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
After forty days, the ark swam from one end of the earth to the other,
over the highest mountains. Over Mount Kubeis, chosen by God in which to
preserve the sacred black stone of the Kaaba, the ark revolved seven
times.[194]
Tabari says that Noah had four sons, and that of these Canaan was the
youngest, and that the three elder believed in his mission, but his wife
and Canaan laughed at his predictions. The animals that were brought
into the ark were collected and wafted to it by the wind. When the ass
was about to enter, Eblis (Satan) caught hold of its tail. The ass came
on slowly; Noah was impatient, and exclaimed, “You cursed one, come in
quick.”
When Eblis was within, Noah saw him, and said, “What right have you in
here?”
“I have entered at your invitation,” answered the Evil One. “You said,
‘Cursed one, come in;’ I am the accursed one.”
When six months had passed, the ark rested on the surface of the water
above Djondi,[195] and the rain ceased to fall, and God said to the
earth, “Suck in the water;” and to the sky, “Withhold thy rains.” The
water abated; and the ark lodged on the top of the mountain.
“There left the ark two sorts of animals which had not entered it—the
pig and the cat. These animals did not exist before the Deluge, and God
created them in the ark because it was full of filth and human
excrements, which caused a great stench. The persons in the ark, not
being able to endure any longer the smell, complained to Noah. Then Noah
passed his hand down the back of the elephant, and it evacuated the pig.
The pig ate all the dung which was in the ark, and the stench was no
more.
“Some time after the rats gave great annoyance. They ate the food, and
befouled what they did not eat. Then the voyagers went to Noah, and said
to him, You delivered us in our former difficulty, but now we are
plagued with rats, which gnaw our garments, eat our victuals, and cover
everything with their filth. Then Noah 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.
“When Noah had left the ark, he passed forty days on the mountain, till
all the water had subsided into the sea. All the briny water that is
there is what remains from the Flood.
“Noah said to the raven, Go and place your foot on the earth and see
what is the depth of the water. The raven departed; but, having found a
carcase, it remained to devour it, and did not return. Noah was
provoked, and he cursed the raven, saying, May God make thee
contemptible among men, and let carrion be thy food!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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