Chapter 7

Noah

Trustworthy Guide

The First Ark...

The timeline of man commenced the moment Adam and Chawah were beguiled by Satan into rebelling against Yahweh. As a consequence, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and humankind began its 6,000-year countdown to Armageddon—the last rebellion.

The first increment of time we are given along the way is found in Genesis 5:3. It says: “When (wa) ‘Adam (‘adam - man) had existed (hayah) 130 (salosiym uma’at) years (sanah - changes and repeats of seasons), he fathered a child (yalad) in (ba) his (hu) likeness (damuwt - model and resemblance); similar to (ka - after and in the pattern of) his image (selem - semblance). And he called (qara’) his name (shem) Seth (sheth - six establishes the foundation).” (Genesis 5:3)

By naming Adam’s third son, and the heir to the covenant, “six,” and by having this name be directly related to the Hebrew word conveying “provides” and “foundation,” Yahweh was calling attention to the fact that His redemptive solution would be based upon His formula of six-plus-one (man-plus-God-equals-perfection). And while that’s strongly inferred, I’m not sure how to apply the “130 years.” Did Adam receive his nesamah 130 years previously, or was he expelled from Eden that long ago, having camped out with Yah for 70 years in the garden? By using hayah/existed, Yah seems to be implying the former, even though the measurement of time would have been meaningless to Adam in paradise.

We know that before Seth was born, Cain and Abel had grown old enough to become a farmer and shepherd, and one had killed the other. So, it would be safe to say that at least 30, of the 130 years transpired after the fall.

This interpretation seems consistent with the next two verses. “The days (yowm - time) Adam existed (hayah) after (‘achar) he fathered (yalad) Seth (sheth - the foundation is six) were 800 (samoneh me’ah) years (sanah - repeats of seasons). He fathered other sons (ben) and daughters (bat). All (kol) the days Adam existed (hayah) were (hayah) 930 years and he died (muwt).” (Genesis 5:4-5) On the surface one would assume that since freewill was on display and central to the Garden of Eden account, Yahweh would have had no control whatsoever regarding the timing of Adam and Chawah’s rebellion. But in actuality, He did. Yahweh not only consciously chose to let Satan slither into Eden, He chose the timing of the Adversary’s advance as well.

There are those who scoff at this portion of Genesis, primarily because it depicts such long lives. If you are one of them, I would encourage you to read Genetic Entropy & the Mystery of the Genome by Dr. J.C. Sanford, a Cornell University professor with a Ph.D. in genetics. He not only demonstrated that the human genome is degrading rapidly (thereby proving macro-evolution wrong), but also that the genealogies presented in Genesis depict the precise rate of decay in longevity one would expect based upon the adverse consequence of genetic mutation over time.

The reason Yahweh gave us this detailed information regarding the passage of time between successive heirs to the Covenant is so that we would understand His timeline and be able to establish important dates—past and future. So let’s review what He had to say. “When Seth had lived (hayah - existed) 105 years, he fathered ‘Enowsh (‘anowsh - humankind or mankind).” (Genesis 5:6)

While Seth would go on to live 912 years, it’s the duration between generations which is germane to the timeline. But a word of caution: there is no place in all of Scripture more prone to scribal error than numbers, especially large ones over two significant digits, and especially in the Torah. This is because the oldest Torah manuscripts relied on the Egyptian method of accounting which used a horizontal line above an alpha-numerical representation to convey what we write today in the ten-based numbering system replete with Arabic numerals and decimal places. This is the system with which Moshe and the Yisra’elites were familiar. But the original format was problematic, because papyrus was woven such that the fibers formed horizontal ridges and indentations. With the ink and writing instruments of the day, and with constant unfurling of scrolls, horizontal lines quickly became difficult to read as the ink faded into the shadows and cracked off the papyrus fibers. So over time, they became virtually invisible in all but the best light and circumstances.

As evidence of this, Hebrew scribes, thousands of years distant from Seth’s time, left out the one-hundreds place in six post-flood and pre-Abraham generations. And by implication, it appears that they added a similar quantity of time into six antediluvian generations to balance the ledger.

If the concept of Masorete copyediting, or at best, inadvertent errors, is new to you, be aware that the Masoretic was written in Babylonian Hebrew, not paleo Hebrew, the alphabet and language of revelation. Men, not God chose how to vocalize the consonant base of the text, and in many cases it’s obvious that they chose poorly, thereby altering the message. Further, the rabbis who compiled the Masoretic, considered the Aramaic Targum, also of Babylonian origin, to be their authorized version of Scripture. This was not unlike the Catholics with their Latin Vulgate. Hebrew had been a dead language for 2,000 years before it was reconstituted in 1948 with the establishment of the modern state of Israel. Moreover, the Aramaic Targum was not just a translation from Hebrew to Aramic, but instead an interpretive paraphrase of the Old Covenant. This text was routinely altered by religious zealots, and each time there was a doctrinal disagreement between Yahweh and the rabbis, the text was ratified in favor of religion. Heavy doses of midrashic interpretation are common in the Targum. Therefore, suspicion and skepticism are warranted in on a massive scale with regard to Masoretic interpretation in general, and specifically when evaluating numbers beyond two significant digits in the Torah. 

From this perspective, I’d like you to consider the specific example I alluded to in a previous chapter. In the Septuagint (prepared 300 to 200 BCE), there are  six generations between Shem and Abraham which are exactly one-hundred years longer, and there is a seventh which is twenty years longer—all of which is confirmed by the Samarian Pentateuch (prepared 400 to 600 BCE).

Unfortunately, when it comes to the first five chapters of Genesis, the Dead Sea Scrolls are of nominal value in resolving this debate. The early chapters of the Torah are badly deteriorated, and so only fragmentary evidence is extant in the otherwise reliable Qumran collection. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a great deal of research to ascertain which source was right, the Masoretic or the unified position of the Septuagint and Samarian Pentateuch. Once we pass the flood, we enter the time of written history where people, nations, and dates are known independently of Scripture. In this regard, the duration of time itemized in the Masoretic between Nimrod, for example, and Abraham is many centuries deficient. But the accounting appears to be accurate with regard to the older aligned texts. (To some degree, this disparity helps us understand why the Rabbinical Calendar places those of us living in 2008 in the year 5785, when it is really 5975—just 265 years shy of Yah’s return.)

Acknowledging this post-flood deficiency, in order to balance the ledger, and to square the Scriptural accounting with the dates which are known (the time of Abraham, the Exodus, and the construction of the Temple under Solomon), we must subtract some of the additional 620 years presented in the Septuagint and Samarian sources from the antediluvian Masoretic accounting. How much, I cannot be certain, so we’ll consider all reasonable possibilities as we move through the Scriptural story.

Also, please understand, while my data and reasoning may be flawed, what I want to convey is that you shouldn’t blindly rely on English translations of the Bible (prepared 1384 CE through 1975), or on the Masoretic (drafted between 1100 CE through 1550), to date the flood to 2348 BCE, because that date is inconsistent with geology, archeology, and written history.  

Beyond the issue of the way numbers were recorded, and the way aspects of the process faded into the papyrus fibers, even if we could be certain of the value of values greater than two significant digits, which we can’t, on average we’d still need to add six months to each generation, since there is no indication that an heir was fathered on the predecessor’s birthday. Seth, for example, would have been 105 for 364 days and could have fathered Enowsh at any time during that period. This realization is especially important when it comes to the more numerous, albeit shorter, generations between the flood and Abraham and from Abraham to Moses.

So that you are not overly concerned, recognize that from the time of Joseph and then Moses, to the time of the Exodus, the conquest of the Promised Land, as well as the kingdom of David and Solomon, Scriptural accounting syncs perfectly with recorded history and archeology. Since many claim otherwise, as we press forward in our study, we will consider the evidence, especially as it has been compiled by David Rohl and his A Test of Time—The Bible from Myth to History.

Lastly, there is the issue of yalad. It can mean “conceived as in fathered,” or “gave birth to,” the first of which would require the addition of nine months per generation.

Therefore, the bottom line is, there just isn’t enough dependable data to accurately determine the time which transpired from the fall to the flood. That said, there are some interesting insights provided along the way to make the journey worthwhile. And fortunately, by using the generational accounting in the Septuagint, we are able to work backwards from Moses to reestablish the record stolen from us by time. So we can date the flood, and account for this time. That is, so long as we are cognizant of Yah’s plan of six-plus-one.

“When ‘Enowsh had lived (hayah - existed) 90 years he fathered Qeynan (qeynan - sorrowful possession).” (Genesis 5:9) “Qeynan had lived (hayah - existed) 70 years and he fathered Mahalal’el (mahalal’el - ma, to question, halal, God’s light).” (Genesis 5:12) “Mahalal’el had existed (hayah - lived) 65 years and he fathered Yered (yered - to descend).” (Genesis 5:15)

From the perspective of the parade of names, we’ve gone downhill. “Enowsh (mortal mankind), Qeynan (in sorrowful possession), Mahalal’el (questioned God’s light), and Yered (descend).”

Along the way, the time from conception to conception has declined from 130 to 105 to 90 to 70 to 65 years, so it’s likely that the hundred place was erroneously added into the Masoretic text in the next generation. “When Yered had lived (hayah - existed) 162 (or 62) years he fathered Hanowk (hanowk - to educate, dedicate, inaugurate, and consecrate, usually transliterated Enoch).” (Genesis 5:18) Finally, a name with a positive attribute. Let’s discover why.

“Hanowk had lived (hayah - existed) 65 years when he fathered Matuwselah (mathuwshelach - male branch). Hanowk (better known as Enoch) walked (halak) with God (‘elohym) after (‘ahar) he fathered (yalad - conceived) Matuwselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. All (kol) the days (yowm - time) Enoch (Hanowk) lived (hayah - existed) were 365 years. “Hanowk (Enoch) walked (halak) with God (‘elohym) and he vanished (‘ayin - was not), for indeed (kiy - because surely), God (‘elohym) grasped hold of and took (laqah - selected, accepted, laid hold of, snatched, received, obtained, carried away, acquired, and procured) him (hu’).” (Genesis 5:21-24) It was the first of seven raptures. And not so coincidently, Enoch was the seventh name on the list.

Beyond God wanting to be with Enoch, there were other reasons for this to have occurred. First, Yahweh wanted to impress upon us the importance of walking with Him. There is no better way to make this point than by telling us that the first man who did so was “grasped hold of, selected, accepted, snatched away by, received, and acquired by God.” That is why Hanowk’s name means “to educate (to instruct us), to dedicate (the benefit being bestowed), to inaugurate (being the first of seven soul harvests), and to consecrate (being set apart, which is the purpose and result).” It is as if God is saying by way of this man’s name: “I’m going to educate my people by way of this man’s example, setting him apart from all others. He is the inaugural example of my seven harvests, demonstrating what it means to be set apart.”

To stress the importance of this point, after asking Abraham to leave Babylon, Yahweh asked the patriarch of the Covenant “to walk with Him.” Man walking with God is the essence of Yah’s plan, our very reason for being—the purpose of the partnership. He’s seeking an engaged and active relationship where we stand upright in His presence.

