The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-01

One OF the most powerful and vivid
Genesis is that devoted TO the wonder
full story of the deluge. Together with
the accounts OF Adams fall. the slay-
ing OF Abel and the turning OF Lots
wife into pillar OF salt, every one
remembers from childhood how Noah
was warned OF the doom impending
over the children OF men and how he
constructed a huge ark in which he did
live. himself and his family and two
OF every beast of the field and fowl OF
the air. for the space OF 100 days, or
until the waters subsidized and the dry
land appeared. But the Biblical recital
OF this terrible visitation OF divine
wrath is by no means the only one.
In fact, the most skeptically inclined
must believe that something or the sort
actually occurred long ago. for IL has
been perpetuated not only In the Tai
mud and Koran. but In the legends OF
almost every nation and race that ever
lived on the face OF the earth. including
the Chinese. the ancient Aztecs OF
Mexico, the Indian tribes Of North and
South America and even the savages
OF Africa.
The story. of course. varies material
" in the multItudinous traditions. but
| the gist OF IL remains substantially the
same-namely. that the earth was once
| visited by a great flood in which nearly
every living thing was overwhelmed
and lost. Thus In the Koran we read
! that Noah constructed the ark with
divine assistance and was rallied at for
| his pains by the wicked. When the
| time prescribed for the punishment OF
mankind arrived. water was seen to
flow from the burning oven OF Noah's
wife, and Immediately all the veins
and arteries OF the earth broke and
spurted out water.
| Noah was then admonished in these
words: Take and bring into the ark
two couples OF every kind Of animal.
male and female, with all your family.
| except him who has been condemned
by your mouth, and receive the faith
full and even the unbelieving. but few
only will enter" The Koran also says
that the ark was built IN two years
and that 1t contained three stories. the
upper one for the birds. the middle one
for the men and the provisions and the
hold for the beasts. Canaan. the son
of Ham, refused to be saved. There
fore Noah cursed him. and his posteri-
ty became black and were enslaved.
The Persians assert that Ham incurred
his fathers malediction as well. When
six months had passed the ark rested
on the top of Mount Djondi (Araret),
after having made the circuit of the
world. Tabari says that two sorts OF
animals left the ark which had not en-
tered 1.-THE pig and the cat Concern
ing the latter we have this interesting
piece OF information: When the rats be-
gan to make trouble the voyagers COM
planned to Noah. Whereupon the patri-
arch passed his hand down the back
of the lion, who sneezed, and the cat
leaped out of its nose. And the cat ate
the rats"
According TO the Taimud, Noah and
his family and one pair OF each kind of
beast were to be saved in the ark. but
Of every clean beast seven were to en-
ter in. The rhinoceros. however. had
to be left cut. for the simple but suffi-
clent reason that it's neck alone was
three miles long. Nevertheless all the
rabbinic writers agree that the rhi-
noceros survived the food: hence 1t Is
reasonable TO suppose that the huge
beast was taken In tow by a rope at
tached to it's horn. Some authorities
likewise declare that Noah extended
his hospitality to another outsider In
the shape of Og. the giant, who climb
ed on the roof of the ark and received
his daily food through hole bored In
the side OF the vessel.
Ararat has been known under this
name for 5000 years. and an Armenian
writer declares that an entire country
was so called after Arai the Fair, an
ancient Armenian king. who lived
about 1850 II. G. He fell In a bloody
battle with the Babylonians. and the
scene of his death was thenceforth
, known as Arai-Arat. or the Fall Of
, Arai. Josephus refers to the mountain
! as NaZuana and declares that the re-
mains of the ark were there to be seen
! carefully preserved.
Almost all the Asiatic traditions
closely resemble the Biblical account
Berosus i'll his Chaldee history CB. C.
, 2G0 speaks OF ten kings. who appear
. TO correspond to the ten patriarchs In
, Genesis before the food. The last OF
Inese kings was GaDel AtsnIuFus. BE-
, rosus relates that "Kronos appeared to
Xisuthrus In a dream and warned him
that all men would be destroyed by a
deluge on the 10th OF the month Dae-
r sios and commanded him TO write
down all the learning and science of
! men and TO hide il in the sun city
! Siparis and then 10 build a ship and
enter IL along with his family and reia-
= tives and nearest friends and to take
, into II with him food and drink and
e beasts and winged fowl. When he was
{ asked whittier he was about TO gall. he
was hidden TO reply. To the gods 70
pray them that men may prosper
Xisuthrus did as he was commanded
and when the food showed signs OF
= abating be sent out three birds In sue.
: cession. The first and second came
back. the latter with mud on fits feet
j but the third returned not Soon after
this the ship cas stranded on a noun
: tain, and Xisuthrus disembarked with
his family. offered thanks to the gods
: and vanished. Subsequently the re