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NARRATOR:
First came the rain...
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Then the flood...
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When you're telling the story
of the beginnings of humanity,
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00:00:15,583 --> 00:00:18,217
the flood story
is part of that story.
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00:00:18,219 --> 00:00:23,389
NARRATOR:
Then, with the rising waters,
a life-saving vessel.
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00:00:30,564 --> 00:00:35,968
In the book of Genesis,
God asks Noah to build an ark.
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PETER MACHINIST:
The Noah story serves to provide
a platform of understanding
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00:00:42,810 --> 00:00:45,144
for all future disasters.
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00:00:45,146 --> 00:00:47,279
It is the ultimate disaster.
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00:00:49,450 --> 00:00:53,352
NARRATOR:
But where does the story
come from?
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00:00:53,354 --> 00:00:56,422
An ancient tablet
may hold the answer.
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IRVING FINKEL:
I took one look at it, and
to my astonishment I realized
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that this was another retelling
of the flood story.
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NARRATOR:
Far older than the Bible,
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the text describes a vessel
very different from Noah's.
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TOM VOSMER:
Everyone has their image
of the ark,
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and then suddenly we have this
one appear that says,
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"Hey, it's round!
It's a basket boat!"
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I think that's a fascinating
thing to look at.
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NARRATOR:
Now, a team of investigators
has set out to build the ark
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described in the tablet,
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traveling to the once lush
marshlands of Iraq,
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00:01:37,331 --> 00:01:40,399
near the site of ancient
Babylon--
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00:01:40,401 --> 00:01:43,469
a land that was ravaged
by regular floods.
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And to India, where craftspeople
skilled in ancient techniques
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00:01:49,810 --> 00:01:53,612
will attempt to construct
a vessel large enough
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to withstand a major flood.
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I think if you brought
a Babylonian into the present
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00:02:01,155 --> 00:02:04,223
to see this boat
when it's finished,
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00:02:04,225 --> 00:02:05,324
that he would recognize it
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as something coming
from his culture.
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NARRATOR:
The story of the ark--
a turning point in history,
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00:02:18,906 --> 00:02:22,040
when the Babylonian empire
collides
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with the world of the Bible.
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PIOTR MICHALOWSKI:
This is the moment the history
of the Jewish people begins.
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Not at the beginning of time--
after the flood.
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NARRATOR:
Climb on board to discover
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the "Secrets of Noah's Ark"--
right now, on NOVA.
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00:02:57,077 --> 00:03:00,846
Major funding for NOVA is
provided by the following...
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00:03:02,049 --> 00:03:04,116
The David H. Koch Fund
for Science.
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00:03:04,118 --> 00:03:07,786
Supporting NOVA and promoting
public understanding of science.
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And the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting
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00:03:13,327 --> 00:03:14,726
and by PBS viewers like you.
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Thank you.
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NARRATOR:
At the Israel Museum
in Jerusalem,
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00:03:25,839 --> 00:03:29,074
some of the oldest known
fragments of the Bible
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00:03:29,076 --> 00:03:33,478
are being recorded
and preserved.
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00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,482
The 2,000-year-old
Dead Sea Scrolls
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00:03:37,484 --> 00:03:39,284
contain the first Biblical
reference
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00:03:39,286 --> 00:03:41,853
to a cataclysmic flood.
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(thunderclap)
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MAN:
"The Lord saw how great
the wickedness
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00:03:48,696 --> 00:03:51,730
"of the human race had become
on the earth.
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00:03:51,732 --> 00:03:56,368
"So the Lord said, 'I will wipe
from the face of the earth
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"the human race I have created.'
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But Noah found favor in the eyes
of the Lord."
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00:04:04,445 --> 00:04:07,379
Genesis 6: 5, 7 and 8.
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NARRATOR:
Today, the story of Noah
and the flood is central
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00:04:14,855 --> 00:04:19,291
to the scriptures of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
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In the story, God sends a great
flood as punishment
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00:04:29,236 --> 00:04:32,137
for the sins of humanity.
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COOGAN:
Because it is a moral,
ethical God,
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00:04:34,742 --> 00:04:36,141
the takeaway lesson, in effect,
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00:04:36,143 --> 00:04:40,912
is that you better do
what this God wants;
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00:04:40,914 --> 00:04:42,681
otherwise there will be
big trouble.
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00:04:42,683 --> 00:04:47,085
NARRATOR:
The righteous Noah is told
by God to build an ark
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00:04:47,087 --> 00:04:53,225
to save his family and a pair
of every type of animal.
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00:04:53,227 --> 00:04:57,763
When the storm subsides,
Noah offers a sacrifice to God,
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00:04:57,765 --> 00:05:00,365
who then makes a covenant
with Noah,
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00:05:00,367 --> 00:05:03,769
promising that humanity will
never again be destroyed
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by flood.
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This pact between man and God
is the foundation of morality
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00:05:10,811 --> 00:05:13,378
in the biblical book of Genesis.
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COOGAN:
When you're telling the story
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00:05:14,815 --> 00:05:17,115
of the beginnings of humanity,
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00:05:17,117 --> 00:05:19,618
the flood story is part
of that story.
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00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:22,354
DAVID VANDERHOOFT:
Without this moment
of the flood,
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00:05:22,356 --> 00:05:26,925
you have no framework within
which humans can develop
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00:05:26,927 --> 00:05:28,960
the life that will permit
their perpetuity.
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You have to have it there.
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NARRATOR:
But why is a defining
moral tale in the Bible,
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forged in the desert hills
of Judea,
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shaped by a flood and a ship?
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00:05:41,675 --> 00:05:44,676
Where did its authors
get the idea?
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00:05:46,180 --> 00:05:49,314
The answer lies in the world's
first writing system.
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At the British Museum,
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00:05:58,659 --> 00:06:01,626
Dr. Irving Finkel is one of
the world's few experts
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00:06:01,628 --> 00:06:06,598
in the ancient script
called cuneiform.
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00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:11,636
And he shares his knowledge
with all generations.
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FINKEL:
This is an exercise tablet from
an ancient school.
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00:06:14,808 --> 00:06:17,075
It's made of clay,
squashed flat,
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00:06:17,077 --> 00:06:19,144
and the writing is done
on the surface of the clay.
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00:06:19,146 --> 00:06:22,581
So they never wrote on paper or
papyrus like the Egyptians.
