![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/227\/2014\/02\/Noah-n-33331-edit.jpg\" "\\"NOAH\\"")
<\/a>My friend Steven D. Greydanus<\/a> has just added his two bits to the growing dialogue around Noah<\/a><\/i> \u2014 and you can get the gist of his take on the current \u201ccontroversy\u201d from his headline, which states: \u201cEverybody chill out about the \u2018Noah\u2019 movie.\u201d<\/p>\nGreydanus, like virtually everyone else who has participated in this debate (including me), has not actually seen the movie. But he offers several good points to keep in mind as we look ahead to the film\u2019s release five weeks from now.<\/p>\n
The part that intrigues me the most is the bit where he talks about rabbinic Jewish understandings of the Noah story:<\/p>\n
The flood story itself<\/strong> \u2014 which has a rich, diverse history in ancient Near Eastern mythology \u2014 has been variously developed and glossed in Jewish tradition as well as Christian thought<\/strong>.\n<\/p>
For instance, among rabbinic sources<\/a>, one text describes the men of the generation of the flood shamelessly parading about in the nude. Another depicts the Nephilim mocking Noah\u2019s warnings of the flood, scoffing that they could plug the springs of the deep with their monstrous feet \u2014 but when they tried to do so, God heated the water, scalding them. Still another describes the wicked trying to dam the flow of water from the Earth by throwing their own children into the abyss.<\/p>\n
Noah\u2019s own righteousness is much debated by the rabbis<\/a>. Some said God originally included him in the decree of destruction, but exempted him for the sake of his descendants. One text says Noah\u2019s faith was so weak that he didn\u2019t enter the ark until the water was up to his knees!<\/p>\n
To contemporary Christians, these are startling suggestions that would surely raise hackles if invented by Hollywood \u2014 yet they are within the pale of historic Jewish imagination.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I\u2019ve said this before and I\u2019ll say it again: The Noah story is not a Christian story except insofar as we Christians have incorporated the Jewish scriptures into our own, so we ought to be open to at least hearing Jewish interpretations of that story.<\/p>\n
Director Darren Aronofsky, who has been interested in the Noah story since his childhood, is Jewish himself, and while I don\u2019t necessarily expect him to offer the most devout rendition of the story, I certainly anticipate that his take on the story will be rooted in a tradition quite different from my own \u2014 and I am eager to learn more about that tradition. (Indeed, thanks to Steve\u2019s post, I already have!)<\/p>\n
You know what would be really cool? It was recently announced that Aronofsky will curate an art exhibition<\/a> titled Fountains of the Deep: Visions of Noah and the Flood<\/i>, featuring over 50 works of art inspired by the Noah story. What if Aronofsky also published an annotated version of his screenplay, with copies of the Jewish legends (and even Hindu legends, given the likely source of Ila\u2019s name) that inspired his film?<\/p>\n
February 21 update:<\/b> Aronofsky himself tweeted a link to Steve\u2019s post today:<\/p>\n
\ntradition: http:\/\/t.co\/5aRVa4XOli<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 darren aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) February 21, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n