Texts in Conversation
In Deuteronomy, Og king of Bashan is described as the last of the Rephaim, an ancient race of giants connected to the Nephilim. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer describes Og clinging to the side of the ark to explain how the Nephilim survived the flood.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Deuteronomy 3:11
Hebrew Bible
10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy that his sarcophagus was made of iron. Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide according to standard measure.) 12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 23:7
Rabbinic
Rabbi Meir said: One pearl was suspended in the ark, and shed light upon all the creatures in the ark, like a lamp which gives light inside the house, and like the sun yonder which shines in his might, as it is said, "A light shalt thou make to the ark" (Gen. 6:16). Rabbi Zadok said: On the 10th of Marcheshvan all the creatures entered the ark; on the 17th of the same (month) the waters of the Flood descended from heaven upon the earth, for they were the waters (endowed with the) male (principle). And there came up the waters of the depths, for they are the waters (endowed) with the female (principle), and they were joined with one another, and they prevailed so as to destroy || the world, as it is said, "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth" (Gen. 7:19). And all living things which were upon the face of the earth decayed, as it is said, "And every living thing was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground" (Gen. 7:23), except Noah and those who were with him in the ark, as it is said, "And Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark" (ibid.), except Og, king of Bashan, who sat down on a piece of wood under the gutter of the ark. He swore to Noah and to his sons that he would be their servant for ever. What did Noah do? He bored an aperture in the ark, and he put (through it) his food daily for him, and he also was left, as it is said, "For only Og, king of Bashan, remained of the remnant of the giants" (Deut. 3:11). (The Flood was universal) except in the land of Israel, upon which the water of the Flood did not descend from heaven, but the waters were gathered together from all lands, and they entered therein, as it is said, "Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon, in the day of indignation" (Ezek. 22:24).
Date: 630-1030 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
... Noah’s self-interest can also be found in a tradition depicting him helping Og, king of the Bashan, to survive the flood. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground (Genesis 7:23). Except Noah and those who were with him in the ark, as it is said, Only Noah was left and those that were with him in the ark, except Og, king of Bashan, who sat down on a piece of wood under the gutter of the ark. He swore to Noah and to his sons that he would be their servant forever. What did Noah do? He bored an aperture in the ark, and he put [through it] his food daily for him, and he also was left, as it is said, For only Og, king of Bashan, was left of the remnant of the giants (Deuteronomy 3:11). (Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer 23). Although this midrash does not condemn Noah for helping Og survive the flood, it is notable that Noah is not said to save him out of mercy or compassion, but because Og promised to be his servant forever. This midrash is supposedly interested mainly in accounting for Og’s survival of the flood, following Deuteronomy 3:11. ...
Amihay, Aryeh
"Noah in Rabbinic Literature" in Michael E. Stone, Aryeh Amihay, and Vered Hillel (eds.) Noah in Rabbinic Literature
(p. 207) Society of Biblical Literature, 2010
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.