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00:06:22,583 --> 00:06:27,219
NARRATOR:
Cuneiform evolved in what is
today modern Iraq,
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00:06:27,221 --> 00:06:31,289
in an ancient area between the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers:
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00:06:31,291 --> 00:06:35,160
Mesopotamia, the cradle
of civilization.
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00:06:35,162 --> 00:06:38,730
The earliest examples are
from around 5,000 years ago.
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00:06:38,732 --> 00:06:41,066
Originally used
for bookkeeping,
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00:06:41,068 --> 00:06:44,536
its first marks are symbols
of commodities,
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00:06:44,538 --> 00:06:47,305
like these ears of barley.
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00:06:47,307 --> 00:06:50,175
But soon this picture-based
system develops
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00:06:50,177 --> 00:06:52,477
into symbols representing
syllables.
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FINKEL:
Divide the name up
into syllables.
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Henry will be He-en-ry.
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It was a tremendously
significant step
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00:07:02,856 --> 00:07:06,758
for the human race because
it meant suddenly
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00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,629
it became possible to record
language properly.
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NARRATOR:
Over the course
of two millennia,
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cuneiform tablets become
widespread
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00:07:15,169 --> 00:07:17,803
throughout Mesopotamia.
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00:07:17,805 --> 00:07:20,639
It's here,
during the 19th century,
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00:07:20,641 --> 00:07:25,343
that British archaeologists
discover 130,000 of them,
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00:07:25,345 --> 00:07:29,281
now under Irving's care.
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00:07:29,283 --> 00:07:34,119
One of them told
an explosive story.
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In 1872, its secret was revealed
by a British museum assistant
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named George Smith.
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FINKEL:
George Smith is a bit
of a hero of mine.
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00:07:46,733 --> 00:07:49,968
He turned out to have
an absolute genius
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00:07:49,970 --> 00:07:51,870
for understanding cuneiform
almost at sight.
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00:07:53,740 --> 00:07:56,041
When Smith read the story
in this tablet,
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he read something that no person
had read since remote antiquity.
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NARRATOR:
In the tablet from 700 BCE,
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00:08:05,419 --> 00:08:09,054
Smith was shocked to read key
parts of a flood story
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00:08:09,056 --> 00:08:11,456
that closely resembled Noah.
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00:08:14,962 --> 00:08:17,128
FINKEL:
He discovered there was going
to be a deluge
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to destroy the world.
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00:08:20,334 --> 00:08:22,968
The gods choose one human being
as a hero,
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00:08:22,970 --> 00:08:25,036
and this character had
to build a boat
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in order to put life in it
to withstand the waters
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00:08:28,141 --> 00:08:30,742
so that afterwards everything
could start all over again.
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I think he had a proper fit
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00:08:34,615 --> 00:08:37,716
because of the shock
of discovering a text
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00:08:37,718 --> 00:08:40,619
which he knew from
the Hebrew Bible by heart
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00:08:40,621 --> 00:08:42,487
was suddenly there
in front of him
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00:08:42,489 --> 00:08:44,823
in this totally strange medium.
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NARRATOR:
Smith found parallels in even
the most obscure details.
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In both stories, the flood hero
releases three sets of birds
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to find dry land.
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00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,509
And both offer a sacrifice
that their god smells.
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00:09:04,511 --> 00:09:06,278
FINKEL:
The two texts were somehow
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00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,713
strongly wedded together.
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They had a literary
relationship.
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One derived from the other.
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NARRATOR:
Over a thousand years,
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00:09:14,855 --> 00:09:18,990
several versions of the
Babylonian flood myth emerged.
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00:09:18,992 --> 00:09:22,761
Could the parallels between all
these Mesopotamian flood myths
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00:09:22,763 --> 00:09:26,798
and Noah's story be
merely coincidence?
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00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,733
MICHALOWSKI:
There's a borrowing here.
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00:09:28,735 --> 00:09:30,168
They're all different pictures
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00:09:30,170 --> 00:09:33,538
of the same personage,
the same literary creation.
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There's an overall parallel.
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There are a number of very
specific points of parallel,
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which suggest that this is not
just a random association.
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NARRATOR:
But there is one major
difference: the ark itself.
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In the Hebrew Bible, Noah builds
a massive rectangular boat.
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But in one of the earliest
Babylonian stories,
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00:09:57,698 --> 00:09:59,965
the ark description is
incomplete.
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FINKEL:
It says, "The ark you are
to build... be equal..."
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00:10:06,273 --> 00:10:07,606
and then it's broken.
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NARRATOR:
Because the tablet
is missing a piece,
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00:10:11,111 --> 00:10:15,080
features of the Babylonian ark
were a mystery.
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00:10:15,082 --> 00:10:18,950
It would be almost a century
before a key clue would emerge.
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00:10:23,523 --> 00:10:28,827
In 1948, a Royal Air Force
officer named Leonard Simmonds
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00:10:28,829 --> 00:10:30,762
was serving in the Middle East.
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00:10:30,764 --> 00:10:33,531
One day he went into a market
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00:10:33,533 --> 00:10:35,367
and bought an interesting
looking piece of clay
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00:10:35,369 --> 00:10:37,969
with strange inscriptions.
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00:10:37,971 --> 00:10:42,340
The object lay forgotten
in his home for 40 years
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00:10:42,342 --> 00:10:45,410
until his son took it
to the British Museum
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00:10:45,412 --> 00:10:47,412
to see if it might be
of interest.
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FINKEL:
Once in a while
manna from heaven
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falls just when you need it.
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NARRATOR:
The tablet was from the ancient
Mesopotamian kingdom
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00:10:56,990 --> 00:10:59,824
of Babylonia.
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FINKEL:
This is what the tablet
looks like.
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00:11:02,329 --> 00:11:05,330
Nothing exceptional
until you start to read it.
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And I took one look at it,
and to my astonishment,
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00:11:09,069 --> 00:11:12,003
I realized--
from the first lines only--
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00:11:12,005 --> 00:11:16,007
that this was another retelling
of the flood story.
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00:11:16,009 --> 00:11:18,209
NARRATOR:
But the inscription
was squeezed
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00:11:18,211 --> 00:11:21,913
onto a 4,000-year old,
badly damaged piece of clay.
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To confirm his first analysis,
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00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:28,720
Irving takes the tablet
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00:11:28,722 --> 00:11:30,488
to the International
Manufacturing Centre
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00:11:30,490 --> 00:11:33,124
at Warwick University.