Second, everything Yahweh does follows His six-plus-one plan. There are seven harvests of souls. The first was Enoch—symbolizing the harvest of the primarily Gentile ekklesia depicted here and also in Hebrews 11:5. Two: Lot from Sodom—symbolizing the removal of God’s family prior to the towns’ destruction in Genesis 18 and 19 and 2 Peter 2. Three: Eliyah (Yah is God)—symbolizing Yisra’el’s return from Ba’al’s Babylon, their restoration and harvest in 2 Kings 2. Four: Yahushua’s resurrection day—fulfilling the Miqra of FirstFruits in Matthew 27:52 and Leviticus 23. Five: The pre-tribulation harvest, or paralambano harpazo, of the ekklesia. This is the fulfillment of the Miqra’ of Taruw’ah, which is what makes it unique among the seven. Six: The harvest of tribulation martyrs—depicting those who have come to trust Yah during the trial and have been killed based upon this relationship. This event coincides with the transition between the Tribulation and Millennial Sabbath in Revelation 20:4. And Seven: The harvest of millennial mortals—something which is required as New Jerusalem begins in Revelation 21 and 22.

The third reason Yahweh snatched Hanowk/Enoch away from the polluted planet was because He had another job for him to do. Enoch will join ‘Eliyah/Elijah as one of the two Revelation witnesses during the Tribulation.

Before we leave the verse which depicts the harvest of the first human soul, let’s do a quick accounting. At face value, the years from Adam and his fall to Enoch and his ascension total 987. Adding an average of six months per generation we arrive at 990 years and could go as high as 995 depending upon how we deal with conception and birth. This is very near a millennial marker—especially considering the questionable nature of the record keeping. There are very few things as important to Yah as taking His family members home.

The man named after the primary symbol for the source of eternal life, Matuwselah/Methuselah lived longer than anyone in human history—969 years. And while he could well have fathered Lemek at 187, based upon the previous pattern, my instinct tells me we should strongly consider 87. “Matuwselah (mathuwshelach - male branch, symbolic of the Messiyah) had lived (hayah - existed) 187 (or 87) years when he fathered Lemek (lemek - discipled and informed).” (Genesis 5:25)

“When Lemek had existed (hayah - lived) 182 (or 82) years he fathered a son (ben) and called (qara’) his name (shem) Noah (noah - to guide and lead to safety with a peaceful attitude, to be dependable, reliable, and trustworthy; from nuwach, meaning guide to the resting place), saying (‘amar), ‘This (zeh) is how He will change, console, and comfort us (naham - cause us to reconsider, to relent and repent, finding relief) from (min) our practices, customs and deeds (ma’aseh - work, labor, pursuits, habits, and conduct, even fate), from (min) the pain and suffering (‘issabown - aching toil) of our hands (yad - a metaphor for individual power, capacity, and strength), and from the earth (‘adamah - soil and ground) which relationally (‘asher) Yahuweh has cursed (‘arar).” (Genesis 5:28-9)

Noah’s name tells us that he is a metaphor for the Messiyah. He is being established as “a guide who leads mankind to safety.” His attitude and approach to life makes him a “dependable, reliable, and trustworthy leader.”

His moniker defines his purpose, which is to change mankind’s thinking, to get us to realize that our societal customs and religious practices, our pursuits, ambitions, habits, and deeds are bad and they need to be revised. Just because everyone else is doing it, it doesn’t make it right. This was a time for man to relent and repent. It still is. But for those who elect to trust and rely upon this guide, there will be comfort and relief from pain and suffering. That is what paradise is all about.

Also be aware that this passage confirms that Yahweh did what he told Adam He would do. Remember...“To Adam, He said, ‘Because you have listened to (heeded and obeyed) the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree which I directed (instructed) you, saying not to eat from it, cursed (‘arar) is the ground (‘adamah - region, soil, and earth) because you shall labor (‘issabown - suffer exerting considerable energy) to eat from it all the days of your life (hayah - existence). Thorns and thistles shall sprout up as you consume the vegetation from the open environs (expansive fields outside the walled enclosure). By the sweat of your brow you shall feed yourself bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken because you are dirt (a collection of the minute elements or particles which comprise matter) and surely into the earth (onto dirt) you shall return.’” (Genesis 3:17-19) Upholding consequences and fulfilling promises is Yah’s trademark. We, therefore, know what to expect from Him.

It’s time to total the numbers we have been given. The span from Adam to Seth is 130 years, 30 to 60 of which is a reasonable guesstimate of the duration post fall. To this we must add: 105, 90, 70, 65, and 65. Then there is a question as to whether the 162, 187, and 182 year periods should be made consistent with the other generational spans. Collectively, this yields a number which is at the very least 656 years to the day Noah was born. But 756, 856, 986, or 1,086 years may have passed from the fall to the emergence of the Ark’s captain.

To each of these totals we must add six months per generation on average and then consider an additional nine-month gestation period. This would add between 4 and 12 years to the sum, giving us a minimum of 660 years. The other sums would total: 760 to 768, 860 to 868, and 990 to 998, with the largest possible number being 1,090 to 1,098 years between Adam’s fall and Noah’s ascent.

Therefore, based upon the full stated value of the inflated Masoretic numbers, Noah’s birth becomes a candidate for the first millennial marker. The man who would come to symbolize the engaged and protective nature of the Covenant Yahweh would establish with Abraham, is indeed a worthy nominee.

But, the flood itself could mark the first millennia. After all, we still need to account for the 620-year disparity between the oldest sources and their newer rival. Therefore, the fallibility of Masoretic numbering may still be on display in what follows: “When Noah had existed (hayah - lived) 500 (or 50) years, Noah fathered (yalad - conceived) the sons Shem (shem - personal name and proper designation), Ham (ham - sweltering hot and father-in-law), and Yepet (yepet - errantly transliterated Japheth).” (Genesis 5:32) It’s possible Moses wrote “50” rather than 500.

With this in mind, the highly flawed 15^th-century CE Masoretic literally reads: “And (wa) Noah (noah) son (ben) six (shesh) hundreds (me’ah) repetitions (sanah - years, repeats, and changes) and (wa) the (ha) flood (mabbuwl) existed (hayah - was, is, will be, happened, and occurred) waters (mayim) on (‘al) the (ha) land (‘erets).” (Genesis 7:6) Fortunately, we know that me’ah/hundred was a product of Babylonian Rabbinical interpretation. They may have been right, but it’s hard to explain the inclusion of ben/son in the passage unless it is indicative of Shem, Ham, and Yepet being married and childless at say, sixty, not six hundred, at the time of the flood.

If we were to remove ben/son from the text and replace it with hayah, “existed or lived,” in that this is the term used in every other account of this type, the inference would be that Noah was 600 years old when the flood began.

That means we have two ways to look at the numbers. If Noah had been 50 when his sons were born, and if they had been no more than 60 years old when the flood began, we would be able to add 110 years to the previous totals, rather than a full 600 years. Using the 868 sum we surmised earlier as our base, by adding 110, we come within 22 years of 1,000 for the inception of the flood after the fall.

The second way to look at the numbers is to add 600 years to the previous totals. That being the case, the Masoretic suggests that the flood occurred 1,656 years after Adam’s inception, or perhaps 1,556 years after his fall from grace. But keep in mind that we need to make a 600- to 620-year adjustment to this side of the ledger to square the Masoretic with the much older Scriptural sources, history, and archeology. And from this perspective, no matter which value you select, you come within shouting distance of a millennial marker.

That said, keep in mind that one-thousand year intervals, or 20 Yowbel periods ((20)(7x7+1=50)), don’t appear particularly meaningful to God. They serve as confirmation dates, not fulfillment dates. The flood is a confirmation of Yahweh’s plan of salvation, not an enactment of it. Forty, not twenty, is the Scriptural number of completion. This theme is repeated throughout the Word, starting with it raining for forty days and forty nights during the flood.

Forty Yowbel (better known as Jubilee) periods, or 2,000-year increments, underscore Scripture’s three most important events: the confirmation of the Covenant with Abraham on Mowriyah, Yahushua’s Sacrifice fulfilling the Covenant on Mowriyah, and the Messiyah’s return to Mowriyah to save those who embraced the Covenant. The first two events occurred on 1968 BCE and in 33 CE, and the last will occur in 2033.

I would have preferred clear and irrefutable Scriptural evidence that the flood served as the first millennial marker for many reasons. And while it very well might be, we may have to consider the “rapture” of Enoch and the birth of Noah as potential candidates.

And so that you know, the other confirming events which marked the odd-numbered millennia included laying the foundation of the first Temple in 968 BCE on Mount Mowriyah and the poisoning of the water under Mowriyah in 1033 CE in accordance with the Numbers 5 divorce decree. In other words, the timing and substance of five of the six milestones are either known or can be readily discerned, leaving only the timing of the flood in question.

As we open the sixth chapter of Genesis, bible translators ignore hayah, render kiy “when” rather than “indeed,” and then pass over halal as if it were not there to get: “When man began to multiply...” While that may be what happened, the text actually says: “Indeed (kiy), it came to pass (hayah) that mankind (‘adam) defiled and profaned (halal - treated with contempt and desecrated, dishonored, polluted, wounded, and invalidated) the face (paneh) of the earth (‘adamah - land, ground, and soil). And increasingly (rabab - a great quantity of) daughters (bat - female offspring) were born (yalad) to them.” (Genesis 6:1)

Halal is important because it reveals who was responsible for this fallen state. Halal is Satan’s name. Chawah was the first, but not the only or last person he beguiled.

To better appreciate Satan’s influence on man and the earth, let’s review the meaning of halal’s English synonyms without their religiosity. That way, we will better understand who Satan is and what he wants to accomplish.

To defile is “to trample down and make unclean and impure.” It is “to corrupt that which was good, sullying, dishonoring, and contaminating it.” This is what Satan did to Adam and Chawah, and what he continues to beguile mankind into doing to itself today, suggesting that the Adversary has a limited arsenal of tricks.

To profane is “to abuse something sacred, to treat something good with irreverence and contempt.” It is to “debase, make unworthy, and vulgar.”

And to desecrate is “to violate the sanctity of something which was once good.” It means “to treat disrespectfully and irreverently.” There is nothing more sacred to God than a loving relationship. Jealous of the attention man was receiving from Yah in this regard, Halal sought to debase it, making that which was beautiful, vulgar. Subverting individual relationships between man and God through religious worship, corruption, submission, and fear, is as profane as it gets.

To treat with contempt is “to despise.” It stems from “a lack of respect or reverence.” Contempt is “willful disobedience.” Knowing Yah, trusting Yah, relying upon and loving Yah are predicated upon respect and reverence. It is why Satan despised these things. It is what led to his willful act of disobedience. It is what caused Yahweh to treat Halal with contempt, and to curse him. It is why Halal’s little helpers altered Scripture’s meaning to infer that we are to “fear,” not “revere,” God.

At this point Yah makes a distinction between two types of humans. And while He doesn’t say so here, His conclusion of the flood story makes it obvious that there were people with and without a nesamah/conscience. Some folks were simply animals. Perhaps some still are...

“The sons (ben - male descendants and children) of the Mighty One (‘elohym - God) saw (ra’ah - viewed and found) that the daughters (bat - female children) of men (‘adam) were really (kiy) beautiful (towb - attractive and good, pleasurable and fun, even productive). So now they (henah) took (laqah - grasped hold of, received, and obtained) any (kol) of them they chose and desired (bahar - preferred and selected) as their women and wives (nasiym - plural of ‘issah).” (Genesis 6:2)

In that Yahweh created Adam in His image, blowing His nesamah/conscience into him, it is reasonable to consider Adam’s offspring as “sons of God.” The daughters of men would represent the other Homo sapiens who were roaming around east of Eden. The reason that the nesamah-equipped humans were able to have any woman they wanted was because of the overwhelming advantage judgment, discernment, and reason gave them over lesser-equipped people.

