THE DELUGE OF NOAM 137 



cause they continued to regard the ark as rather a 

 great box than a ship properly so called. On the 

 other hand, it is likely that the particulars in the 

 Chaldean account came from later manipulation of 

 the narrative, after commerce and navigation on the 

 Euphrates and Persian Gulf had become familiar to 

 the Chaldeans. Thus in this as in other respects the 

 Hebrew narrative is the more primitive of the two, 

 and is consistent with the necessity of Divine instruc- 

 tions to Noah, which, if he had been familiar with 

 navigation, would not have been necessary. 1 



As in the Chaldean version, the Biblical history 

 begins with the specification of the ark. On this 

 (Elohist) portion it is only necessary to say that the 

 dimensions of the ark are large and well adapted to 

 stowage rather than to speed, and that within it was 

 strengthened by three decks and by a number of 

 bulkheads, or partitions, separating the rooms or 

 berths into which it was divided. Without, it was 

 protected and rendered tight by coats of resinous or 

 asphaltic varnish (copher), and it was built of the 

 lightest and most durable kind of wood (gopher 

 or cypress). Only two openings are mentioned, a 

 hatch or window above, and a port or door in 

 the side. There is no mention of any masts, rigging, 

 or other means of propulsion or steerage. The 

 Chaldean history differs in introducing a steersman, 



1 See also the evidence of an inland position of the writers in the 

 record of creation in Genesis i., as stated in my work cited in previous 

 note. 



