Ancient Chinese History and the Book of Genesis. Part Two: Noah, the Flood, and Chinese history (original) (raw)
Ancient Chinese History and the Book of Genesis
Some have raised the point that the ancient Chinese dynastic civilisation is - just as the archaïc Egyptian civilisation was once thought to have been - so ancient that it antedates even the Genesis estimations for the beginning of humanity and the Flood.
Some have raised the point that the ancient Chinese dynastic civilisation is - just as the archaïc Egyptian civilisation was once thought to have been - so ancient that it antedates even the Genesis estimations for the beginning of humanity and the Flood.
Ancient Chinese History and the Book of Genesis. Part Three: Babel and the Dispersion
“From a Biblical viewpoint, as did all of humanity, the Chinese descended from Adam, then Noah through the Tower of Babel incident. The amazing "Table of Nations" in Genesis 10, which chronicles the language groups and their destinations, mentions the "Sinite people" in verse 17, which probably became the Asian groups. The Asian people descended from language groups migrating away from the Tower of Babel after God confounded their languages. In all likelihood, the well-documented dynasties date to that event, while the prior ones were faded memories of pre-Flood patriarchs, preserved as legends”.
Flood Myths in the Religions of the Ancient World
Many cultures have some form of flood myth as part of their religious beliefs, but some of the most ancient of these are those of Mesopotamia and other early Middle Eastern civilizations, as well as certain Asian groups. It is possible that these myths have been passed down from their oldest form to the cultures of other groups such as those of the Chinese Miao. It could also be that the flood myths of each culture are actually based on a real catastrophic event that occurred at some point far in the past history of the world and each culture has passed the tale of this flood incident down through the generations.
A Biblical Theology of the Flood
2002
A. Terminology: mabbûl (13x) and several other terms B. Extra-biblical Flood stories 1. Flood stories are almost universal (see Nelson, Deluge in Stone) 2. Stories nearest area of dispersion closest to Biblical account 3. Four main flood stories from Mesopotamian sources a. Eridu Genesis (Sumerian, ca. 1600 B.C.)–See T. Jacobsen, JBL 100(1981): 513-529 = Creation, Antediluvian Period, Flood b. Atrahasis Epic (Old Babylonian version, ca. 1600 B.C.)–see W. G. Lambert and a. R. Millard, Atrahasis (Oxford, 1969) = Creation, Anediluvian, Flood c. Gilgamesh Epic, 11 tablet (Neo-Assyrian version, 8th-7th cen. B.C.)–see Pritchard, ANET, pp. 23-26; and Alexander Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and OT Parallels (Chicago: University Press, 1946) = only Flood d. Berossus' account (Babylonian priest 3 cent. B.C.)–See Lamber and Millard, pp. 134-137 = just Flood C. Unity of the Genesis Flood Story–see accompanying photocopy from W. Shea, The Structure of the Genesis Flood Narrative and Its Implica...
This paper explores the Genesis flood narrative through the lenses of hyperbole, history, and theology, evaluating whether the flood was local or global in scope. Textual analysis of Genesis 6–9 highlights terms like “all the earth” (kol ha’aretz) and “under heaven” in their ancient Near Eastern contexts, emphasizing the use of hyperbolic language. Theological implications, including the covenant with Noah, the symbolism of human lifespans, and the reappearance of the Nephilim, are examined. Comparative insights from Mesopotamian texts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Sumerian King List, reveal shared motifs while underscoring Genesis’ unique theological stance. Scientific evidence, including geological findings and challenges to a global flood model, is critically assessed. This study integrates biblical, theological, and scientific perspectives, offering a nuanced interpretation that highlights Genesis’ theological relevance.
Global Deluge, Theophany and the Ut-napištim-Noah-Oppehnaboon Connection
Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, 2021
It is a long established fact that stories of a global flood permeate oral traditions and mythologies in every corner of the Earth. Of these global deluge epics, the most well-known are those of the biblical Noah and of Ut-napištim recorded in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, both of which were recorded in antiquity. As such, any comparisons of flood texts can reasonably begin with a consideration of the similarities and differences of a flood myth with those of Noah and of Ut-napištim, and they often are.Taiwan's Saisiyat tribal myth of Oppehnaboon is remarkably similar to the accounts of both Ut-napištim and Noah. The current study examines correlations in character background, communication with and manifestation of transcendental messengers (theophany), stated causes for the deluge, post-flood commandments and other parallels which are featured in the accounts. This study sheds light on one of the lesser known Saisiyat tribe's myths of Oppehnaboon and serves as a first step to a more in depth investigation of Formosan global deluge myths.
FLOOD ATTACK The Mass Murder "Weapon of Choice" in Early China
The Great Flood of China was THE founding legend of China. In this paper from the International Commission on Irrigation and Storage the author argues that the flood was a pivot point in the conflict between China's early Matriarchal and Patriarchal clans. For further information see same author's paper on "Matriarchal China".
Jianghan plain, the locale of China's Great Flood four thousand years ago
Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 2023
The Yellow River Plain (YRP), being regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization, is traditionally thought to be the locale of the Great Flood, a hazardous flood (or floods) tamed by Yu who started China's first "dynasty", Xia, in ~ 2000 BC. However, by integrating published archaeological data, we propose that the Great Flood in fact impacted the Jianghan Plain (JHP) along the middle course of the Yangtze River. The arguments include: (1) around the era of the Great Flood, the most civilized and populated society in East Asia, named the Jianghan society, was located around the JHP (at that time, the habitation on the YRP remained limited); (2) the Jianghan society lived on river resources (shipping and rice growing) and was thus subject to flood risks (but not for the people inhabiting the YRP); (3) the people in the Jianghan society were experienced in dredging moats/ditches for shipping and irrigation; (4) unlike the floods on the YRP that were characterized by dynamic sedimentation and channel avulsion, those on the JHP typically occurred with slow-moving water manageable to ancient people; (5) the JHP has been associated with lake/wetland systems serving as detention basins during floods. Here, the recorded method for controlling the Great Flood, dredging channels to divert flood water to a "sea", was feasible. Known speleothem paleorainfall data from multiple sites show that the climate of the JHP had been wet since the middle Holocene (earlier than the era of the Great Flood) and significantly turned dry after ~ 1850 BC (~ 150 years later than the Great Flood). Thus, the uniqueness of the Great Flood was likely to reflect an increase in land use on the JHP with the expansion of the Jianghan society, and the success in taming this flood was mainly due to the efforts of the society, not by luck. Key points 1. Floods on the Jianghan Plain were predictable and manageable in ancient times. 2. The most populated society in East Asia was located around the Jianghan Plain. 3. The people in the Jianghan society were experienced in dredging moats/ditches.