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00:11:33,126 --> 00:11:35,527
They produce a perfect 3D model,
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00:11:35,529 --> 00:11:41,566
allowing him to re-examine
the text in forensic detail.
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00:11:41,568 --> 00:11:44,769
The tablet begins with
a Babylonian god's instructions
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00:11:44,771 --> 00:11:48,173
to the hero of the story,
named Atra Hasis.
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00:11:48,175 --> 00:11:49,441
FINKEL:
He tells him
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00:11:49,443 --> 00:11:53,445
to tear down the house and use
the materials to build a boat.
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00:11:53,447 --> 00:11:59,050
NARRATOR:
And then comes a detailed
description of this boat.
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00:11:59,052 --> 00:12:00,185
(reading ancient language)
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00:12:00,187 --> 00:12:01,219
"Draw it out...
195
00:12:01,221 --> 00:12:04,456
(reading ancient language)
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00:12:04,458 --> 00:12:06,758
...with the design of a circle."
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00:12:11,164 --> 00:12:13,665
As you wade through this funny
script, you cannot deny
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00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:17,102
that with was the idea--
it was a round boat.
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00:12:19,606 --> 00:12:21,740
You think to yourself,
"How can this be?"
200
00:12:21,742 --> 00:12:24,509
The ark is one of the most
familiar iconic things
201
00:12:24,511 --> 00:12:25,877
in the whole world.
202
00:12:28,682 --> 00:12:30,782
But when you start
to think about it,
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00:12:30,784 --> 00:12:33,084
we know that on the rivers
of Mesopotamia--
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00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:36,921
the Euphrates and the Tigris
River-- they had round boats.
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00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:43,995
NARRATOR:
On a Mesopotamian seal dated
2500 BCE is the cross-section
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00:12:43,997 --> 00:12:46,231
of a round vessel.
207
00:12:46,233 --> 00:12:51,035
And at the British Museum are
other images of round boats--
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00:12:51,037 --> 00:12:57,809
called coracles-- from 700 BCE
carrying cargoes of stone.
209
00:12:57,811 --> 00:13:03,915
So is the tablet describing
a real vessel?
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00:13:03,917 --> 00:13:05,750
FINKEL:
It's supposed to be mythology.
211
00:13:05,752 --> 00:13:08,153
But as you go further down
the tablet,
212
00:13:08,155 --> 00:13:11,556
you discover that the
detailed specifications
213
00:13:11,558 --> 00:13:14,559
about how to build this thing
are given us.
214
00:13:17,397 --> 00:13:20,331
NARRATOR:
The tablet lists the ark's
components and proportions
215
00:13:20,333 --> 00:13:25,303
in detail, suggesting real
boat-building knowledge.
216
00:13:25,305 --> 00:13:27,438
FINKEL:
Instead of it being
made-up facts,
217
00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,675
we actually have details
predicated on the idea
218
00:13:30,677 --> 00:13:32,977
of building a real coracle.
219
00:13:32,979 --> 00:13:37,248
NARRATOR:
But the coracle described
in the tablet is enormous--
220
00:13:37,250 --> 00:13:40,919
222 feet across.
221
00:13:40,921 --> 00:13:42,387
So Irving wanted to know,
222
00:13:42,389 --> 00:13:48,326
could such an enormous
round boat actually be built?
223
00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:50,929
FINKEL:
Quite frankly it seemed to me
the only possible thing
224
00:13:50,931 --> 00:13:54,132
you could do was to take
these instructions
225
00:13:54,134 --> 00:13:56,568
about how to build
a giant coracle
226
00:13:56,570 --> 00:13:58,636
and build a giant coracle.
227
00:14:01,308 --> 00:14:03,942
NARRATOR:
Very few boat builders in
the world have the expertise
228
00:14:03,944 --> 00:14:05,977
to take up Irving's challenge.
229
00:14:05,979 --> 00:14:08,813
But if there's one person
who can build such a vessel,
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00:14:08,815 --> 00:14:13,518
it's maritime archaeologist
Dr. Tom Vosmer.
231
00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,654
Tom has built a career
from resurrecting ancient boats
232
00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:18,489
from literary evidence.
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00:14:18,491 --> 00:14:22,660
VOSMER:
Everyone has their image
of the ark,
234
00:14:22,662 --> 00:14:24,729
and then suddenly we have
this one appear that says,
235
00:14:24,731 --> 00:14:26,698
"Hey, it's round!
It's a basket boat!"
236
00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:29,601
I think that's a fascinating
thing to look at
237
00:14:29,603 --> 00:14:32,537
and see if we can make it work.
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00:14:32,539 --> 00:14:35,740
NARRATOR:
With him is Eric Staples,
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00:14:35,742 --> 00:14:39,944
maritime historian
and boat builder...
240
00:14:39,946 --> 00:14:42,080
And Alessandro Ghidoni,
241
00:14:42,082 --> 00:14:45,016
a world expert in ancient boat
technology.
242
00:14:45,018 --> 00:14:49,020
They've taken Irving's
translation of the tablet
243
00:14:49,022 --> 00:14:51,189
and converted
the Babylonian measurements.
244
00:14:51,191 --> 00:14:57,061
Right away they see the problem:
the scale of the ark--
245
00:14:57,063 --> 00:15:01,766
so big its structure could never
support its weight.
246
00:15:01,768 --> 00:15:03,701
VOSMER:
Its size...
247
00:15:03,703 --> 00:15:05,737
It's obviously physically
impossible,
248
00:15:05,739 --> 00:15:09,340
but let's try to see how far
we can push it,
249
00:15:09,342 --> 00:15:12,243
how large we can
actually make it.
250
00:15:12,245 --> 00:15:16,214
NARRATOR:
Also, the tablet
lists materials,
251
00:15:16,216 --> 00:15:18,149
but doesn't say
how the Babylonians
252
00:15:18,151 --> 00:15:20,218
would have to put them together.
253
00:15:20,220 --> 00:15:24,989
Luckily, there is more
recent evidence.
254
00:15:24,991 --> 00:15:29,861
These images from the 1930s show
round Iraqi boats called quffas
255
00:15:29,863 --> 00:15:34,532
ferrying passengers and goods.
256
00:15:34,534 --> 00:15:39,737
In 1934, a British boat
historian named James Hornell
257
00:15:39,739 --> 00:15:43,741
carried out detailed research
on quffas.