Profaning His creation, treating it with contempt, multiple wives, and living outside His family model, was not the course Yah had plotted. As such: “Yahuweh said (‘amar - promised), ‘My Spirit (ruwach - a feminine noun depicting the power, influence, and life-giving nature of God) will not (lo’) remain in, or contend and plead with (duwn ba - abide, dwell, and live in, direct or vindicate) mankind (‘adam) for an unlimited duration of time (‘olam - forever). Also as a result of (sa gam) him being flesh (basar - existing as a human), his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:3)

Prior to the flood, the water vapor shield which Yah spoke about in Genesis 2:6, at least in this time and place, would have precluded the sun’s most damaging rays from eroding the elasticity of our cells. This would have enabled humans living then and there to renew themselves at a faster rate for a much longer period of time. This combined with a less disease-ridden and degraded geneome, would have enabled the perfectly designed humans who emerged from the garden to live for a very long time. But that was all about to end. True to his word, from this time forward, 120 years has become the maximum extent of a human life.

That number is also important prophetically. Yahweh will go on to say that the generation which experiences the Holocaust (Psalm 102) will be the last generation. And in Matthew 24, He says that those who experience the return of Israel to the land will also witness His return. So the most you can add to 1932 through 1948 is 120 years, and even then that’s stretching it. Reason tells us that we are looking at the millennial marker of 2033, which is exactly 40 Yowbel from Yahushua’s sacrifice.

An errant rendering of naphylym in the next verse, is almost always translated to infer that “giants” were living on the earth. I can only assume that the Latin scholars who did so, missed the religious connotations and assumed that physical prowess would be the only reason to mention such people. “The Naphylym (naphylym - plural of naphal, meaning those who prostrate themselves, who have fallen away, who are oppressed, cast down, and die) existed (hayah) in the (ba ha) land (‘erets - region) in that day (yowm - time), and also (gam) afterward (‘ahar - at a later time).” (Genesis 6:4)

From the beginning, Satan’s religions have all had his victims bowing down, prostrating themselves to a false god. As a result of having ignored Yahweh and His Word, out of apathy, ignorance, and/or convenience, they become victimized by religion and are oppressed in this life and then either die, or are cast down in the next.

Today (read ‘ahar/at a later time), the people best known for their repetitive prostrates are Muslims. That’s significant because Naphysh was also the second-to-last son of Ishmael, Islam’s patriarch. And as you might suspect, the Naphysh were an “Arabian tribe.” That is to say that Islam, the Arabic word for “submission,” isn’t new. Satan has been corrupting men for a long time. His favorite strategy remains to present himself as God. It is the essence of the terrorist chant of “Allahu Akbar!” Allah is the Greatest!—or so the fallen angel wants fallen man to believe.

  “And indeed, relationally (‘asher) the sons of God came to and pursued (bow’ - were included in association with) the daughters of man, and they bore children to them. These men (‘ish - male individuals) were renowned for (shem - named and famous for, earned a reputation for) magnifying themselves, going off to war, and behaving like arrogant tyrants (gibowr - acting like audacious and aggressive fighters as well as powerful despots) from the very beginning (‘olam - and for a very long time, everlasting).” (Genesis 6:4) In this passage, Yahweh has transitioned from calling men ‘adam to ‘ish because He is now viewing them differently.

In Genesis 10:8, we are told that the father of politicized religion, of human self-aggrandizement, Nimrod, was a gibowr, so it’s not a compliment. Arrogant, self-aggrandizing men have used a caustic blend of religion and politics to start wars and set themselves up as tyrannical despots for a very, very, long time. It is the hallmark of human behavior—the thing we are best known for. If I were asked to consolidate human history into a single word, it would be gibowr—the story of men magnifying themselves, going off to war, and behaving like arrogant tyrants.

“Yahuweh saw (ra’ah - viewed, recognized, and considered) that indeed (kiy - truly), the evil intent, wickedness, and depravity (ra’at - deprivation, distress, and misfortune) of mankind (‘adam) in the (ba ha) land (‘erets) was great in magnitude and quantity (rab - prolific and abundant). And his every (kol) inclination (yeser - motivation, desire, ambition, and creative idea) of his heart (leb) and thoughts (mahasabah - plans, plots, purposes, and schemes) were bad (ra’ - evil, wicked, immoral, repugnant, miserable, sad, troubled, and fiercely harmful) all (kol) the time (yowm - every day).” (Genesis 6:5) It only takes a spark to get a fire raging, and all too suddenly, every good thing is consumed in it. By this time, man had used his nesamah so poorly, creation had been for naught.

Naham, in the following verse, is one of those words which the context of the sentence is required to properly convey the meaning. It can depict “being consoled and encouraged after finding relief from sorrow and distress.” But, it can also infer “to reconsider, changing one’s opinion, leading to sorrow, to being sorry, to suffering grief and experiencing regret.” Based upon the situation which has developed, and upon the subsequent use of ‘atsab in the text, conveying, “pain and distress,” the meaning is clear. “Then Yahuweh truly (kiy) grieved, regretting (naham) that He had made (‘asah - fashioned and created) Adam (‘adam - mankind) along with the earth (‘erets). His heart (leb - inner person, source of life, and spirit) was emotionally distressed, filled with grief and sorrow (‘atsab - was hurt, pained, vexed, displeased, and tormented).” (Genesis 6:6)

God can and does experience regret. That’s important because it demonstrates that we are not victimized by predestination. The future is not predetermined. We choose our fate, and that means we can and do choose poorly. We are free to do things God does not want us to do.

The fact God experiences grief tells us that for Him, love and relationships are very real. Life is not a game. But more than anything, this passage reveals that Yahweh is engaged, that He cares deeply and personally about the souls He has created. He wants us to know Him, to choose to be with Him, and to love Him. And thus far, that plan was not going very well.

There are two, vastly different ways to render Genesis 6:7 because min means “from and because,” and the Hebrew word ‘al can be translated “mighty one,” “on,” “continuously,” “prey upon,” or “forever.” Most English translations render it as “to” and then suggest that “the Lord” wants “to blot out...animals, creeping things, and birds” in addition to “man.” Since that doesn’t make sense, I’ve chosen “because” to represent min and “continuously preyed upon” as the most rational rendering of ‘al in this context.

None of this means that I’m smarter, more scholastic, or a better linguist than other translators, because I’m not. But given the choice between rational and irrational, between consistent and inconsistent, I have elected to render the Word in the manner which makes the most sense in context, being true to the terms God chose while at the same time delivering a result which is in harmony with His nature. And I’ve made a point of providing you with the Hebrew terms which form the basis of these translations so that you can readily challenge what I and others are reporting.   

“So (wa) Yahuweh said (‘amar), ‘I will eliminate (mahah - obliterate and destroy, annihilate and exterminate, wipe out and terminate the existence of, and cleanse and remove the impurity of) the Adam/man (‘adam) whom relationally (‘asher) I have created (bara’ - conceived and fashioned, bringing into existence) from (min) upon (‘al) the face (paneh - presence) of the ground (‘adamah - earth as in soil), because (min) the Adam/man (‘adam) has preyed upon (‘al - continuously plundered and spoiled) living creatures (bahemah - animals) who move about (remes - walk, creep, swim, and move about on all fours) and winged creatures who fly (‘op) in the sky (samayim - atmosphere or heavens). Indeed because (kiy kiy - truly and surely), I am grieved, regretting (naham) having made (‘asah) them.’” (Genesis 6:7) Bad was so prevalent, so ubiquitous and pervasive, even God had nearly lost hope.

Elsewhere in Scripture, Yah tells us that His power (energy and ability) and His capacity for mercy and grace (compassion and favor) are infinite. Therefore, we must conclude that His patience, His willingness to continuously witness evil, is limited. As such, we should again take note that Yahweh Himself does not profess unending tolerance of that which corrupts and deceives His creation, and face the reality that there is a limit to hope. And today, once again, mankind is on the precipice of exceeding those bounds.

Fortunately, there were then, as there are now, individuals who found favor with Yah. “But (wa) Noah (noah - the trustworthy guide to the resting place [i.e., returning to the Protected Garden of Joy]) found (masa’ - discovered and obtained, came to posses and experienced) favor (hen - a fortuitous response, acceptance and grace, mercy, compassion, fondness, and kindness, a special and beneficial consideration which made him beautiful, charming, pleasing, and agreeable) in (ba) Yahuweh’s eyes (‘ayin - in Yahweh’s sight and presence, from Yahweh’s point of view, perspective, perception, and understanding).” (Genesis 6:8)

Names mean a great deal to Yahweh. They all convey an essential and relevant truth. By this time, mankind had become more bad than good, more fallen than upright, so God provided “a trustworthy guide” to show us the way back home—to His secure and restful, joyous and good, home. And please take note, while we are still in the early days of the Old Covenant, the path to paradise is by way of Yahweh’s grace.

Masa’ explains how Noah came to find favor with Yahweh, and by example, how we should respond. Our Heavenly Father has always communicated with and revealed Himself to those who want to know Him, whether it be an audible voice, an inner sense of purpose and direction, and/or through His Word and Spirit. Those who seek, find. Noah “discovered, obtained, and came to experience” Yah’s grace because He recognized that God was the source of these things. Further, masa’ suggests that once Noah took the initiative to know Yahweh and walk with Him, that God did everything else, keeping Noah safe and secure during a difficult time.

Hen, sometimes vocalized chen, meaning “grace,” is the operative word of the Renewed Covenant. Merciful and compassionate, Yahweh has responded to man’s fallen condition by providing the consideration required to make us beautiful and acceptable again—at least in His eyes. The relationship severed by man’s poor choices would be restored by way of a favor.

I find it interesting that hen is the base of hanah, which means “to rest while camping in a tent shelter.” It is through God’s grace that we get to celebrate the Miqra’ of Tabernacles, and camping out with God in heaven.

In the context of what came before and what follows, God wants us to know that His focus is on saving individuals and their families. Noah was chosen to pilot the ark because he was a good father and faithful husband, roles which are very important to God. “This is (‘eleh) the genealogical record (towledowt - the written account of the birth and descendants) of Noah, who was (hayah - existed as) an upright (saddiyq - righteous and redeemed, innocent) and blameless (tamim - unblemished and unimpaired) individual (‘ish - man) in (ba) his (hu) home (dowr - household, shelter, tent encampment, and dwelling place). Noah was one who walked (halak) with God (‘elohym).” (Genesis 6:9)

Based upon this passage, as well as the favor bestowed to Lot, it appears to be more in keeping with God’s established plan for us to be good role models within our homes so as to encourage the redemption of our spouse and children than it is for us to pray for the collective salvation of our community and country. From Yah’s perspective, relationships are personal and familial.

The entire purpose of God’s plan of salvation is to lift us up, making us upright—saddiyq. Standing up is therefore the characteristic of man that sets our species apart from all other living creatures. Being lifted upright is also the “favor” Noah received. In a fallen world, he was redeemed; he was established, enabled to stand in the presence of Yah. This is why God led His people out of bondage by way of an “upright pillar of light.” It is why the Word refers to Yahushua as the “Upright Pillar of the Tabernacle.” It is why the only way home is through the upright pillar upon which He hung.

