The Ark Before Noah

Decoding the Story of the Flood

By: Irving Finkel

Narrated by: Irving Finkel, Gareth Armstrong

Since the Victorian period, it has been understood that the story of Noah, iconic in the Book of Genesis, and a central motif in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, derives from a much older story that existed centuries before in ancient Babylon. But the relationship between the Babylonian and biblical traditions was shrouded in mystery. Then, in 2009, Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum and a world authority on ancient Mesopotamia, found himself playing detective when a member of the public arrived at the museum with an intriguing cuneiform tablet from a family collection. Not only did the tablet reveal a new version of the Babylonian Flood Story; the ancient poet described the size and completely unexpected shape of the ark, and gave detailed boat building specifications. Decoding this ancient message wedge by cuneiform wedge, Dr. Finkel discovered where the Babylonians believed the ark came to rest and developed a new explanation of how the old story ultimately found its way into the Bible. In The Ark Before Noah, Dr. Finkel takes us on an adventurous voyage of discovery, opening the door to an enthralling world of ancient voices and new meanings.

©2014 Irving Finkel (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Finkel's] conclusions will send ripples into the world of creationism and among ark hunters." ( Guardian)

Volume uneven

Narrator's voice volume varies wildly, sometimes from word to word - one moment he is unintelligibly quiet, the next he is deafeningly loud. Director should have managed this much, much more closely.

Very enjoyable to listen to.

Irving Finkel is an excellent reader. He makes his points in a logical, easy to understand way. He's also very funny. I don't doubt he is an expert Assyriologist and obviously an expert on Semitic languages. I would love to learn to read cuneiform just from listening to this book.

However, I disagree that the captive Jews in Babylon incorporated the Sumerian/Assyrian flood story into their Biblical one. Abram of Ur was a contemporary of Noah and Shem and could have gotten the story first hand. Captive Jews like Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel were obsessed with keeping and preserving the Law of Moses, which included the Noah's flood story.

Lively and informative

Frankly, I expected a dry scholarly tome. However, the author’s obvious love for his work comes across in his rather quirky, but lively, reading style. Admittedly it took me a little time to get used to his accent, but nobody could’ve read this book better or imbued it with more energy. After providing a certain amount of background on cuneiform and related research, he delves into several versions of the ark story, including the one in the Old Testament. The author’s reading is like listening to a favorite professor. Delightful moments of humor enliven the fascinating scholarly information. A wonderful book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Brilliant work

Interesting book with lots of excellent information. Will be pondering his deductions for a while. Enjoy.

Irving Finkel is just the best.

Irving Finkel presents a wonderfully compelling and well researched history of the Ark. That, and he makes me now want to deep dive into Assyriology! I really hope for more books from him!

A bit slow to start but worth the wait

The early part of the book is a bit of a slog as it's the author's love letter to cuneiform. It wasn't without some interesting moments but it went on a bit long for my taste. Once it gets more to the point it really gets interesting.

Important Connections

An important outline of the relationship between the culture of Mesopotamia and the Old Testament. Finkel shows how the legends of Mesopotamia are the foundation of many parts of the Old Testament.

Very insightful analysis

Irving Finkel here reads his on book on the Flood tradition, starting with the cuneiform sources. Finkel is one of the foremost scholars in cuneiform studies, and has a very delightful style in talking about the material. I found it an enchanting listen, helped by Finkel's melodious voice. Finkel shows how he thinks through the fragmentary evidence and manages to squeeze an amazing amount of information from them. Highly recommended.

Brilliant and entertaining, as always!

Listening to the passionate and fascinating writings of Irving Finkel is a great pleasure. I’ve heard all his lectures and read anything he’s written on cuneiform.

This book is no exception. He is, in my opinion one of the most fascinating men on the planet.

I think most people will enjoy the book and perhaps catch the bug that sends you into obsession.

excellent, enlightening, entertaining

Any additional comments?

The author successfully combines "modern" detective stories from the 19th, 20th & 21st centuries, archeological, linguistic & literary; with an approachable guide to the history of written language (focusing on cunieform); and the evolution of biblical literature (focusing on the Noah story, but not only that). The writing & the narration, excellent. I was so sorry when the book was over, I wanted to hear more.