258
00:15:43,743 --> 00:15:46,411
He wrote that they were made
of fibrous plants
259
00:15:46,413 --> 00:15:50,148
found near waterways--
either reeds or palm leaves--
260
00:15:50,150 --> 00:15:54,986
bound into ropes and coiled
into a basket-like hull.
261
00:15:54,988 --> 00:15:58,556
Wooden ribs held the shape
of the hull,
262
00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:02,694
and a layer of bitumen,
or pitch, made it waterproof.
263
00:16:02,696 --> 00:16:06,064
These are the same
materials described
264
00:16:06,066 --> 00:16:11,502
in the 4,000-year-old ark tablet
that Irving Finkel analyzed.
265
00:16:11,504 --> 00:16:14,739
If the team is going to build
the kind of round boat described
266
00:16:14,741 --> 00:16:16,407
in the Babylonian myth,
267
00:16:16,409 --> 00:16:19,177
they need to examine
a more modern example.
268
00:16:34,294 --> 00:16:38,963
These are the heavily guarded
oilfields of southern Iraq.
269
00:16:38,965 --> 00:16:43,067
For any outsider,
traveling here is risky.
270
00:16:47,173 --> 00:16:48,473
STAPLES:
Coming into
271
00:16:48,475 --> 00:16:51,042
what's described as
an unsecure environment
272
00:16:51,044 --> 00:16:54,379
in order to flesh out the
details of how to build
273
00:16:54,381 --> 00:16:56,581
a Babylonian ark
274
00:16:56,583 --> 00:16:58,449
is definitely a new one for me,
that's for sure.
275
00:16:58,451 --> 00:17:01,786
NARRATOR:
Eric needs to reach one
of the few places
276
00:17:01,788 --> 00:17:02,987
where there is evidence
277
00:17:02,989 --> 00:17:05,990
of Iraq's traditional
boat-building skills:
278
00:17:05,992 --> 00:17:09,627
the great marshes
of southern Iraq.
279
00:17:09,629 --> 00:17:12,230
This ancient aquatic wilderness
once covered
280
00:17:12,232 --> 00:17:14,632
12,000 square miles.
281
00:17:14,634 --> 00:17:18,903
It was home to hundreds
of thousands of Marsh Arabs.
282
00:17:18,905 --> 00:17:23,708
But much of it was drained by
Saddam Hussein in the early '90s
283
00:17:23,710 --> 00:17:26,544
to punish those resisting
his regime.
284
00:17:29,215 --> 00:17:32,784
Eric has come to meet
Azzam Alwash.
285
00:17:32,786 --> 00:17:36,421
Azzam is an expert in marsh
traditions and boat technology.
286
00:17:36,423 --> 00:17:41,926
And he also owns possibly the
last remaining quffa in Iraq.
287
00:17:41,928 --> 00:17:45,596
As modern roads, bridges and
river launches were built,
288
00:17:45,598 --> 00:17:49,033
quffas became obsolete.
289
00:17:49,035 --> 00:17:54,172
This example exists only because
Azzam had it constructed.
290
00:17:54,174 --> 00:17:57,275
Hello, Azzam.
291
00:17:57,277 --> 00:17:58,443
Pleasure meeting you.
Likewise.
292
00:17:58,445 --> 00:17:59,877
How are you doing?
Good. How are you?
293
00:17:59,879 --> 00:18:01,212
Good, good.
294
00:18:01,214 --> 00:18:02,713
So here's our quffa.
295
00:18:02,715 --> 00:18:04,549
This is the quffa.
296
00:18:04,551 --> 00:18:05,583
Wonderful.
297
00:18:05,585 --> 00:18:07,151
ALWASH:
The building of this quffa
298
00:18:07,153 --> 00:18:09,554
started with weaving
in circles.
299
00:18:09,556 --> 00:18:13,791
It's rings upon rings upon rings
woven together
300
00:18:13,793 --> 00:18:15,726
with traditional
weaving techniques.
301
00:18:15,728 --> 00:18:19,931
NARRATOR:
Eric recognizes the components
described in the ark tablet--
302
00:18:19,933 --> 00:18:24,569
the coiled rope of the hull,
made from marsh reeds;
303
00:18:24,571 --> 00:18:26,404
the wooden ribs of its skeleton;
304
00:18:26,406 --> 00:18:30,374
and waterproofing bitumen,
the asphalt-like substance
305
00:18:30,376 --> 00:18:32,577
that's been used to seal
the hulls of boats
306
00:18:32,579 --> 00:18:35,179
since antiquity.
307
00:18:35,181 --> 00:18:38,049
Do you think I could
give it a try?
308
00:18:38,051 --> 00:18:39,951
Sure, why not?
All right.
309
00:18:45,358 --> 00:18:47,492
ALWASH:
Hey, nice little sailor!
310
00:18:47,494 --> 00:18:49,193
NARRATOR:
It's very stable,
311
00:18:49,195 --> 00:18:52,997
which is why it was once used
as an all-purpose ferry boat.
312
00:18:52,999 --> 00:18:55,733
But Eric wants to know
if it can be scaled up.
313
00:18:55,735 --> 00:19:01,405
And if so, how big can he build
a round boat?
314
00:19:01,407 --> 00:19:04,208
The 20th century historic
record indicates
315
00:19:04,210 --> 00:19:08,179
that the biggest quffas were up
to 18 feet in diameter,
316
00:19:08,181 --> 00:19:12,350
much less than the 222 feet
the tablet suggests.
317
00:19:12,352 --> 00:19:16,154
Could this be the limit
of the round boat technology,
318
00:19:16,156 --> 00:19:18,456
today and in ancient times?
319
00:19:21,327 --> 00:19:24,695
Azzam takes Eric to see
a building technique
320
00:19:24,697 --> 00:19:31,936
that dates back more than 5,000
years-- a reed house.
321
00:19:31,938 --> 00:19:35,206
(speaking Arabic)
322
00:19:37,510 --> 00:19:40,244
ALWASH:
So there it is.
323
00:19:40,246 --> 00:19:42,747
The entire rigidity of this
structure comes from the tension
324
00:19:42,749 --> 00:19:45,516
built into these arches.
325
00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,522
There is no metal in the
building of these structures.
326
00:19:51,524 --> 00:19:52,957
It's reeds upon reeds
upon reeds.
327
00:19:52,959 --> 00:19:57,995
They are brought together by the
tension of these twisted reeds.