Saddiyq, being “upright, redeemed and innocent” is a derivative of saddaq which means “vindicated.” And vindication is a very specific form of salvation. Set in a legal, judgmental context, it means to be declared innocent of all charges—to be declared “not guilty.” God redeems the lost and fallen so that He can vindicate them, accepting them back home “unblemished, blameless, and unimpaired—perfect” in His eyes. Noah was the beneficiary of this gift.

Yahweh’s perception of Noah, and His acceptance of this man and his family, was based on two criteria. First, Yahweh recognized that Noah valued his wife and children and that he was a loving husband and father, who served as a good role model in his home. Second, Noah was engaged with God, walking with Him.  As you will discover in the “Beriyth - Relationship” chapter, “halak/walking” with God is the central plank on the human side of the Covenant. Yahweh not only wants us upright and moving, He wants us to journey with Him to the Promised Land.

Earlier in this chapter, we discovered that Enoch was the first man to enter heaven because “he walked with God.” Now, we have found that Noah and his family were saved because “Noah was one who walked with God.” In the next chapter we will read that Yahweh’s first instruction to Abraham after asking him to come out of Babylon, was “walk with Me.” So, since God has repeatedly emphasized the importance of walking with Him, I’m going to repeat something here that you will read again in “Beriyth”: Yahweh did not say “bow down in My presence,” so He isn’t asking us to worship Him. He didn’t say “stand at attention,” which indicates that we are to be at ease with Him. He did not say “march,” so we are not following orders. God did not say “run,” therefore, He isn’t requiring much from us. He did not say “fly,” which suggests that there is no particular skill required on our behalf. He didn’t even say “jump,” so we can take our time. God did not say “ride,” either, indicating that He will provide whatever transport is required. He said “walk with Me” which places us together, side by side, actively engaged in doing something together.

Yahweh has invited us to have a relationship with Him. He did not establish a religion. Further, this relationship with our Maker is to be on a first-name basis. We are to walk side-by-side, in His presence, conversing with Him. We are to value our family and see it as a model of what Yah intends for us. And we are to trust and rely on Him. These are the qualities which caused Yahweh to favor Noah, and through his example, us as well.

“Noah (noah - the trustworthy guide) had fathered (yalad) three (shalowsh) sons (baniym) named (shem) Shem (sheth - name), Ham (ham - to be sweltering hot), and Yepet (yepet - to shine and appear beautiful; errantly transliterated Japheth).” (Genesis 6:10)

This passage is one of many that helps explain why certain numbers are important to Yah. One represents God, for God is one. Two is the number of relationship, of marriage and of the covenant. Three is the number of family, of mother and father becoming one to have a child. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the most closely related words to shalowsh/three mean “acting as a unit” and “growing, becoming larger and more firmly rooted.” Emphasizing this point is why Noah had three, not two or four, sons.

Four and forty represent completion of a time of testing as we shall soon discover during the flood. Five is the number of confusion and represents Halal. Six is the number of man, which is why Seth was so named. And seven is perfection, and therefore serves as the basis of the Sabbath. Seven is the result of combining God/one with man/six.

Following the flood account in Genesis 10, the genealogies of these three men, Shem, Ham, and Yepet, were used to create a table of nations—or at least realms which had or would have some direct involvement with Israel—either good or bad. Shem’s sons were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Ham’s sons were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. Yepet/Japheth fathered Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. God then says of these individuals: “each had their own language, land, and nation.”

Shem’s sons migrated to Mesopotamia, forming Sumer and the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. Ham’s son’s journeyed to Israel and Northern Africa. And Yepet’s boys became fodder for Islam, staying relatively close to home in the Caucasus region of Eastern Turkey, between the Black and Caspian Seas. One of his sons, Gomer, shared a name with the temple prostitute Hosea would marry to demonstrate Yisra’el’s unfaithfulness.

“The region (‘erets - land, ground, area, and territory) in God’s (‘elohym) presence (paneh - from His perspective) was corrupt (sahat - ravaged, ruined, devastated and destroyed, becoming a putrid and polluted slime pit of corruption and decay), and the land (‘erets) was filled with (male’ - was overflowing with, was satisfied with, was wholeheartedly in compliance with, and was loudly proclaiming) violence, destruction, and plunder (hamas - terrorism, lawlessness, maiming, cruelty, killing, thievery, injustice, and looting without any moral restraint).” (Genesis 6:11) Do you suppose it’s a coincidence that Allah’s most popular terrorist organization in Israel is named “Hamas?” It’s certainly fitting.

During the years I spent exposing and condemning the terrorist nature of Islam, I was often confronted with the rebuff: “The God of the Bible was also violent.” I would respond by saying that the relationship between nurturing and harsh, moral and immoral, verses in Yahweh’s Word (more than 500 to 1) is reduced by a factor of 25,000 as compared to the Qur’an (less than 1 in 50), meaning that these books are far more different than alike in this regard. But what I wanted to say was unfortunately beyond the grasp of most people in my talk radio listening audience. However, the answer is exposed here. There is a consequence of being tolerant of deceitful, destructive, and deadly dogmas and of the people these politicized religions infect. It is the reason for the Third Commandment: it is not compassionate or caring, even forgivable, to show mercy to the merciless.

When corruption becomes sufficiently prevalent that it is accepted as the norm, as was the case here, those societies breed, even become satisfied and comfortable with, “hamas—violence, destruction, plunder, terrorism, lawlessness, cruelty, killing, injustice, and looting without any moral restraint.” Everything they touch is doctrinally infected and physically affected by them—including those who aren’t currently corrupted, such as their children and surrounding communities. And that is to say, unchecked, the children within these societies will ingest the same poison, and they in turn will terrorize their neighbors. Innocent people will be adversely affected by corrupt people so long as corruption is tolerated.

In this Genesis passage, God has made it clear that He recognized that a deceitful, destructive, deadly, and damning dogma had become pervasive. He realized that the consequence of unchecked corruption was: “hamas—terrorism, lawlessness, cruelty, and looting without any moral restraint.” And He knew that if He didn’t eliminate this religious and political regime and its host (the people it had infected), there would be no hope for anyone.

Let’s put you in God’s place for a moment. If you were God and could slay Muhammad and his 100 most loyal companions in 622 CE, would you knowing that Islam would ravage the world, terrorizing, killing, and plundering tens of millions—including the 3,000 murdered in the name of Allah on September 11^th, 2001? If you could wipe out Hitler and the 10,000 most fervent Nazis in 1938, to spare 50,000,000 victims, would you? In 1948, would you eliminate the 100,000 most loyal supporters of Mao to spare the lives of 40,000,000 otherwise innocent Chinese men, women, and children?

The reason Yahweh asked His Chosen People to destroy Jericho, Ai, Gibeon, Lachish, Hebron, Debir, and Hazor in 1400 BCE, and to kill the population in these towns is for the same reason He responded similarly in 2968 BCE. Had these corrupt people and places been allowed to exist within the Promised Land, they would have infected and adversely affected the people chosen to be Yahweh’s witnesses—meaning you and I wouldn’t be reading the Word or benefit from it. Using God’s parlance, “their iniquity was full,” meaning that like the people depicted during Noah’s day, there was no longer any hope that the Ca’anites would be able to coexist in a civilized way with their neighbors, or any hope that their own children wouldn’t become equally corrupt. For the benefit of the many, to retain hope, to punish the perpetrators rather than allow them to hamas their victims, the corrupt were curtailed. It was the most fair and merciful thing to do.

“God inspected (ra’ah - looked upon and viewed) the area (‘erets - land, region, and territory), and indeed (kiy - truly and surely), it was corrupt and spoiled (sahat - ravaged, ruined, devastated, and destroyed), for (‘et) all (kol) related human flesh (basar) treading (darak) upon (‘al) the earth (‘erets - area) had become a putrid and polluted slime pit of corruption and decay (sahat - followed destructive practices, were wasted and devastated, lying in ruins and spoiled).” (Genesis 6:12) The NIV Interlinear renders the passage: “God saw the earth and behold, it was corrupt, for he [as in man] corrupted the way of every person on the earth.”

Of issue is the meaning of basar. Its Akkadian root suggests that the term conveys “a descendant,” a “blood relative,” or someone who is “near of kin.” The best etymological tools indicate basar conveys the notion of “human flesh,” especially that of “related people.” While the word is often translated “living things and creatures,” even as “animals,” based upon the context in which it is used, basar can just as easily convey “humans and people, both men and women.” And it is perhaps also true, that Yahweh chose basar to convey the animalistic nature of the people who were acting badly.

Also interesting is that basar means “to be a herald or a preacher”—both of which are human undertakings. Further, in the context of Genesis 6:12, the idea of “related humans” is consistent with the story Yahweh has been telling and will continue to tell. And in this regard, God will provide a unique twist in his depiction of basar in just five verses—one which serves to confirm the human rendering, at least in this case.

Yahweh wasn’t pleased with His creation, so if He didn’t care about the consequence, He had a choice. He could ignore them, wipe them out, or prune them back. “God said to Noah, ‘I am pruning (qes - limiting, constraining, and diminishing, even putting a limit to, from qatsats, to cut off part of an extremity by shearing) all humans who are related (basar - people who are preachers and messengers) moving about (bow’ - coming and going, passing by) before (paneh - in front of) Me. Indeed (kiy) the region (‘erets) is filled with (male’ - is overflowing with, is satisfied with, is wholeheartedly in compliance with, and is loudly proclaiming) terrorism, lawlessness, and cruelty (hamas - violence, destruction, and plunder, killing, thievery, injustice, and looting without any moral restraint) because of (min) their (hym) presence (paneh). Look, here and now (hinneh), I will bring ruin to (sahat - catch them in a pit or basin, causing them to decay and decompose, wiping them out by laying waste to) them (hem) along with (‘et) the region (‘erets).” (Genesis 6:13) The basin reference is important. Keep it in mind as we move forward because it explains the nature of the flood.

Just as gardeners prune plants to cut out decay, and to promote healthy growth, God was prepared to remove corrupt humans for the sake of those who had not been contaminated. And while that is obvious, isn’t it also obvious that our world today is filled with terrorism, lawlessness, cruelty, violence, destruction, plunder, killing, thievery, injustice and looting without moral restraint? And as such, might Yahweh’s Tribulation judgments, the pruning of humankind which will occur between 2030 and 2033, be similar? Are we seeing in the preamble to the deluge, a preview of what to expect and why? (In His Olivet Discourse, Yahushua listed “world war, an increase in terrorism, and lawlessness” as things which would be birth pangs preceding His return.)

Returning to the metaphor being used, having elected to prune mankind, Yahweh needed a way to keep the good plant safe. While He could have made the vessel Himself, or found a much more straightforward way to protect Noah, his family, and the animals, God prefers doing things with us. And Yah never misses an opportunity to reinforce His message, giving us the opportunity to revel in the brilliance of His Word as He intertwines amazingly sophisticated and relevant metaphors. The very nature of the ark is symbolic and there would be two of them, not one.

But more than this, by building a gargantuan vessel, six-hundred miles from the nearest ocean, God not only memorialized for our benefit how Noah engaged with Him, but also provided His critics and doubters with an overt last warning of “biblical proportions.” There is little doubt that Noah’s shipbuilding exploits were featured regularly in the Black Sea Gazette. Everyone in the ‘erets/region would have known about it. And that’s because God wants everyone, and that includes those who have turned their backs on Him, to be left without excuse.

