is in the biblical dimensions always about the relationship between time and eternity, earth and sky, so that the degree and time information can not be equated with biblical Earth standards.

As wood for the Ark, gopher (Hebrew גפר ) was used. To what species it was, today is no longer known. However, it assumes that it is the cypress. This wood is very water resistant and durable. The Phoenicians and Alexander the Great preferred the cypress for shipbuilding. According to recent, controversial research, a comparison of the Hebrew " gopher " for the Aramaic root word could bring a clarification: It would mean " laminated wood ", ie plywood, which has a high strength for the same weight.

New Testament

In the New Testament of the Bible, Noah's Ark is mentioned. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus of Nazareth spoke the following words:

"At that time, before the great flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and were married - until the day, went to Noah into the ark. They did nothing about it until the flood came and destroyed them all. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. "

In particular, evangelical Christians see this as proof that Jesus kept the Flood and the building of the ark for a real event.

There are three other mentions of Noah's Ark in the New Testament: Hebrews 11.7 EU, 1 Peter 3:20 and 2 Peter 2.5 EU EU. After Noah is the " heir of the righteousness that comes from faith " (Heb. 11:7). The Flood, be rescued by passing in the ark " eight people " corresponds to baptism as a sacramental salvation of 'death' ( as the cleaning of the conscience of " dead works " - Heb 9:14 f) and resurrection (1 Peter 3:20 ). God saved " Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven other than eighth ," while the " world of the ungodly " went down (2 Peter 2:5).

In temporal proximity to the New Testament it says in the Old Testament ( Protestant: apocryphal ) Book of Wisdom: "So also in ancient times, the hope of the world fled the sinking of the insolent giants on a raft and controlled by your (God's ) hand, leave the world the seeds of a new race. For blessing rests on the wood, done by righteousness "( Wis 14:6 f EU). Previously, it says: " The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God " and therefore not ultimately go under; because " their hope is full of immortality "; on the other hand ( 3,4.11 Wis 1,15 f) is the hope of, unjust 'or' wicked ' which close with the death of " a covenant ", " empty". Justice is inseparably connected with the hope of immortal life beyond death ( cf. Heb 11,1 f) what is biblical by the number eight or the eighth day expressed (beyond the 7- day creation ) ( the baptism was therefore in octagonal basin donated ).

"With the Eighth (starts ) a new era ," while " the time scale for the Seventh " is 58, what the name " Noah " ( 50-8 ) states: "These 58 words expresses the essence of what in words and feelings as, comfort ' can be described, and that you still get to a new one after the demise of the old world. " Consoling ' (Hebrew niham ) and, Comforter ' (such as, Noah ' can also be translated) refer to the hope ( =, consolation '). "The principle, Noah ', the 58, is expressed in the pattern of Creation Time very emphatically, it marks the seventh day. " This seventh day is the day of rest after six days of creation (Gen 2:3) what the name, Noah ' also means (Gen 5:28).

Theological interpretation

Number symbolism

In the biblical story of the Creation in seven days (6 1) is at the end of each day: " And God saw that it was good ." 'Good' is called in Hebrew, tov ' ( טוב ), the numerical values ​​of the letters are 9-6-2 in the sum of 17 With the " number" 17 ( ' good ' ) each day is ended and started a new one. Such a transition from one world to another is also told in the story of the flood. At the time that Noah with " 600 years " (Gen 7:11) rose into the ark, 1656 years were according to biblical counting elapsed since the beginning of creation. The flood story thus played in " 17 Century ". The flood began on the 17th of the second month. On the 17th of the ninth month the ark sat on the Mount Ararat fixed, the 1st of the 11th month, after ten lunar months, the mountains were visible again.

Ark and time

As 17, the number of the transition, the 40, the measure of the time. The ancient Hebrew letter M ( "mem " ) is like a wave and has the numerical value 40 Mem says the word " water " (Heb. " mayim "). After Weinreb it is the picture for the time or the matter, which propagates in wave motion. " This wave motion is expressed materially in the water, but every phenomenon in time manifests itself, materially speaking, also in a wave motion. Just think of the sound and light waves. "

" Going through this world is then like a walk through the water and thus also a go through time. " The train of Israel through the desert lasted "40 Years ", and the stay in Egypt as an image of the material -world " 400 years "( cf. Gen 15:13). 40 days after the delivery of the Word of God ( the Torah ) to Moses are the golden calf ' made ​​and the stone tablets of the law broken. "The ' golden calf ' was - you can calculate this from the text, as it happened 40 days after the revelation -. Done on the 17th of the fourth month " The numbers 4, 40, or 400 as symbols of this world and time are the numbers 1, 10, 100 as symbols of the indivisible unity of God and as the future new world of eternity or, Promised Land ' opposite. The combination of 4 and 1 and 40 and 10, The Bund ' results in 5 and 50, respectively, the pre-Easter season of penance in preparation for Easter takes in the liturgy of the Catholic Church in accordance with 40 days after Easter, on the other hand, the fixed-time 50 days.

