Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends
Fabricius, i. p. 225.
Footnote 181:
Eisenmenger, i. p. 651.
XIV.
NOAH
The earth being filled with violence, God resolved on its destruction,
but Noah, the just, He purposed to save alive.
On the words of Genesis, “_All flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth_,” the Rabbi Johanan taught that not only was the race of men
utterly demoralized, but also all the races of animals.[182] Noah and
his family, and one pair of all the beasts of earth, were to be saved in
the ark, but of every clean beast seven were to enter in. Falsehood
hastened to the ark and asked to be admitted; Noah refused. “I admit the
animals only in pairs,” said he.
Then Falsehood went away in wrath, and met Injustice, who said—
“Why art thou so sad?”
“I have been refused admittance into the ark, for I am single,” said
Falsehood; “be thou my companion.”
“See, now,” answered Injustice, “I take no companionship without
prospect of gain.”
“Fear not,” said Falsehood, “I will spread the toils and thou shalt have
the booty.”
So they went together to the ark, and Noah was unable to refuse them
admission. And when the Flood was passed and the beasts went forth out
of the ark, Falsehood said angrily, “I have done my work and have caused
evil, but thou hast all the plunder; share with me.”
“Thou fool!” answered Injustice, “dost thou forget the agreement? Thine
it is to spread the net, mine alone to take the spoil.”[183]
At the time of the Deluge the giants were not all drowned, for Og
planted his foot upon the fountains of the great deep, and with his
hands stopped the windows of heaven, or the water would have risen over
his head. The Rabbi Eliezer[184] said that the giants exclaimed, when
the Flood broke out, “If all the waters of the earth be gathered
together, they will only reach our waists; but if the fountains of the
great deep be broken up, we must stamp them down again.” And this they
did, but God made the waters boiling hot, and it scalded them so that
their flesh was boiled and fell off their bones.[185] But what became of
Og in the Deluge we learn from the Talmud.[186] He went into the water
along with a rhinoceros[187] beside the ark, and clung to it; now the
water round the ark was cold, but all the rest was boiling hot. Thus he
was saved alive, whereas the other giants perished.
According to another authority, Og climbed on the roof of the ark; and
on Noah attempting to dislodge him, he swore that, if allowed to remain
there, he and his posterity would be the slaves of the sons of Noah.
Thereupon the patriarch yielded. He bored a hole in the side of the
vessel, and passed through it every day the food necessary for the
giant’s consumption.[188]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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