Further, Noah’s undaunted confidence and sense of purpose in the face of unending ridicule, demonstrated the benefit of yada’/knowing Yahweh. If you had been open-minded, watching Noah’s fortitude and perseverance, you’d be compelled to contemplate what, or Whom, he knew that you didn’t. As such, Noah’s example demonstrates the difference between faith and trust, between believing and relying. It was, therefore, a wake-up call that was missed by the mockers, just as Yada Yahweh goes unnoticed among those on the cusp of being swept up in another rising storm. (It is also interesting to note, that among the things listed as harbingers of the Tribulation by Yahushua were an “increase in hurricanes and tornadoes” as well as “famine and pestilence,” all of which suggest global environmental change.)

“Make (‘asah - perform the work to fashion for) yourself (‘atah) a timber (‘es - wooden) ark (tebah - a boat, a large ship which is waterproof and will float) of resinous lumber and tar (goper - laminated wood). Construct (‘asah) stalls (qen - rooms, nests, and beds) on the ship (tebah - the boat or ark) and cover (kapar - coat, as in envelop) parts of (min) her (hy) living quarters (bayit - family homes, houses, tabernacles, and rooms) and exterior (chuwts - outside) in (ba) pitch (koper - tar or other natural bituminous material like asphalt used to seal a vessel).” (Genesis 6:14)

If we were left only to Hebrew, goper could be anything from “cedar,” to a species of tree which has become unknown to us, to “an elevated superstructure constructed in the style of a large chest,” to “logs with a high resin content,” even to “sulfur as a heat source,” which would have been used in the metallurgy process of making rivets. But, upon further investigation we discover that the Aramaic root of goper means “laminated wood.” And that serves to explain some of the Hebraic shadings. Resins (tree sap) or tar would have been used as glue to affix the laminates and heat would have been used to bend them into the desired shape. The use of laminated beams, glue-lams in today’s parlance, would have been required to build a vessel of this size.

But of particular interest in relation to the ark is kapar, meaning “to coat, covering something.” It’s the same word Yahweh selected to convey the purpose of Yowm Kippurym, the Day of Reconciliations. Although kippuriym is plural, its consonant root is indistinguishable from kapar. So in the context of the impending flood, and removing the poison man had spread, kapar means “to repair the damage done by an offense by way of making amends.” This is a very specific form of forgiveness which includes a pardon leading to reconciliation. And that is the purpose of Noah’s Ark as well as the Ark of the Covenant.

Therefore, we should not be surprised that kapar is also used to describe the “cover of the Ark of the Covenant which comprises the Mercy Seat.” This is where Yahweh instructed the Levites to sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial lamb to atone for man’s sins. As a merciful cover, kapar is symbolic of the Garment of Light with which Yahweh’s Set-Apart Spirit adorns us when we are reborn from above and forgiven. This Garment of Light precludes God from seeing any of the offenses we commit so that we appear perfect in His eyes. You’ll want to keep this connection to the Spirit in mind as we work through Yah’s instructions regarding the Miqra’ey/Called-Out Assemblies.

The reason Yahweh introduced this concept so early, telling Noah to kapar, or “coat and cover” the Ark inside and out was to make sure we wouldn’t miss the metaphor. There is more to God’s protection than planks of timber. For the same reason, Yahweh called the entity being coated a bayit, meaning “house, home, household, and tabernacle.” The symbolism here is that God wants to cover us in His Set-Apart Spirit, transforming our household into His home and tabernacle on earth.

Lastly, you’ll notice that the Ark’s “exterior was covered in bituminous pitch,” which is a byproduct of carbon, life, death, and time—not in resin or sap. If, as fundamentalist Christians believe, the planet and universe were only a little more than a thousand years old, the natural tar compound wouldn’t have been readily available.

Yahweh is consistent. Whether it’s the Ark or His plan and timeline for salvation, God provides us with a comprehensive explanation. Every detail is relevant, appropriate, pertinent, instructive, and productive. “These (zeh) are her (‘et) production (‘asah - manufacturing) relationships (‘asher): the Ark’s (tebah - ship’s) length (‘orek) 300 cubits (‘amah - the length of a forearm from the tip of the hand to the elbow), her width (rohab) 50 cubits, and her height (qomah) 30 cubits.” (Genesis 6:15) Using the Royal Egyptian Cubit known to Moshe (20.6 inches versus the future Hebrew cubit at 18 inches), the Ark would be 515 feet long over all, have an 86-foot beam, and be 52-feet high from her keel to the roofline of the deckhouse. To say that the engineering know how and ship-building technology for a vessel of this size was beyond anything contemplated or attempted during Noah’s lifetime, would be an understatement.

Now that we are five-thousand years more advanced technologically, let’s compare the Ark’s dimensions to the kinds of ships most similar to it today. The U.S.S. Nimitz was designed to retrieve, carry, and launch aircraft. It is considered to be one of the most stable and stout ships ever built. The aircraft carrier has an overall length of 1,092 feet and features a beam of 134 feet below a flight deck which is 252 feet wide. The ratio of average width to her length is therefore 0.17. The Ark’s ratio of width to length is also 0.17, making it look like Yahweh aced His classes at the Naval Academy. In World War Two, the battleship Bismark was the pinnacle of German engineering. It had a ratio of length to width of 0.16. The world’s largest ship, weighing in at 261,000 tons, is the supertanker Knock Nevis. It was commissioned as the Seawise Giant but ran aground in the shallows of the Straits of Hormuz following an Iraqi Exocet missile strike in 1986. When she was re-floated, the ship was renamed to distance her from that stigma. History aside, this pride of Japanese shipbuilding is 1,504 feet long and has a 226 foot beam, providing a ratio of 0.15 to one.

Continuing with our analysis, with a fully loaded draft of 80 feet, and freeboard of 30 feet, the hull of the Knock Nevis is 110 feet tall. For these measurements to be comparable to those given for the Ark, you would need to consider the deckhouse. And even with the Knock Nevis’ deckhouse being built five stories tall (rising 53 feet above the hull), as opposed to the Ark’s two-story superstructure, this still yields comparative ratios of overall height to length of 0.108 for the tanker and a similar factor of 0.10 for the Ark.

To put these findings into perspective, the best preserved ancient warship from which dimensions are retrievable is Sweden’s Vasa. This vessel, commissioned in 1628, was the largest and most advanced ship of her day, built and designed by the world’s most formidable navy. And yet she sank on her maiden voyage, not even making it out of Stockholm’s sheltered archipelago. Having recently raised the Vasa from her watery grave, naval architects have determined that the ship’s proportions weren’t able to withstand the onslaught of wind and wave. She was 69 meters long (226 feet) overall, including an excessive bowsprit. The hull itself was 61 meters. The Vasa was 11.7 meters wide (38 feet), and 52.5 meters high (172 feet) from her keel to the top of her stubby mainmast. From keel to stern she rose 24.1 meters (80 feet). Net of her bowsprit, the un-seaworthy vessel’s ratio of beam to length was a gangly 0.19, and her overall height to overall length comparison was a grotesquely unstable 0.76. Discounting the mast and bowsprit, the Vasa’s keel to stern height contrasted with her hull length provided a top-heavy ratio of 0.40, ultimately dooming her. 

By analyzing the Ark’s engineering specifications, and comparing them to those mankind has only recently been able to understand and achieve, it is evident that the Ark’s proportions were nearly five-thousand years ahead of her time. The most logical explanation for this reality is that these words were inspired by someone with foreknowledge.

“Build (‘asah - make) a roof (tsohar) to the point of (la) a cubit (‘amah - 20.6 inches) above (‘el) the completed (kalah - finished) Ark (tebah). Place (sym - put) the doorway (petah - entrance) of the ship (tebah - ark) in (ba) her (hy) side (sad - flank). Construct (‘asah - build) lower ones (tahty) a second and third.” (Genesis 6:16) Some translations suggest that God was asking for a second and third deck to be built within the hull of the ship. And while I suspect that’s true, and prefer this rendering to a second and third passageway, we can’t be sure. Dead Sea Scroll fragments confirm the location and quantity used here, but not the identity of the object being quantified. (If it is doorways, not decks, this could be symbolic of the fact that Scripture presents three different doors which people can pass through at the end of life: death and destruction, eternal damnation, or eternity in God’s household. The additional two decks might speak to the Father’s manifestations as Spirit and Son.)

Accurately translated, what follows is of profound importance. God has confirmed two critical components of what He intended to accomplish with the flood and why. “Behold (hinneh), I (‘aniy) will bring (bow’) a flood (mabbuwl - deluge of overwhelming proportions) of water (mayim) upon (‘al) the (ha) region (‘erets - land, territory, area, earth, and ground) to (la) destroy (sahat - catch in a pit or basin, causing decay and decomposition, annihilate, wiping out by laying waste to) all (kol) related (‘asher) humans (basar - people who are preachers and messengers) in (ba) whom (hu’) a spirit (ruwach) was born and lives (hyyl - resides, moving about, twisting and distorting, causing pain and suffering, anguish and torment) from (min) beneath (tahat - under and below) the heavens (samayim - sky, atmosphere, realm of planets and stars, or the abode of God)-all (kol) who are related (‘asher) in (ba) the (ha) region (‘erets) will expire (gawa’ - perish, gasping for breath, becoming empty, hollow corpses, the door being shut on them).” (Genesis 6:17)

‘Erets is usually translated “land,” but can mean “earth” as in the sense of “ground.” ‘Erets means “region, territory, realm, or area.” In the creation and flood accounts, it is often presented as “earth,” which, with our modern worldview, is interpreted as the name of the planet as opposed to ground or soil. And that has given the impression that the flood was designed to wipe out all life on Earth, covering the entire globe, right to the peaks of the tallest mountains. If God had wanted to say that the water would flood the “world,” rather than land or region, He would have used tebel. It means “world” as in the “habitable portion of the planet.” Of its thirty-six occurrences in Scripture, tebel is translated “world” thirty-five times and “habitable part” once.

Consider this distinction “Because before (previous to the time) the mountains (hills, ridges, ranges, and elevated land formations) were born (conceived through labor) on the earth (‘erets - on the land or ground) and the world (tebel - planet) was brought forth violently (born in distress, akin to labor pains, in trembling and shaking), even from before time, You were infinitely powerful, and always existed as God.” (Psalm 90:2) In this psalm, Moses used ‘erets, meaning “region, realm, land, area, or earth in the sense of dirt,” and tebel, meaning “world,” to help distinguish between these concepts.

Furthermore, in this passage, the second application of ha‘erets precludes rendering the compound word as “the earth” because it is preceded by ba, meaning “in.” So to perpetuate the religious myth, and to keep from sounding foolish, English translators ignored ba/in and pretended as if ‘al/on were actually in the text. But since ba/in is there, our options are “in the region, in the land, in the area, or in the realm.” God is therefore speaking of flooding a specific place—a “basin of decay” where the descendants of Adam, Seth, and Cain had partnered with Satan to become corrupt tyrants.

This is further confirmed by the rest of the passage, at least it is if the words are presented accurately. Ruwach means “spirit.” Yahweh tells us that they come in different varieties. There is God’s, His messengers’, and there is Satan’s and his associates’. Humans equipped with a nesamah/conscience can choose not to associate with either, to be born anew from above in God’s spirit, or from below in Satan’s spirit. Animals, with merely a nepesh/soul, don’t possess the discriminating judgment required to make such a choice. An animal can be a transient host for a spirit but nothing more.