Ark and resurrection

The 50 thus exceeds the 7 × 7 ( = 49) as the 8, the 7- day creation. "If this seventh day is completed, then it means that he has met with himself, the highest level for this world of seven, in the seven times seven. So then it includes the 49 as the outermost boundary of this world. And then the eighth day begins, as the new day, counting from the 50. (...) As long as the seventh day still continues, the world on the way to becoming one, which can then be achieved in this seventh day is. The New World, however, begins beyond it, begins with the 50, and that's the eighth day. "

The seventh day Sabbath or (Saturday ) is thus already an image for the Sunday, the eighth day, that is the eternal Day of Resurrection as a new creation, and at the same time for the 50th day, Greek Pentecost = " Fiftieth " ( day) after Easter or Pentecost, the day of, sending of the Spirit '. In the ark, therefore, not only exactly eight men to be saved with Noah " as the eighth " (2 Peter 2:5). Also the height of the ark reached only 49 yards and then with the one Elle of the upper roof hatch (Gen 6:16), the number 50 as the number of Stieg About this creation. ( The high hills are 15 cubits high, and the water at the highest level is 15 cubits over these mountains, from the 30 cubits the height of the ark 11 cubits under water, so that 19 protrudes above the water surface: 15 15 19 = 49).

Ark and God's Word

The dimensions of the ark itself are 30, 300 and 50 cubits (Gen. 6:15). These figures can be read as Hebrew letters, which the consonant sequence l -bl -n or the word lashon results: tongue, language; similar means Teba, the, box ' ( Ark ), in which Moses, the man of the word, is rescued from the water (Ex 2,5 f), at the same time, word '. "It, therefore, are the dimensions of the ark, which itself 'word' means that the term 'language' form. ( ... ) The sense that what life carry over from one world to another, the word and the language is. Is not even the Bible itself? Because she is 'word' and 'language'. "

The Hebrew word for flood, Mabul, means mixing, jumbling. "The word ' Babel ' relate to such activity. " Those linguistic confusion ' after the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9 ) is the Pentecostal language reform with the fire, the tongues ' as a symbol of the Spirit of God, the most, 50th Day coming down 'on the in, miracle of tongues ' nascent Church, lifted (Acts 2:1-13; are in 2.7 to 11, 17' peoples enumerated ).

Ark and unit

In Gen 6.3, the lifetime of the, meat is ' with the Flood on 120 years ' limited. " 120 years in which he at, teba [ Noah ] ' [ ark or word of God ] built, so are preferred over the 480 years before that time again like the One' over that four. In this, one ' just to build the word, refers to the language. Because this one is the tree of life, so the Bible, opposite the Four of the tree of knowledge ... So we see again the ratio 1-4, and again it tells us what constitutes the basic structure of creation, " The same ratio of 1. - 4 shows itself in the unit "Elle", Hebrew ama, 1-40 (-5). "So, what measures what it is used as a benchmark, even in this 1-4. "

This ratio 1-4 states that where the biblical Word of God is understood in the Spirit of God, spiritual or mystical ( as does the Church in the liturgical readings related to each other ), the Bible is an indivisible unit, through the waters of time ( the multiplicity ) saves lives; in contrast, remains an un - spiritual reading in the one-sided orientation toward the literal literal in an outer understanding that does not reach the unity and eternity of the meaning of Revelation.

This unity of the Bible as a revelation of the meaning of the world is reflected in the symbol of the dove (Gen 8.8 to 12 ). The pigeon that always finds its way back to the loft, is considered, homing Genius ' among birds. She is so suited the nature of the re-membrance of an origin, to symbolize the world in one word of the Creator ( cf. Jn 14:26 16:13). The dove represents " in their area of the world the basic movement of the Spirit is: return to the origin of the repetition forward. "

Symbolism of Ark and Church

The church, which emerges as the newly built sanctuary from the miracle of tongues, by mentally understands the biblical word of God in the Spirit of God thus corresponds to the ark. Bishop Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century ), developed from the axiom " outside the Church there is no salvation " (extra ecclesiam nulla salus ): " If any one could escape who was outside the ark of Noah, then one may escape outdoors is outside the Church. "

In fact, already in the Genesis narrative, the building of the ark as a ( pyramidal ), house ' its counterpart in the' erection ' the, apartment Yahweh ' on New Year's Day the second year after the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 40,17 ), where Moses the heavenly archetype of this sanctuary on the 7th day looks (Ex 24:16). This seventh day is expressed in the flood story at the level of hundreds by the age of Noah, in the moment when the tide comes in and he enters that sanctuary ' of the ark ( the Word of God ), the 600 years the seventh century ( analogous to the 7th day ) exceeds (Gen 7:11).