328
00:19:59,632 --> 00:20:02,166
NARRATOR:
Could the ancient Babylonians
have used
329
00:20:02,168 --> 00:20:05,670
this house-building technique
as the basis for constructing
330
00:20:05,672 --> 00:20:09,874
their large, round ark?
331
00:20:09,876 --> 00:20:12,043
STAPLES:
The circle that runs around here
332
00:20:12,045 --> 00:20:15,913
is one way of basically holding
it all in together
333
00:20:15,915 --> 00:20:19,116
using the natural tension, the
strength of reeds, basically,
334
00:20:19,118 --> 00:20:20,251
because they're flexible,
335
00:20:20,253 --> 00:20:22,053
but there's still strength
within the flexibility,
336
00:20:22,055 --> 00:20:23,654
particularly when you bundle
them like this.
337
00:20:23,656 --> 00:20:27,024
ALWASH:
But you're saying here that this
is going to be ten, 15 meters?
338
00:20:27,026 --> 00:20:28,059
STAPLES:
Ten, 12 meters, yes, yes.
339
00:20:28,061 --> 00:20:30,294
ALWASH:
Okay.
340
00:20:30,296 --> 00:20:35,132
NARRATOR:
Eric arrived with just the
4,000-year-old tablet details.
341
00:20:35,134 --> 00:20:37,235
Now he has the beginnings
of a design
342
00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:40,838
for his large
Babylonian coracle.
343
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:47,812
But many obstacles remain,
beginning with where to build.
344
00:20:47,814 --> 00:20:49,614
STAPLES:
I'd love to build it in Iraq,
345
00:20:49,616 --> 00:20:52,350
but considering
the logistical issues
346
00:20:52,352 --> 00:20:58,055
and the security issues as well,
um, it's not realistic here.
347
00:20:58,057 --> 00:21:01,225
So the question is
where if not Iraq?
348
00:21:08,501 --> 00:21:11,869
NARRATOR:
Another question is
how credible is the tablet
349
00:21:11,871 --> 00:21:15,239
in describing the flood?
350
00:21:15,241 --> 00:21:18,843
Today, this region is desert.
351
00:21:18,845 --> 00:21:22,747
How likely is it that a great
flood could have inundated
352
00:21:22,749 --> 00:21:26,284
this parched landscape
thousands of years ago
353
00:21:26,286 --> 00:21:29,020
as the Babylonian myth
describes?
354
00:21:32,558 --> 00:21:36,460
This is one of the places that
gave birth to that legend,
355
00:21:36,462 --> 00:21:41,799
home of first the Sumerian,
then Babylonian Empires--
356
00:21:41,801 --> 00:21:43,934
the ancient city of Ur.
357
00:21:45,772 --> 00:21:48,372
Just 20 miles from
the great marshes,
358
00:21:48,374 --> 00:21:52,310
Ur dates back more than
5,000 years.
359
00:21:52,312 --> 00:21:55,513
It's here in 1928
360
00:21:55,515 --> 00:21:58,849
that British archaeologist
Sir Charles Leonard Woolley
361
00:21:58,851 --> 00:22:01,786
made a startling discovery.
362
00:22:01,788 --> 00:22:05,656
In 1922, Woolley and his team
came in search
363
00:22:05,658 --> 00:22:09,460
of early Mesopotamian
civilization.
364
00:22:09,462 --> 00:22:13,431
He found remains of
an entire royal dynasty,
365
00:22:13,433 --> 00:22:16,767
a testament to the
sophistication and power
366
00:22:16,769 --> 00:22:18,269
of the Sumerian elite.
367
00:22:20,239 --> 00:22:23,274
And then, he made an equally
stunning discovery...
368
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,717
A distinctive layer of river
silt ten feet thick.
369
00:22:35,555 --> 00:22:38,222
It had been laid down
by a massive flood.
370
00:22:40,793 --> 00:22:44,428
The grandson of a member
of Woolley's team
371
00:22:44,430 --> 00:22:48,165
relates how the discovery evoked
the biblical story of Noah.
372
00:22:51,571 --> 00:22:55,039
DHEIF MUSHIN:
They found layer of sand
to the south of Ur,
373
00:22:55,041 --> 00:22:56,140
north of Ur,
374
00:22:56,142 --> 00:22:57,908
and east and west.
375
00:22:57,910 --> 00:23:00,344
That mean that happen
a big flood
376
00:23:00,346 --> 00:23:01,746
and they thought that is
377
00:23:01,748 --> 00:23:04,048
the same flood of Noah,
the great man,
378
00:23:04,050 --> 00:23:05,383
the great prophet at that time.
379
00:23:05,385 --> 00:23:08,886
NARRATOR:
This connection to Noah's flood
380
00:23:08,888 --> 00:23:13,224
made the layer of sand more
famous than Ur's treasures.
381
00:23:15,161 --> 00:23:17,061
Especially when other
archaeologists began finding
382
00:23:17,063 --> 00:23:22,099
flood deposits in neighboring
cities like Uruk, Shuruppak,
383
00:23:22,101 --> 00:23:23,367
and Kish.
384
00:23:25,138 --> 00:23:29,039
The idea of a single
great flood grew.
385
00:23:29,041 --> 00:23:30,508
But there was a problem.
386
00:23:30,510 --> 00:23:33,244
When the layers were dated,
387
00:23:33,246 --> 00:23:36,147
they were found to be caused
by different events,
388
00:23:36,149 --> 00:23:38,783
spread over a thousand years.
389
00:23:38,785 --> 00:23:43,120
So was there ever really
a single great flood?
390
00:23:54,801 --> 00:23:57,301
Landscape archaeologist
Dr. Jenny Pournelle
391
00:23:57,303 --> 00:23:59,370
is looking for the answer.
392
00:23:59,372 --> 00:24:03,307
For over a decade,
Jenny has been investigating
393
00:24:03,309 --> 00:24:07,878
how the landscape of Iraq has
changed over thousands of years.
394
00:24:10,349 --> 00:24:13,117
Today she is taking
a core sample,
395
00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:17,221
part of a series
that covers a broad area.
396
00:24:21,994 --> 00:24:25,963
She's digging 68 miles south
of Ur,
397
00:24:25,965 --> 00:24:29,533
in a marshland that was recently
drained for oil exploitation.
398
00:24:29,535 --> 00:24:35,239
It's a chance for her to get a
piece of uncontaminated earth,
399
00:24:35,241 --> 00:24:37,141
essential for accurate dating.