This being known, we can be certain that we have translated basar correctly in this context. While it can mean “life form or animal” generically, since this verse references a “twisting and distorted” ruwach/spirit, the rendering of “descendants, blood relatives, near of kin, and related human flesh” is appropriate. 

Putting it all together, we can deduce that Yahweh decided to eliminate almost every descendant of ‘Adam (a.k.a. nesamah man) in the region east of Eden. He felt compelled to do so because they had leagued with Satan and had become corrupt beyond the hope of repentance, change, or redemption.

In this regard, I find it interesting that God chose gawa’, meaning to “expire,” to describe the fate of the flood’s victims. The term is uncommon, appearing only twenty-four times in Scripture. And on several of those occasions, it’s translated “give up the ghost.” The related word guwr, even speaks of “inhabiting temporarily so as to stir up trouble through quarrelling and strife,” so there is a spiritual implication here, albeit an “anguishing and tormenting” one.

Gawa’ also tells us that Satan’s associates “were going to perish, gasping for breath.” Their bodies would become “empty, hollow, and lifeless corpses,” devoid of their demonic “spirit.” This in turn would cause the “quarrelsome and troublesome spirits” to be “locked up, incarcerated behind a shut door”—imprisoned in a word. You see, spirits are eternal. Since they aren’t mortal like souls, the only penalty which can be afforded rebellious ones is to be imprisoned forever. And that is why the Abyss was made for Satan and his fellow demons. In a passage, God has provided us with a sermon.

The reason I said “east of Eden” earlier is because Yahweh has already told us where these bad boys had settled, even what they had done to engender His wrath. And He had told us from whence they had come. The detail pertaining to Eden’s location had been provided for this very reason. If you will recall, it was the headwaters of four rivers, placing it southeast of the Black Sea and west of the Caspian. And since the two biggest rivers in Yah’s list were the Tigris and Euphrates, it would be reasonable to include northern Mesopotamia in this realm. This is thus the ‘erets/region Yahweh intended to deluge, purging it of Satan’s partners.

However, not everyone had chosen poorly. Eight people among tens-, if not hundreds-, of-thousands, perhaps millions, had elected to associate with Yah. I wonder if that ratio is any different today? Speaking to Noah, the trustworthy guide to rest and restoration, God said...“I will establish (quwm - stand up enabling others to stand, confirming that which will elevate others, causing them to rise, setting up a restoring) My (‘aniy - I Am’s) Covenant (beriyth - relationship, marriage vow, oath of partnership, treaty, pledge between individuals, binding promise, league, alliance, agreement, and compact) with (‘et) you (‘atah).” (Genesis 6:18)

Two of the most important, and most misunderstood, concepts in the Old and Renewed Covenants are quwm in Hebrew and histemi, its Greek equivalent. They define the Covenant. Simply stated: God stood up for us so we could stand with Him. He renewed and established us by becoming our stand-in, choosing to pay a ransom for us by way of accepting the penalty of Mowriyah’s stauros/Upright Pole—a word which is also derived from histemi. By so doing, we will be restored, rising up to stand with God. In the first use of Beriyth/Covenant, Yahweh has defined its purpose.

While we may not be able to pinpoint the exact timing of the flood, or explain the deluge’s every nuance, by diligently investigating the meaning of each term Yahweh has selected, we have determined the mind of God. For that alone, your time and mine has been well spent.

Before we move on, I want to emphasize the importance of Scripture’s paramount declaration: Beriyth/Covenant. This is the first time the word has appeared. Beriyth is “a noun, singular and absolute,” and that’s because there is only one Covenant. Even though the word appears another 189 times in the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, it is never plural. There is only one way to God.

The religious gremlins who saw fit to copyedit the Torah, Prophets and Psalms by replacing Yahweh’s name with “the LORD” 7,000 times, also diminished the magnitude of Covenant by labeling the beginning and end of Scripture the “Old and New Testaments.” It is as if there were two of them, and as if they were the wills of the deceased. These were the same misguided souls who decided to place “Bible” on the cover of Yahweh’s Word, even though the term was derived from a transliteration of a Phoenician sun goddess’ name.

Yahweh is very much alive, and if we want to be, we have to know that He established a Covenant—one Covenant, which He has confirmed many times. Matthew through Revelation isn’t a “new testament,” but instead the restoration of the original, the one and only, Covenant. There is one God, there is one plan, there was one Noah’s ark, there was one Ark of the Covenant, and thus there is only one way to Yah. And that way is summarized in the word quwm and its Greek equivalent, histemi: “God stood up for us so that we could stand with Him, risen, established, and upright.” Therein my friends is the nucleus of Scripture. It’s about establishing a relationship.

Even Noah’s name is significant in this regard. He served as a trustworthy guide to the man with whom the Covenant would be confirmed, Abraham, who directed us to the man by whom it would be memorialized, Moshe, who spoke of the individual by whom it would be fulfilled, Yahushua, all on behalf of the one and only God, Yahuweh.

As with the Covenant, Noah’s salvation would be a family affair: “And you shall be included and come (bow’ - be associated with and enter) into (‘el) the Ark (tebah), you, your sons (ben), your wife (‘issah), and your sons’ wives with you.” (Genesis 6:18) The Covenant Relationship is based upon family, upon husbands and wives becoming fathers and mothers to bear and raise children.

Most everyone is familiar with the account which follows. Noah was asked to bring two of every sort of animal into the Ark, a male and female of each life form, along with the food to feed them, so that their species would continue to populate the region. “And Noah did everything which God instructed him to do.” (Genesis 6:22) And therein lies the secret to Noah’s success.

Immediately after introducing us to Scripture’s most important term, beriyth/Covenant, God unveiled a passage which reveals its basis. “Yahuweh said (‘amar) to (la) Noah (noah - the trustworthy guide), ‘Go (bow’ - enter and be included) into (‘el) the Ark (tebah), you and all your household (bayit - home, house, tabernacle, temple, and family), because indeed (kiy), I have seen (ra’ah - perceived, considered and delighted in knowing) that those with (‘et) you (‘atah) are upright (sadyq - in accordance with My standard, vindicated and innocent) by means of (la) My (‘ani - I Am’s) presence (paneh) in (ba) this (zeh) home (dowr - dwelling place and sheltered encampment).” (Genesis 7:1)

From the perspective of the textual consonants, the transition from bayit (בַּיִת), meaning “home and family,” to beriyth (בְּרִית), meaning “covenant relationship and marriage vow,” is the addition of an “r,” or in Hebrew, a resh, meaning “head.” This suggests, and Scripture confirms, that the Covenant is based on “home and household” and is thus familial. A family, consisting of a father, mother, and child, a protective home and a monogamous marriage, comprise the primary metaphor upon which Scripture is based.

The comparison of beriyth/covenant and bayit/family home is further explained when one examines the root of bayit, which is banah. It means “to build, to rebuild, and to establish a home and family, causing it to continue.”

The etymological shadings of bow’ in Genesis 7:1 are pertinent as well. It means to “arrive and to be included in an association with a limited group, to return and to be established, to be gathered in and harvested, guided and directed to a special place.”

Noah’s tebah, or method of rescue, meaning “ark, chest, vessel, boat, and ship,” and the Ark of the Covenant, ‘Arown Beriyth, are similar metaphorically. ‘Arown also depicts an “ark or chest,” and as such, is the vessel of our salvation.

Throughout Scripture, Yahweh reinforces the notion that salvation is synonymous with sadaq/vindication, and that vindication is what causes us to be seen as sadyq/upright. And speaking of upright, to walk with God, Noah had to be standing up on his feet in God’s presence, engaged in the relationship.

There are several unique insights in the previous passage that emerged as I attempted to deal with the Hebrew text. While ‘et is not translated on many occasions, it has been consistently rendered “with” in the early Genesis passages. So rather than ignore it, I rendered it as such. La means “to or toward,” but also “among, concerning, on behalf of, in order to, according to, and by means of.” Since the latter seemed to be the best fit within the context of this sentence, and since the customary “to and toward” didn’t work, I translated it as such. Lastly, dowr can mean “generation,” but is most often interpreted “home, dwelling place, and sheltered camp.”

Therefore, I think the passage tells us that Noah’s household was saved because they were like Noah, a family who walked with Yahweh. And, Noah and his family were seen as upright and vindicated because of Yahweh’s presence. In other words, they were home to the Set-Apart Spirit. She lived in them, protecting and sheltering them, making them appear perfect in God’s eyes, because they had chosen to form a relationship with Yahweh. The Ark was not only Noah’s home; it was Yahweh’s home, because God resided in Noah’s family. 

Nincompoops trying to discredit Scripture, say that there is a contradiction in this next verse. Was Noah to bring two, seven, or fourteen of each species into the ship? “From (min) all (kol) the clean (taher - pure) domesticated animals (bahemah - non human creatures) take (laqah - select and grasp) for yourself, seven (seba’) males (‘iysh) and seven (seba) females (‘iyssah) and two (sanayim - a pair of) related (‘asher) animals (bahemah) which are not (lo’) clean (taher), a male and female.” (Genesis 7:2) In actuality, the verse confirms the Scriptural concept of blood atonement. It also confirms that Yahweh’s Covenant was known to His people long before Moshe was afforded the honor to write it down.

Noah understood that by a “clean domesticated animal” God meant an unblemished lamb. And he knew the reason for including them, as evidenced by what he did with them following the deluge. The Miqra’ey had already been established as had the prophetic path to Yahushua’s sacrifice on Mount Mowriyah. There were seven Miqra’ey so there would need to be seven pairs of animals.

This insight is hinted at in the Abel-Cain story. The reason Yahweh found favor with Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb, and not with Cain’s grain offering, was that He had told Adam’s sons how to atone for sin now that their father and mother had chosen poorly. Yahweh’s story from beginning to end is consistent.

The unclean animals were simply food. There were carnivores aboard the ship. Seven pairs of birds were brought aboard for the same reason, “to keep alive the seed of life (hayah zera’ - restore offspring, to enable vigorous and healthy childbirth and descendants) upon (‘al) the whole (kol) land (‘erets - region or area).” (Genesis 7:3)

Yahuweh has a thing for numbers. And while seven is His favorite, in this next verse, He introduces a number which unlocks many prophetic mysteries. “Indeed (kiy), on (la) the passage (‘owd) of seven (seba’) days (yowm), I will send rain down (matar) upon (‘al) the (ha) region (‘erets - land and area, earth in the sense of ground) for forty (‘araba’ym) days (yowm) and (wa) forty nights (laylah) and wash off and wipe out (mahah - clean and annihilate, blot out and obliterate) accordingly (‘et) all (kol) the (ha) living creatures which stand (yaquwm - life forms which were established upright) whom relationally (‘asher) I made (‘asah - fashioned and created) from (min) upon (‘al) the presence (paneh) of the ground (‘adamah - soil, earth as in dirt, and fundamental particles of natural elements).” (Genesis 7:4)

Dissecting this passage, we discover that the words most closely related to yaquwm are yaqowt, meaning “fragile,” yaqows, “those who ensnare and trap,” and yaqah, indicative of those who are “insolent, arrogant, and haughty toward authority.” So with quwm, meaning “stands up,” serving as the basis for yaquwm, it’s not hard to see how this word describes man, the only upright animal which is inherently fragile and yet uniquely arrogant, and is the species best known for trapping its prey. This connection to man is why I suppose Yahweh closed His depiction with ‘adamah/dirt, rather than ‘erets/land. The former is indicative of ‘adam/man, comprising the basis of the name and the substance from which he was formed.

