Week 3 Storytelling: The Blizzard

Noah looked at the almost-finished cabin shelter that God had instructed him to create before the blizzard came. God gave Noah explicit instructions on the size and shape of the shelter, and how to build it in order to keep the cold snow out. Now that it was almost done, Noah couldn't help but admire how nicely it had turned out. Large clouds loomed overhead, threatening to shovel tons of snow until everything was buried underneath its cold weight. The wind had begun to pick up, showing signs of how frosty it was to become in the near future. In fact, the first flakes of snow calmly began to fall, warning Noah that time was sparse and immediacy was critical.

Noah rushed off to see how the finishing touches to the cabin were coming along. Along the way, he ran into his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who were ushering the last of the eligible animals inside. How did they know who to let inside? Well, God had given them explicit instructions for that as well. They were to round up two of each animal, male and female, in order to preserve the species. The animals who came up to the entrance and took a bow were allowed to enter, as they were deemed respectful, while the rest were denied entry for not living up to God's expectations. At this time, the wind picked up and became incredibly sharp. The snow began to sting as it pounded against Noah's face. Noah told his sons to speed this process up as they were beginning to run out of time. In a short amount of time, it would be impossible to see due to the wind and snow flying around. Anyone left outside would inevitably freeze to death, a miserable death if you ask me.

As Noah began to walk around to the back of the shelter, his wife ran up to him yelling that shelter was finally finished and everything was ready to go. Noah breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried this whole time that they would not finish in time. Could you blame him though? All their lives depended on him finishing the shelter on time, and God had trusted him with this monumental task. Just in time as well, because the snow was now falling in sheets and it was becoming hard to walk and see. The snow was piling up quickly and the temperatures dropping just as fast. It wouldn't be long till everything was a barren and desolate world of snow. Noah and his wife met up with their sons and the rest of the family and ushered the final stragglers inside. All the animals had made it safely. Noah took a deep breath and one last look at the world as he knew it. In seven days, God said the snow would stop. However, it would take 150 days for all the snow to melt and for the trees and plants to begin growing back. They had a long "winter" ahead of them. Noah closed his eyes and prayed that they had enough food and that all of them made it through this "cleaning" of the world. Even though he had followed God's instructions exactly, he couldn't help but worry. Noah opened his eyes and closed the large shelter doors as gusts of wind pelted them with snow. The snow raged on throughout the night as the Noah and his family and the animals could do nothing but wait.

Barren aftermath of the blizzard; Pixabay

Author's Note

I chose to write a different, more modern version of the story of Noah and the Ark. In the original story, God is fed up with man and his wicked ways so he decides to flood the world to flush out the bad. He instructs Noah, a good man, to build an ark that will fit his family and two of each of all the animals in the world. This ark must be strong enough to withstand violent waves and lots of water for over a hundred days. In my story, I changed the flooding to a blizzard that freezes everything and leaves a barren wasteland. I thought the idea of another ice age would be an extremely harsh way to punish man, which is what led to me write this story. Instead of an ark, Noah is instructed to build a cabin shelter that keeps out the cold snow. I didn't go into much detail on the blizzard, but mainly focused on Noah and his thoughts and actions immediately before it begins. All the characters were similar, as well as the rules that God had given Noah. The only difference was the method in which God decides to end all life. 

Bibliography

Noah and the Ark (Genesis) by Louis Ginzberg

Reading Notes (B): Noah and the Ark

The Holy Book

Samael asks Eve to watch his son, which he happily agrees to do. However, Adam is fed up with the screaming and kicking kid and accidentally ends up killing him. The corpse still continues to kick and scream however, so Adam and Eve cut up the child, cook him, and eat him...pretty disturbing, but I think I could use this for my story this week! Samael returns, but Adam and Eve deny the whole incident. Adam fasts in order to speak to God and when he does so, God gives him the Torah. Jealous of all the knowledge he gains, the angels steal the book and throw it in the sea. Adam once again seeks God, who calmly tells him not to worry and recovers it from the sea. Noah was given the book in order to build the ark before the flood appeared and from then onwards, the book was passed down to many people so they could gain great wisdom.

The Inmates of the Ark

The ark was completed according to the instructions given in the Book of Raziel. God ordered the animals to repair the ark, while Noah was instructed to filter who was allowed into the ark and who wasn't. The animals which laid down at the entrance were granted entrance, while the others were not. The animals that were denied chaotically try to get in, but the rain begins to pour down, scalding hot. These animals throw their kids into the flood water in order to save themselves, a selfish move if you ask me. The rest of this story then goes on to describe some of the animals aboard the ark.

The animals working/waiting on the ark; Wikimedia

The Flood

Noah's biggest task was to provide food and shelter for the animals for however long the floods persisted. This story details the struggles Noah, his family, and the animals went through aboard the ark during the flood.

Bibliography 

Noah and the Ark from Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg.

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Reading Notes (A): Noah and the Ark

The Ark (Genesis)

God sees that there is a wickedness and violence in man on Earth and grieves at the fact that he created man. He decides to destroy all men and animals, basically everything living. God warns Noah that the end is coming and to make an ark before the floods ravage the world. Noah is instructed on how to build the ark, as well as who to allow on the ark: his family and two of everything living (male and female) in order to preserve precious life.

Construction of Noah's Ark; Wikimedia 

The Flood (Genesis)

God tells Noah that he will make it rain for 40 days and 40 nights, until every living thing he has created is wiped off the face of the planet, except for whatever Noah manages to save and bring onto the ark. The floods literally cover everything, from the plains to the trees to the mountains! All the birds and animals and humans left on Earth are destroyed as the flood and ark (and the living beings in it) become the only remaining objects. The flood waters remain for 150 days.

After the Flood (Genesis)

Noah sends a dove to see if the waters had abated from the Earth. Seven days later, the dove came back with a leaf and Noah knew land was visible. God vows never again to curse the ground for man's sake. 

Noah's Sons (Genesis)

God blesses Noah's family and tells them to flourish! Noah lived 950 years before finally passing away.

The Tower of Babel (Genesis)

This story and onward focuses on the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

Bibliography

Noah and the Ark from the Bible (Genesis) & by Louis Ginzberg