400
00:24:37,143 --> 00:24:38,509
POURNELLE:
You can see
401
00:24:38,511 --> 00:24:41,278
this light, light grey silt,
and these little guys
402
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,448
are very typical of freshwater
marshes around here.
403
00:24:44,450 --> 00:24:47,051
It means that our core
will have been protected
404
00:24:47,053 --> 00:24:50,020
by this marsh cover until
recently when it was drained.
405
00:24:50,022 --> 00:24:54,859
NARRATOR:
This core will help reveal if
ancient Mesopotamia was impacted
406
00:24:54,861 --> 00:24:57,528
by a cataclysmic flood.
407
00:24:59,499 --> 00:25:03,167
POURNELLE:
This should be something
like year zero.
408
00:25:03,169 --> 00:25:06,036
And that may be 1,000 BC.
409
00:25:06,038 --> 00:25:07,638
And if we're lucky,
410
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,141
right about here is when
your ark tablet was written.
411
00:25:14,714 --> 00:25:17,381
NARRATOR:
So what does this sample show?
412
00:25:17,383 --> 00:25:19,850
They open it to see.
413
00:25:19,852 --> 00:25:21,952
We've got layers,
quite clear ones.
414
00:25:21,954 --> 00:25:23,954
See that nice orange sediment?
415
00:25:23,956 --> 00:25:27,124
It would suggest
that there was a river
416
00:25:27,126 --> 00:25:30,127
that periodically flooded
and deposited sediment.
417
00:25:32,398 --> 00:25:37,101
NARRATOR:
Evidence from cores like this
indicates that in ancient times,
418
00:25:37,103 --> 00:25:40,504
Mesopotamia was criss-crossed
by rivers and canals
419
00:25:40,506 --> 00:25:42,172
that flooded constantly.
420
00:25:44,176 --> 00:25:45,809
POURNELLE:
Every year there are
two floods--
421
00:25:45,811 --> 00:25:47,711
one in the spring,
one in the fall.
422
00:25:50,383 --> 00:25:51,815
As cities first grew,
423
00:25:51,817 --> 00:25:54,985
floods were part of
not just a natural cycle
424
00:25:54,987 --> 00:25:57,755
but an essential cycle.
425
00:25:57,757 --> 00:25:59,690
They were profoundly dependent
on the marshes
426
00:25:59,692 --> 00:26:02,092
and all of the wealth
of products
427
00:26:02,094 --> 00:26:04,261
that came out of them--
food for themselves,
428
00:26:04,263 --> 00:26:06,964
food for livestock,
trade, commerce.
429
00:26:09,068 --> 00:26:13,537
NARRATOR:
Ur was one of many cities that
arose in this water world.
430
00:26:13,539 --> 00:26:16,707
The Euphrates River was
its life source.
431
00:26:16,709 --> 00:26:21,712
It delivered fertile soil,
fish, and wildfowl.
432
00:26:21,714 --> 00:26:24,248
But it could also bring
disaster.
433
00:26:26,552 --> 00:26:28,052
POURNELLE:
The Tigris, the Euphrates
434
00:26:28,054 --> 00:26:32,623
also had super floods every ten
years, every hundred years,
435
00:26:32,625 --> 00:26:35,292
every thousand years.
436
00:26:35,294 --> 00:26:39,129
When we have the first recorded
stories of the flood myth,
437
00:26:39,131 --> 00:26:41,799
the cities where these were
being written down
438
00:26:41,801 --> 00:26:43,934
are exactly in that
precarious position.
439
00:26:43,936 --> 00:26:47,271
They created around them
fragile environments.
440
00:26:47,273 --> 00:26:49,473
With the right amount of water,
441
00:26:49,475 --> 00:26:50,841
they can be incredibly
productive
442
00:26:50,843 --> 00:26:52,343
and incredibly wealthy.
443
00:26:52,345 --> 00:26:54,078
But with the wrong amount
of water,
444
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,581
the very irrigation works they
need to produce that wealth
445
00:26:57,583 --> 00:26:59,083
are blown away.
446
00:26:59,085 --> 00:27:00,417
(explosion)
447
00:27:02,388 --> 00:27:05,489
Everyone has a vested interest
in this flood story.
448
00:27:05,491 --> 00:27:08,792
Everyone knows that it makes
or breaks their careers,
449
00:27:08,794 --> 00:27:10,260
their livelihood.
450
00:27:11,731 --> 00:27:13,831
That would be the power
of the flood myth
451
00:27:13,833 --> 00:27:15,132
in this part of the world.
452
00:27:20,139 --> 00:27:23,874
NARRATOR:
So it wasn't a single great
flood that inspired the myths,
453
00:27:23,876 --> 00:27:28,045
but centuries
of periodic flooding.
454
00:27:28,047 --> 00:27:31,415
And would a large round boat
have helped these ancient people
455
00:27:31,417 --> 00:27:34,251
to survive these floods?
456
00:27:34,253 --> 00:27:36,687
The boat building team
is trying to figure out
457
00:27:36,689 --> 00:27:39,323
if it could even
have been built at all.
458
00:27:47,033 --> 00:27:49,700
They found a place to build
their Babylonian coracle
459
00:27:49,702 --> 00:27:51,301
in southern India,
460
00:27:51,303 --> 00:27:56,573
where they can access the
materials listed in the tablet,
461
00:27:56,575 --> 00:28:00,644
and the skills to put them
together.
462
00:28:06,118 --> 00:28:09,620
Construction begins on the shore
of Lake Vembanad.
463
00:28:09,622 --> 00:28:11,021
(horn honking)
464
00:28:13,392 --> 00:28:15,959
The fibrous plants they will use
for the hull
465
00:28:15,961 --> 00:28:17,961
will be reeds
from a nearby marsh.
466
00:28:25,805 --> 00:28:28,706
Some of the 16.5 tons of wood
they will need
467
00:28:28,708 --> 00:28:31,575
arrives at the boatyard.
468
00:28:31,577 --> 00:28:35,279
They've settled on the size
of their ark--
469
00:28:35,281 --> 00:28:36,714
about 40 feet in diameter,
470
00:28:36,716 --> 00:28:39,583
just a fifth the size of the ark
described in the tablet.
471
00:28:42,254 --> 00:28:46,990
But at 40 feet,
it will weigh 35 tons--
472
00:28:46,992 --> 00:28:49,860
right at the limit of what
they believe the materials
473
00:28:49,862 --> 00:28:53,497
and the ancient techniques
will stand.