The reason that we know forty quantifies the completion of a time of testing, is because Yahweh always uses forty in this context. The pattern was established with the flood. But that was not the only place, nor was the duration of time ever random. The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness forty years before they were allowed to enter the Promised Land. Yahuweh took forty days and forty nights to reveal the Torah to Moses on Mount Horeb, a time which severely tested the Yisra’elites below. Forty was further confirmed when “Yahushua was tested forty days and forty nights in the wilderness” prior to the consummation of His mission. And after enduring Satan’s torments in Sheowl during the Miqra’ of Unleavened Bread, the risen Messiyah spent forty days with His disciples between His resurrection and ascension—a time in which the disciples were being prepared for the ultimate test.

The three eras of man are divided into forty Yowbel, or 2,000-year segments of time. The first was comprised of an era of verbal communication and of a fairly simple and friendly familial covenant with individuals and their families from Adam to Abraham. The second epoch depicts the formalization of that Covenant relationship by way of written communication with a chosen people, and for a particular nation. The third period presents the fulfillment of the Covenant and portrays the perfect example which was set for the entire world to follow.

Exactly 40 Yowbel transpired from Adam’s fall to the establishment of the Covenant with Abraham. There were exactly 40 Yowbel from Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son on Mount Moriah to Yahushua’s actual sacrifice on Mount Mowriyah on Passover in 33 CE. And there will be precisely 40 Yowbel between the Messiah’s crucifixion to His return on Yowm Kippurym in 2033, the only Yowbel remaining within the lifespan of the generation who witnessed the return of Jews to the Land.

Returning to the story, unlike the haughty individuals who had chosen to rebel and choose their own path, “Noah did everything which God instructed him to do.” (Genesis 7:5) If we want to be saved, we may want to do the same thing and come to consider the Word as God’s Owner’s Manual—a book full of prescriptions for better living.

This brings us to the verse we grappled with earlier when trying to establish our timeline. “And (wa) Noah (noah) son (ben) six (shesh) hundreds (me’ah) repetitions (sanah - years, repeats, and changes) and (wa) the (ha) flood (mabbuwl) existed (hayah - was, is, will be, happened, and occurred) waters (mayim) on (‘al) the (ha) land (‘erets).” (Genesis 7:6) In that the terminology for the hundreds place was added by religious rabbis in the 15^th century CE (Egyptian-influenced paleo-Hebrew used symbols, not words like me’ah for factors of ten and one hundred), one might deduce from this that Noah’s sons were sixty at the time of the flood, or that Noah was sixty when he and his sons experienced the deluge. The Masoretic is so convoluted here that it is difficult to make a sentence out of these words, much less understand what they mean.

The message is clear enough. Noah had only one wife, as did his sons. “Noah and his sons (ben), his wife (iyssah), and his sons’ wives, went into the Ark to escape from (min) the presence (paneh) of the flood (mabuwl - overwhelming and inundating) waters (mayim).” (Genesis 7:7)

God keeps His promises. If He says something is going to happen at a specific time, you can rely upon it. “It came to pass (hayah) on the seventh (seba’) day (yowm) that the waters (mayim) of the deluge (mabuwl) came to exist (hayah) upon (‘al) the land (‘erets - region and area).” (Genesis 7:10) Based upon this, as we look forward in time toward the fulfillment of Scripture’s final prophecies, we should expect no diminishment in punctuality. The pattern depicted here of 7 and 40 will be repeated with reliable precision.

While there is some doubt as to the meaning of the first half of the following message, the remainder is perfectly clear. “In (ba) repetition (sanah - years, changes, and renewals), six (shesh) hundreds (me’ah) years (sanah) Noah had lived (hyym). In (ba) the second (seni) month (hodes - time of renewal), in the seventeenth (seba’ ‘asar) day (yowm) of the month, in that day, a great magnitude and quantity of (rab) deep ocean water (tahowm) and all underground springs (ma’yan - subterranean cisterns) burst and gushed forth (baqa’), and the floodgates (‘arubah) of the skies (samayim - heavens or atmosphere) were opened (patah - freed and released).” (Genesis 7:11) Water was coming from every direction. Nothing would have escaped—especially in this region known for its vast basins which were surrounded by towering volcanic ranges. For most, it would have been over moments after it began.

A search through tahowm’s etymological past tells us that the word is based upon an Akkadian root, meaning “deep sea water.” In Hebrew it conveys the idea of “ocean water roaring up from the depths, from the primeval abyss, in overwhelming quantities and force, creating wave upon wave without intermission.” As clearly as words allow, tahowm depicts the result of a massive asteroid impact in the ocean. Deep waters rise up in overwhelming quantities, creating a tsunami event whereby wave after wave of seawater roars inland. Please keep this in mind as we explore what really happened on this fateful day, especially recognizing that Noah and his Ark were landlocked, six hundred miles away from the nearest saltwater sea.   

To emphasize the relevance of forty when it comes to quantifying a time of testing...“The rain (gesem - rainwater) continued to exist (hayah - endure) upon (‘al) the (ha) land (‘erets - ground, soil, dirt, area, region, and territory) for forty (‘araba’ym) days (yowm) and (wa) forty nights (laylah).” (Genesis 7:12) The continued presence of rain would have diminished the influence of the tsunami’s salt deposits from the upwelling of seawater, enabling native plants in the area to grow again.

Scripture says that the animals in this region east of Lake Van were directed by God to come to Noah. Peacefully, without hunting them down, trapping them, coaxing them, and without Noah’s family chasing after them, or them eating one another, a male and female specimen of each species left their natural habitat and walked, crawled, or flew into the ship. Since that takes some doing, it might explain why this passage is the only place in the whole of Scripture where a ruwach/spirit may be associated with animals. That said, I think the words convey another reality, that Yah’s Spirit led them.

“Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they, and every animal (hayah) according to (la) its kind (myn), and all domestic animals (bahemah) according to their kind, and every creature which moves about (remes) on the ground (‘erets) after their kind, and every winged creature and bird (kanap ‘owp wa sipowr) according to their kind, coming (bow’) to (‘el) Noah inside (‘el) the ship (tabah - ark), a pair of two (sanayim sanayim) of each kind (min kol) of creatures (basar - related animal flesh) in association with (‘asher ba) His (hu’) Spirit (ruwach) of life (hyym).” (Genesis 7:13-15)

The determining factors as to whether the “spirit of life” was in the creatures, whether it was God’s Spirit leading them, or just there to protect everyone, are ‘asher, ba, and hu’.  ‘Asher speaks “of relationships.” It is a “relational term which designates an association.” It “marks the connection between things.” And yet, it is often translated “whom.” Ba usually means “in.” But can also convey “among or with.”

The pronoun hu’, is “third person, masculine, and singular.” As such it makes more sense to render it “His” than to ignore it as all English translations do, especially since it would make no sense to use a singular pronoun to identify multiple animals or have a masculine pronoun address a feminine noun like Ruwach/Spirit, unless there was a very good reason for it being there.

Confirming that it was either Yahweh’s Spirit leading the animals into the Ark, or there to protect everyone inside from the brewing storm, the next passage reveals: “The (ha) entering (bow’) males (zakar) and females (naqebah) from (min) every (kol) creature (basar - animal) came to and entered (bow’ - arrived at and were included) just as (ka) relationally (‘asher) He (‘hu), God (‘elohym), had instructed (sawah - directed). And Yahuweh shut the door (sagar - closed the door) behind (ba’ad) them.” (Genesis 7:16) I suppose a hydraulic piston or winch system would have done the job, but God’s never been reluctant to engage and get His hands dirty.

Mechanisms aside, the door reference here is noteworthy. Yahushua is routinely positioned in Scripture as the doorway to eternal life. When addressing the Laodicean called-out assembly of Protestant Christians in the Western democracies, Yahushua says that He is standing outside the door to their heart, asking them to let Him in. The moral of the metaphor is: bad things happen when you are on the Godless side of a closed door.

Also, keep in mind that the Set-Apart Spirit serves as a protective enclosure for us, just like the ark protected all who were inside. The ark, like the garden, serves as a spiritual metaphor. 

Yahweh has never been shy when it comes to repeating something He wants us to remember. “The flood (mabuwl) existed (hayah) forty (‘araba’ym - plural of four, meaning forty; from raba’, to make things square) days (yowm) on (‘al - over) the land (‘erets - land, earth as in soil, territory, region, and area). The waters (mayim) increased (rabah - were multiplied and became great) and lifted up (nasa’ - raised up and bore) the Ark (tebah - ship) high above (ruwm) the ground (‘erets).” (Genesis 7:18)

“The waters (mayim) prevailed (gabar - were powerful and influential) to a significant degree, exerting substantial force (ma’od ma’od - abundant in quantity and capacity) on (‘al - over, near, upon, and in proximity to) the land (‘erets - ground and area, region and territory). And (wa) the lofty (gaboah - high and tall, splendorous and majestic) mountains (har - hills) were completely (kol - all and totally) covered and concealed (kasah - obscured and hidden, clothed and veiled, blanketed) there (‘asher - as a marker of relative reference) under (tahat - beneath) the whole (kol) sky (samayim - heavens). Water (mayim) prevailed (gabar - showed itself and confirmed its presence) fifteen (hames ‘esareh) cubits (‘amah - units of 20.5 inches using the Royal Egyptian system) deep on the higher elevations (min la ma’al - from above the higher portions), so as to (wa) hide and veil (kasah - cover and conceal, obscure and adorn, blanketing) the hills (har - mountains and mountain ranges).” (Genesis 7:19-20)

For those who want to believe that ‘erets means “Earth” as in the planet, you are faced with two insurmountable problems in this passage. First, there is no evidence of a massive flood covering the entire Earth, ever, much less one occurring between 2400 and 3000 BCE. In fact, there is overwhelming proof to the contrary. And while there are considerable examples of regional floods, and a plethora of accounts regarding them, mean sea level has never been 29,000 feet (give or take a few cubits) higher than it is today.

If there had been a global flood of this proportion, we would find evidence of an enormous saltwater layer in the artic snow pack, but we don’t. We would find evidence of the extinction of all fish, fresh and saltwater varieties, because fresh water would have become too saline and ocean water too pure for fish in either environment to survive. But there is no such evidence ever, much less within the past 4,000 years. Not only was Noah bereft of an aquarium on his yacht, landlocked six hundred miles from the nearest ocean in eastern Turkey, God didn’t send fish marching his way two-by-two.

The people who heard and understood ‘erets had no concept whatsoever of “the world,” as we know it, or of “Earth” as in the planet. They understood “land, dirt, ground, soil, territory, region, realm, and area.” Today, we have a world view, and we know that the Earth is a planet, so we are projecting our perspective on ‘erets when we assume that God was speaking of flooding the entire world—the whole Earth (not to mention, there was a perfectly good Hebrew word for world (tebel), and He didn’t use it).

None of the lexicons which are based upon etymological research and ancient cultures, rather than upon modern translations, even mention “world” as a potential rendering of ‘erets. They all give as its primary meaning “ground.” The secondary connotation is “land.” These are followed by “earth in the sense of a piece of ground [in other words, “soil”], and never Earth, as in the planet.” Listed under the fourth through sixth definitions of ‘erets, you will find: “territory, country, regions, districts, and realms.”

