Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/96

 The Book of Genesis

78 be

our Biblical story

tliat

is

borrowed from the Babylonian

original.

The Babylonian Flood Story Actually, however,

the

points

of

similarity

between the

original Babylonian version of the flood-story and the Biblical version are of less significance than the numerous points of

borrowed from the Babylonian, these points of dift'erence were more probably purposed than accidental. They must have been introduced difference.

into

the

story

Since the Biblical

Biblical

story

deliberately,

is

order that

in

it

might

voice certain vital and fundamental Jewish truths.

The Deity.

first

The

essential

difl^erence

Bal)vlonian gods arc

is

in

many

the conception of the

they are depicted

in

gross and anthropomorphic manner; they are subject to outbursts of anger, are powerless to control the

storm which

they have caused, and are even terrified by

too late they

it



regret the evil consec[uences of their ill-considered act; and

they

swarm

like flies greedily

about the

sacrifice.

In direct