474
00:28:53,499 --> 00:28:55,466
Once the ark is in the water,
475
00:28:55,468 --> 00:28:58,602
the bottom will flex,
straining the frame,
476
00:28:58,604 --> 00:29:01,105
possibly causing it to break.
477
00:29:01,107 --> 00:29:04,341
The bigger the ark,
the bigger the pressure.
478
00:29:07,379 --> 00:29:10,180
VOSMER:
The largest quffas
that I'm aware of
479
00:29:10,182 --> 00:29:12,015
may be six meters.
480
00:29:12,017 --> 00:29:14,518
This we're pushing beyond that.
481
00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,855
It's actually eight times
as big as a six-meter one.
482
00:29:17,857 --> 00:29:20,324
So we're increasing the forces
483
00:29:20,326 --> 00:29:22,326
we have to contend with
exponentially.
484
00:29:25,397 --> 00:29:28,832
NARRATOR:
To hold the frame together,
they will reinforce it,
485
00:29:28,834 --> 00:29:30,634
combining basic engineering
486
00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:33,504
with known Babylonian
carpentry techniques.
487
00:29:36,842 --> 00:29:41,378
The Ark Tablet states that
the flood vessel has 30 ribs.
488
00:29:41,380 --> 00:29:45,282
They lock these ribs
in a latticework.
489
00:29:45,284 --> 00:29:50,454
Tensioned bands will hold
the tops of the ribs together.
490
00:29:50,456 --> 00:29:54,358
The deck layer will add
further rigidity.
491
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,227
And a forest of stanchions
will prevent the bottom
492
00:29:57,229 --> 00:29:59,396
from collapsing upwards.
493
00:29:59,398 --> 00:30:01,965
Maybe it's all going
to fall apart, who knows?
494
00:30:01,967 --> 00:30:04,935
But maybe it will succeed
and we'll think,
495
00:30:04,937 --> 00:30:07,571
"Ah, we could have pushed it
a little bit more!"
496
00:30:09,975 --> 00:30:13,243
NARRATOR:
The ark will contain more
than 800 pieces of wood
497
00:30:13,245 --> 00:30:16,280
in 6,000 individual connections,
498
00:30:16,282 --> 00:30:19,516
cut and shaped
using traditional tools.
499
00:30:19,518 --> 00:30:24,121
There will be no metal,
modern sealant or adhesive.
500
00:30:26,926 --> 00:30:30,994
As instructed by the tablet,
the team also begins
501
00:30:30,996 --> 00:30:34,097
to bind reeds into
tightly packed lengths of rope.
502
00:30:39,805 --> 00:30:44,541
They'll need a mile and a half
to cover the entire hull.
503
00:30:46,745 --> 00:30:49,379
You have this little coil
that then starts spiraling out.
504
00:30:49,381 --> 00:30:51,415
The idea is that you can
gradually create
505
00:30:51,417 --> 00:30:55,252
a gigantic basket,
basically made of grass.
506
00:31:00,459 --> 00:31:03,861
NARRATOR:
As the beginning of the
reed coil is lashed into place,
507
00:31:03,863 --> 00:31:06,463
they turn their attention
to the next major challenge:
508
00:31:06,465 --> 00:31:09,333
waterproofing.
509
00:31:09,335 --> 00:31:10,934
The tablet calls
for natural bitumen--
510
00:31:10,936 --> 00:31:13,670
which doesn't exist in India,
511
00:31:13,672 --> 00:31:17,474
but is found oozing out
of the ground in Iraq.
512
00:31:17,476 --> 00:31:21,478
Natural bitumen
has unique impurities,
513
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,914
which make it adhesive
and resistant to heat.
514
00:31:25,818 --> 00:31:28,852
Alessandro, the team's expert
in ancient boat technology,
515
00:31:28,854 --> 00:31:32,522
needs to re-create
these properties,
516
00:31:32,524 --> 00:31:35,225
starting with
refined industrial bitumen.
517
00:31:35,227 --> 00:31:36,860
He adds animal fat and fish oil
518
00:31:36,862 --> 00:31:38,962
to make it sticky,
519
00:31:38,964 --> 00:31:41,698
and lime powder made
from burnt lake shells
520
00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:43,967
to give it heat tolerance.
521
00:31:46,605 --> 00:31:50,507
Getting the balance of these
ingredients right is critical.
522
00:31:53,245 --> 00:31:56,280
GHIDONI:
If you put too much lime powder
it will get very hard,
523
00:31:56,282 --> 00:31:57,881
it will resist
at high temperature,
524
00:31:57,883 --> 00:31:58,815
but it won't stick.
525
00:32:00,319 --> 00:32:03,020
If you put too much fish oil
or animal fat,
526
00:32:03,022 --> 00:32:05,122
it will stick easily...
527
00:32:05,124 --> 00:32:06,189
It's getting more dense...
528
00:32:06,191 --> 00:32:08,325
...but it will melt
under the sun basically.
529
00:32:08,327 --> 00:32:10,761
Put it down.
530
00:32:10,763 --> 00:32:12,429
NARRATOR:
Alessandro's cooking skills
will determine
531
00:32:12,431 --> 00:32:14,464
whether the ark
will float or not.
532
00:32:14,466 --> 00:32:16,867
Up, like this...
533
00:32:16,869 --> 00:32:19,937
NARRATOR:
They've given themselves
six months to build,
534
00:32:19,939 --> 00:32:22,406
the recorded gap
between seasonal floods
535
00:32:22,408 --> 00:32:23,974
in ancient Mesopotamia.
536
00:32:25,544 --> 00:32:28,545
Then, they'll face the greatest
challenge of all:
537
00:32:28,547 --> 00:32:30,814
getting the ark into the lake.
538
00:32:33,285 --> 00:32:34,785
A boat usually has a keel
539
00:32:34,787 --> 00:32:38,355
that can support it
as it slides into the water.
540
00:32:38,357 --> 00:32:41,291
A round boat has no keel.
541
00:32:41,293 --> 00:32:46,029
And this one will be covered
in a fragile layer of bitumen.
542
00:32:46,031 --> 00:32:47,564
You cannot drag the boat
on the ground,
543
00:32:47,566 --> 00:32:48,565
you cannot pull it.