Ancient Near Eastern sources

Atrahasis epic

The Atrahasis epic with the eponymous hero Atrahasis originated no later than the end of the 19th century BC The building of the Ark was only after three plagues the unchecked proliferation of mankind could not stop and saw the gods a deluge as the last effective way. Enki, god of the people, warned Atrahasis before the disaster, so that Atrahasis could begin in time to build the ark.

" Separate yourself from your house, build a ship! Despise the possession, get it your life. The ship which thou shalt build, [ ... ] is cube [ -shaped ... ]! The water depth equal to it bedache. Not to see the sun god its interior (no window ), considered it was up and down! Reinforced were the equipment that Verpichung be strong, all make solid! Pure (animals), [ ... ], fat animals [ ... ] He ( Atrahasis ) crossed [ the ... ( and ) brought out ] a winged [e birds ] of heaven. Cattle [ ... Deputy ] te he in; Ge [ animal ... ] from the steppe. [To ... ], he invited his people. [ ... ] He had to enter his family. The voice of God they heard; because the bitumen was brought that he abdichte the door. When he had her door latching behavior, ... because he cut the rope ( and ) put off the ship. "

Epic of Gilgamesh

Even the well originally created in the 18th century BC, the Gilgamesh epic tells of a flood. In this tradition, sometimes literally taken from the Atrahasis epic, Ziusudra was commanded to build a ship from the god Ea. Ziusudra is called in some passages " Atrahasis ".

"Man of Shuruppak, son Ubara tutus! Tear down the house and exhilarating process of building a ship. Lasse on the wealth and seeking instead after that breathes. Have you had the contrary, instead get what breathes alive. Get the seeds of all that breathes, up into the interior of the ship. The dimensions of the ship, which thou shalt build, - be matched: Exactly the same should be its width and length. It even versieh, like the Apsu, with a protective roof! "

The dimensions of the ark are different from those of the Bible, which corresponded to a scalene cuboid. Ziusudras ship, however, has the form of a cube ( equilateral square ) and the following dimensions:

" A field was large bottom surface thereof, The ten times twelve cubits its walls, Ten times twelve cubits square into the edge of his blanket. I designed his elevation and represented it: I ran through it with six blankets, I counted off seven floors. Then I picked up in the interior of the vessel my entire family and clan. The herd animals of the steppe, the beasts of the steppe, the representatives of all the arts I picked up. I stepped into the interior of the ship and then verpichte my goal. "

Ziusudra stranded as Atrahasis and Noah with his ark finally on a mountaintop.

Alleged whereabouts

Legend has it that the remains of the Ark still on the nearby mountains of Ararat in eastern Anatolia (Turkey) should be located, the question continues to attract adventurers. Thus, for example, reported in October 2003, the Russian newspaper Pravda from a Russian expedition of Neizvestnaya Planeta TV Company, which will not only anchor stones, but also the Ark itself found 30 kilometers away from the mountain.

The Dutch- language newspaper de Redactie reported in May 2010, also from a suspected other found the Ark on Mount Ararat by Gerrit Aalten.

Erich von Däniken wrote in 1968 in his book Memories of the Future inter alia, an alleged discovery of some antique wooden planks on the south side of Mount Ararat. To date, however, none of these alleged discoveries ever a critical examination was held; mostly it was when the alleged parts of the Ark at falsifications.

An older tradition locates the landing place of the ark, however, at Kelainai - Apamea Kibotos in southern Phrygia, this is in the Sibylline Oracles ( 1261 ) testified for the first time and subsequently at Julius Africanus and other Byzantine authors who even wooden remnants mention of her ( Io.. 1.4 times; Syncell 22;. cedrene 1.20 etc.)..

The story of Noah's ark is now regarded by many theologians as a myth whose meaning is not understood in the historical content, but in a theological interpretation. Some evangelical movements, particularly - but not exclusively - in the U.S., are sticking to the historical reality of the Flood. Also, take for example, the Seventh- day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses report in the 1st book of Genesis literally.