The handful of Hebrew dictionaries which include “world” or “earth (without associating it with dirt)” as a potential rendering of ‘erets, are those dictionaries which worked backwards from seventeenth-century translations, rather than forward through word development in related languages, culture, comparative literature, and time. And even then, “earth” is always rendered in lower case, as a feminine noun, and not as the proper name of the planet. Those who capitalize the “E” in their minds have been deluded into seeing a catastrophic global deluge, with platypuses and kangaroos in the Ark.

Let me give you an example as to how English translations have contributed to this deception. The King James Version, the English Standard Version, and the New American Standard Bible, all render 1 Kings 10:24: “And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom....” The New International Version claims; “The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom....” By errantly rendering ‘erets “earth” or “world,” the most popular bible translations made a mockery of the Word. It would be an exaggeration to say that all those within a five-hundred-mile radius of Jerusalem knew about Solomon’s wisdom, much less that the majority of them sought his presence. And beyond a thousand mile arc from his home, David’s son wasn’t known by anyone. But if kol ‘erets is rendered as “the whole land, region, area, territory, or realm,” it’s reasonable, albeit not precisely accurate.

And that brings us to kol, meaning “all, every, or whole.” God uses the term in Scripture the same way we do in common speech. Of a popular teacher, we may say, “Everyone wants to get into his class,” recognizing that our audience won’t extrapolate that to everyone in the world. By saying: “The whole world loves ice cream,” I’d be making an accurate generalization. So in the Kings’ passage, God is making the point that Solomon’s wisdom was well known in the area, and that most people in the region sought an audience with him. The point is, we need to apply some common sense as we consider the use of kol in the flood account as well.  

The second problem globalists have with the previous passages, is that even if all of the polar ice caps were completely melted (something which has not occurred in the past 4,000 years), even if all of earth’s underground cisterns were opened, and even if all of the moisture was wrung out of the sky, there isn’t sufficient water on, in, or above the planet for a global flood covering the Rockies, much less the Himalayas. It’s not possible. In fact, with a global flood, there would have been so much humidity Noah would have suffocated, because the air would have become un-breathable. And while it wouldn’t have been an immediate concern, most all forms of photosynthesis would have been forestalled, ultimately robbing the atmosphere of oxygen. 

However, the evidence for a regional flood of “biblical proportions” in the area God was focused upon, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and between the Black and Caspian Seas, at the time He has revealed, is confirmed scientifically and archeologically. (More on this in a moment.) So, up to the point God said that “the lofty mountains were completely covered and concealed, clothed, and obscured under the whole sky, with the water showing itself twenty-six feet above, hiding and veiling the hills” we were on solid ground with a regional catastrophe. But how does one contain water so that it rises above the mountains without it spilling out somewhere else? 

The answer is: snow on the mountains and basins to hold the water below them. After forty days of continuous rain, nearly twenty-six feet of snow would be expected on the upper regions of the lofty volcanic ranges surrounding this area. And snow fits the description of “hiding, covering, concealing, veiling, clothing, blanketing, and obscuring” perfectly—better even than liquid water. I deserve no credit, however, for recognizing this. An English physicist forwarded an article he had written on the subject a week before I was confronted with kasha/blanketed.

The Hebrew word for snow is seleg. Recognizing that seleg/snow is nothing more or less than frozen mayim/water, both words were used in Job 24:19 describing the effect of drought and heat on “seleg mayim/snow waters.” And while seleg/snow appears twenty times in Scripture, mayim/waters was used repeatedly in the Genesis account because of its symbolism. The waters were intended to cleanse the world of corrupt humans.

The “basin” requirement is also met. The Taurus Mountains enclose this region to the southwest, south, southeast, and east. The Pontic Range dominates the northeast. The imposing Caucasus Mountains lie due north of the region. That means that the only opening in the area defined as “east of Eden” is the Black Sea—the world’s largest and deepest inland water basin. And as we should have known, the most massive example of regional flooding on earth, at least within the past five thousand years, took place in the region surrounding the Black Sea.

When we pan out, and look at the whole Middle East, we find an even larger basin; one with the Black Sea as the northern perimeter and Mesopotamia (the land between the Tigris and Euphrates) at its heart. A range of mountains extends from central Turkey down through western Syria and Jordan, along the eastern border of Israel. It continues down the whole western shore of Saudi Arabia. This range turns east along the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, dipping down only at the Strait of Hormuz. This elevated terrain travels northeastward through Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan prior to reaching the Himalayas, known as the roof of the world. From there, the Elburz Mountains flank the southern side of the Caspian Sea before turning north and joining the Caucasus and Taurus ranges.

The only significant gap in the elevated perimeter of this gigantic basin known as the Middle East, is the narrow channel separating the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman. And that’s intriguing, because in 2005, scientists (Dallas Abbot and Dee Breger) proved that a massive meteor struck the Indian Ocean 900 miles southeast of Madagascar. Its crater, named Burckle, has been dated to the lifetime of Noah.

Initially, scientists thought that the crater was formed between four- and five- thousand years ago (plus or minus 1500 years), but that timeline has since been revised to “around 2800 BCE.” The impact left a massive circular depression 18 miles in diameter, 12,000 feet below the surface of the sea. (Imagine for a moment the size and power of a meteor capable of creating an eighteen-mile-wide crater, twelve-thousand feet under water. And then contemplate how much water such an object would displace—as well as where the seawater would go.)

Now this is where it gets interesting. According to the scientists, the asteroid created a tsunami event which raced inland toward the Persian Gulf and up through Mesopotamia, reaching the Mediterranean and Black Seas. While the height and speed of this wall of water is hard for scientists to estimate, researchers like Ted Bryant, who is studying evidence related to the Burckle crater, say that “the huge waves were beyond our imagination;” they were “many magnitudes larger than any tsunami experienced in modern times.” He said, “End-of-the-world movies do not capture the size of these waves.” Others have stated: “If an event of this magnitude were to occur today, it would kill a quarter of the earth’s inhabitants.” Computer models suggest wave heights could have exceeded ten-thousand feet.

So it is possible that these waves would not only have massively contributed to the scale of the flood, the roar of encroaching and retreating waters would explain the inclination we now see in the mountain range at the Strait of Hormuz. It also explains why archaeologist Leonard Woolley found thirty feet of flood-deposited sediment above the oldest levels of Ur in Sumer, located at the mouth of the Euphrates River. It would explain the Black Sea’s sudden change at that same time from fresh to saltwater, as well as its sudden 500-foot rise in elevation.

Further, it is interesting to contemplate the other related effects of an asteroid impact of this scale. It would eject enormous quantities of water vapor into the air, causing a prolonged rain—say of forty days and forty nights. And it would catapult so much debris into the atmosphere, the strike would trigger what’s known as a “nuclear winter,” causing the resulting precipitation to start warm and transition to snow over time. Moreover, the tremendous amounts of fresh water from rain and snow would serve to leech all but the deepest basins (like Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and the Black and Caspian Seas) of salt, allowing plants to thrive soon after the waves of ocean water retreated through the narrow channel in the Persian Gulf.

Recognizing that the Black and Caspian Seas are the watershed for much of Europe and Russia, the continued rain would have provided ample water to replace that which was now spilling out through the Bosporus and the Straits of Hormuz—the only floodgates in this entire Middle East basin.

With this asteroid impact in mind, let’s consider once again what God said was going to happen in Genesis 7:11: “in that day, a great magnitude and quantity of (rab) deep ocean water (tahowm) and all underground springs (ma’yan - subterranean cisterns) burst and gushed forth (baqa’), and the floodgates (‘arubah) of the skies (samayim - heavens or atmosphere) were opened (patah - freed and released).”

A massive asteroid impact in the ocean is the only event capable of incorporating all of tahowm’s etymological meanings: “deep sea water roaring up from the depths in overwhelming quantities and force, creating wave upon wave without intermission.” The shockwaves from such and impact would tend to free underground stores of water, breaking them loose. And as we know from our meteorological modeling, the asteroid strike of this magnitude would release the floodgates of heaven, causing torrential rains which would be followed by a massive accumulation of snow.

So convinced he was that this asteroid was the cause of the flood depicted in the bible, a scientist commenting upon the History Channel’s presentation of the events related to the Burckle crater, said: “We no longer need God to explain the multiple flood legends.”

Nearly four-thousand years before man figured out what had happened, Yahweh provided written documentation of when, where, why, and how the flood occurred, including specific details which wouldn’t be completely understood for many millennia. And when every last aspect of what He revealed was confirmed to be correct, man, rather than pointing a finger toward God, poked Him in the eye. To which Yahweh said, “Thinking themselves wise, they became fools.” (You will find God’s unabridged response at the end of this chapter.)

Keep in mind that this passage isn’t the only one in which Yahweh suggests that He will use an asteroid to do His bidding. In the 8^th chapter of Revelation, God says that He will nudge an asteroid He is calling “Apinthos” from its orbit so that it will collide with the Earth. Scientists are calling this asteroid “Apophis 2004 MN4.” But they are unaware of Yah’s prophecy, and therefore expect it to miss our planet by a distance of 15,000 miles, or by less than a tenth of the distance from the earth to the moon. It is projected (errantly) to be the closest “near miss” of any earth-altering event. My guess is that the Black Sea Gazette, circa 2968 BCE, featured a similar story, predicting that the comet they saw streaking across they sky would miss them as well.

From what I can tell, Apinthos/Apophis is of similar size to the asteroid which formed the Burckle crater, sporting a diameter of a quarter mile. In the “Erchomai - Comings and Goings” chapter, you will discover that it is scheduled to arrive on Friday, April 13^th, 2029—at the end of the Magog War, or about twenty-nine months into the Tribulation. So, if I were you, I’d make plans now to ship out of harm’s way, joining other members of Yah’s family in the Taruw’ah harvest known as the rapture.

Returning to the Genesis narrative, we learn that within this basin...“All (kol) related human and animal flesh (basar - living creatures, especially related people descended from a specific bloodline, messengers and preachers) which moved about (ramas) upon (‘al) the ground (‘erets), perished, gasping for breath (gawa’ - expired and died, becoming an empty, hollow corpse, the door being shut on them), including (ba) birds (‘op - winged creatures), domestic animals (bahemah), and wild animals (chayah), and all kinds of (kol) small insects living in colonies (saras) scurrying about in swarms (seres) on (‘al) the ground (‘erets - land or earth as in soil), and every (kol) man (‘adam),...” (Genesis 7:21)

Before you pass judgment on what “every ‘adam/man means in this context, consider what followed the comma: “...everyone (kol - all) who had by way of relationship (‘asher) within their breath and nature (‘aph - their attitude and disposition) a living (hayym) nesamah/conscience (nesamah - seat of judgment, discernment, and discrimination, faculty for moral choice); all (kol) with (‘asher) the spirit (ruwach) of (min) desolation (charabah - from charab, that which dries up, lays waste, and destroys, lifelessness), died a natural death (muwth - expired and were dispatched).” (Genesis 7: 22) Since there was no punctuation in paleo-Hebrew, a wa, meaning “and, so, or then,” is used to designate the end of one sentence and the beginning of the next. There was no wa at the start of the 22^nd verse, indicating that all of this was one continuous train of thought.

God’s frustration was with Adam’s descendants who had used their nesamah/conscience poorly. These people, who had migrated east of Eden, were corrupt beyond hope, having chosen to associate with Satan and his lifeless spirit. This realization is one of many evidences that the flood was regional, that it had a specific purpose, and that it occurred in a specific place.

Th