Noah's Ark and the naturalism

With the beginning of the comparison of the biblical Ark story in a naturalistic context, took a detachment from the literal Bible interpretation. In the 15th century Alfonso Tostado wrote a detailed description of the inner workings of the ark; taking into consideration the Kotentsorgung and the fresh air circulation. The well-known scholar Johannes Buteo calculated geometry in the 16th century, the interior dimensions of the ship, and gave also that there is enough space for grain mills and ovens on board was.

In the 17th century it was necessary to combine the literal Bible interpretation with the settlement and exploration of America; and the newly discovered species of Asia and Africa also had to be integrated into the ideas of the naturalists and Bible - boom. Since there was only one ark, which logically could be stranded in one place only, must have recolonized from one point to the earth after the Flood, the entire animal world. The obvious explanation was: After the destruction of the tower of Babylon took every people "his" animals in a new home with. But a consequence of this answer was strange: " Why because the natives of North America took with rattlesnakes, and no horses " wondered Sir Thomas Browne in 1646:

" How America is abounded with Beasts of prey and noxious Animals, yet contained not in did Necessary Creature, a Horse, is very strange. "

Bible scholars as Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) and Athanasius Kircher (approx. 1601-1680 ) also began the story of Noah's Ark to undergo a detailed review in order to bring the Bible text and science in harmony. The resulting hypotheses were found to be important to point out in the study of the geographical distribution of plants and animals, and thus gave both Bible scholars an indirect spark for the burgeoning Biogeography of the 18th century. Naturalists began with the thesis of Mount Ararat would have been equipped with various climate zones, which made ​​it possible for a wide variety of animals to live there; and when changing the local climate, the animals fled and moved to more favorable climes until today in their habitats, and so populated the whole earth.

Another problem was the perpetually increasing number of known and described species. Kircher and earlier researchers had no trouble all the animals that lived at the scene of the biblical story and accommodate them in a ship. But just a few decades later, with the discovery of new lands and territories, was John Ray (1627-1705) in front of a clearly inflated number of species. And from 1700 were only a few naturalists justify a literal interpretation of the Noah's Ark story. ( Beginning of the 21st century, after all, are described more than a million species of animals. )

Replicas

The Dutchman Johan Huibers has recreated for almost 850,000 euros the vessel described in the Bible according to size of Gen 6 EU at a scale of 1:2. Johan's Ark is 70 meters long, 9.60 meters wide and 12.70 meters high. It was made ​​from 1200 trees. The builder is already planning another replica in 1:1 scale.

The Dutchman Aad Peters has acquired the mounted on a pontoon rebuild, and expanded into an ecclesiastical world of experience over four floors. So his team and now he visit various ports in Europe, without, however, " to be active in mission want ".

After the ship was first shown in the Netherlands, the reconstruction of 13 July 2011 was to 30 September 2012 at Rheinauhafen in Cologne at anchor. Then, for example, Emden, Hamburg, Rendsburg, Kiel and Lübeck were visited.

In the hull of the ship are on the four floors around a symbolic tree of life distributed life-sized wooden figures make visitors various biblical stories understandable.

In May 2007, the environmental organization Greenpeace built on Mount Ararat in 2500 meters altitude a model of Noah's Ark, to warn of an impending climate catastrophe. The replica is ten meters long, four meters wide and four meters high. In the future, it should serve as a refuge for climbers.

Noah's Ark in the media

• In the animated film Fantasia 2000 of 2000 dealt a short film with the ark and Noah's assistant, portrayed by Donald Duck, and the rescue before the Flood. The film segment is from Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches - accompanied by music Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4.
• In the film comedy Evan Almighty from the year 2007 God carries on the politicians Evan Baxter to build an ark for the coming flood in a short time.
• In the TV movie The Ark Norman Tony Danza as Norman Waters builds an ark.
• In the U.S. feature film in 2012 will be built for worldwide Erdkrustenverschiebungen arks.
• The writer and cartoonist Ralf König processed the story of Noah's Ark in the satirical comic " archetype " ( Ralf König. Archetype Rowohlt, 2009, ISBN 3-498-03549-5 )
• The television production Noah's Ark - The greatest adventure of mankind in 1999 that originated in German -American co-production with numerous well-known actors, with just under 3 hours Length offers the most comprehensive and most elaborate film version of a Bible adaptation of the theme, but with rather weak responses of viewers.
• In the animated film The Ark of the worm is in there from the year 1988, the story is worked up for children.