544
00:32:48,567 --> 00:32:51,435
The bitumen layer
is extremely delicate,
545
00:32:51,437 --> 00:32:53,704
it's very soft,
and you don't want it damaged,
546
00:32:53,706 --> 00:32:56,740
because it's the only,
basically, layer
547
00:32:56,742 --> 00:32:59,443
that keeps the whole boat
waterproof.
548
00:32:59,445 --> 00:33:02,279
Without the bitumen,
the boat won't float.
549
00:33:03,682 --> 00:33:06,917
NARRATOR:
How would the Babylonians
have launched the boat?
550
00:33:06,919 --> 00:33:10,120
The Ark Tablet doesn't say.
551
00:33:10,122 --> 00:33:13,657
The hero, Atra Hasis,
simply waits for the flood.
552
00:33:17,329 --> 00:33:18,729
It is one of the
big questions,
553
00:33:18,731 --> 00:33:20,197
sort of a burning question of,
you know,
554
00:33:20,199 --> 00:33:22,466
if a boat this large
could actually have been built,
555
00:33:22,468 --> 00:33:24,901
unless there was a flood
it would have been
556
00:33:24,903 --> 00:33:26,803
incredibly difficult to launch.
557
00:33:30,476 --> 00:33:32,909
NARRATOR:
A vessel like this
could have meant survival
558
00:33:32,911 --> 00:33:36,513
in a world of constant flooding.
559
00:33:36,515 --> 00:33:39,349
But at some point, those floods
become mythologized
560
00:33:39,351 --> 00:33:42,185
into a single great deluge
561
00:33:42,187 --> 00:33:44,621
and real coracles are turned
562
00:33:44,623 --> 00:33:47,991
into a single giant ark
of legend.
563
00:33:47,993 --> 00:33:50,894
And somehow that legend
of the round ark
564
00:33:50,896 --> 00:33:54,264
becomes the familiar boat shape
in the story of Noah.
565
00:33:54,266 --> 00:33:58,368
How does such
a transition occur?
566
00:33:58,370 --> 00:34:01,671
The answer lies in a great
innovation of the ancient world:
567
00:34:01,673 --> 00:34:03,173
cuneiform writing.
568
00:34:05,344 --> 00:34:07,978
FINKEL:
Originally all these stories
circulated orally.
569
00:34:07,980 --> 00:34:10,580
And around 2000 BC,
570
00:34:10,582 --> 00:34:13,583
we see for the first time
that these narratives
571
00:34:13,585 --> 00:34:16,319
became reduced to writing.
572
00:34:16,321 --> 00:34:19,623
And from that moment
they are fixed rigidly.
573
00:34:19,625 --> 00:34:23,026
So you have an established text
which all the scribes copy.
574
00:34:23,028 --> 00:34:26,363
NARRATOR:
And in the process of copying,
errors creep in.
575
00:34:26,365 --> 00:34:29,166
Irving Finkel believes
one of these errors
576
00:34:29,168 --> 00:34:32,102
changes the shape of the ark.
577
00:34:32,104 --> 00:34:35,539
The Ark Tablet,
dated around 1750 BCE--
578
00:34:35,541 --> 00:34:37,707
4,000 years old--
579
00:34:37,709 --> 00:34:40,811
places the round ark
inside a square
580
00:34:40,813 --> 00:34:43,547
to help define its dimensions.
581
00:34:43,549 --> 00:34:48,218
By 700 BCE, the Atra Hasis
flood tale has been absorbed
582
00:34:48,220 --> 00:34:50,454
into a more famous story,
583
00:34:50,456 --> 00:34:54,424
the exploits of a hero king
in The Epic of Gilgamesh.
584
00:34:54,426 --> 00:34:58,962
But here, scribes omit
the mention of the circle.
585
00:34:58,964 --> 00:35:02,466
FINKEL:
We have these later scribes
who have an old text.
586
00:35:02,468 --> 00:35:04,468
They look at it and they decide,
587
00:35:04,470 --> 00:35:07,270
"Well, all this technical stuff,
we don't need it,"
588
00:35:07,272 --> 00:35:09,306
and they don't read the thing
very carefully at all
589
00:35:09,308 --> 00:35:12,008
because in the description
about how round it was,
590
00:35:12,010 --> 00:35:14,311
they miss the point.
591
00:35:14,313 --> 00:35:16,246
NARRATOR:
As a result,
according to Irving,
592
00:35:16,248 --> 00:35:20,584
the Gilgamesh ark
has a very strange shape.
593
00:35:20,586 --> 00:35:24,121
FINKEL:
So it's like a kind
of skyscraper.
594
00:35:24,123 --> 00:35:25,789
What would happen
if you put that in the sea?
595
00:35:25,791 --> 00:35:26,790
It would sink, wouldn't it?
596
00:35:26,792 --> 00:35:28,225
Especially if it was
full of animals.
597
00:35:28,227 --> 00:35:30,393
It's absolutely hopeless.
598
00:35:30,395 --> 00:35:33,263
NARRATOR:
Over time, the mythical ark
loses touch
599
00:35:33,265 --> 00:35:36,166
with the reality
that likely inspired it.
600
00:35:36,168 --> 00:35:38,435
It sets off
on a literary journey,
601
00:35:38,437 --> 00:35:41,538
changing
with new interpretations.
602
00:35:41,540 --> 00:35:44,274
FINKEL:
There is a rather
ironic consequence.
603
00:35:44,276 --> 00:35:47,377
You have the possibility
of an error being consolidated,
604
00:35:47,379 --> 00:35:50,080
copied and recopied until nobody
thinks about it anymore
605
00:35:50,082 --> 00:35:51,548
and they just take it
for granted.
606
00:35:51,550 --> 00:35:54,985
And that is surely what happened
with the shape of the ark.
607
00:35:54,987 --> 00:35:58,522
NARRATOR:
It eventually adopts
the boat shape we know
608
00:35:58,524 --> 00:36:00,157
in the story of Noah.
609
00:36:06,899 --> 00:36:09,766
And the rest of the story
changes too.
610
00:36:09,768 --> 00:36:14,804
Almost 2,000 years after
the first Babylonian version,
611
00:36:14,806 --> 00:36:18,375
the flood story is found
outside Mesopotamia,
612
00:36:18,377 --> 00:36:20,744
in the Hebrew Bible.
613
00:36:20,746 --> 00:36:22,946
There's just no way
of explaining the story
614
00:36:22,948 --> 00:36:25,982
in Genesis except
as a borrowing.
615
00:36:25,984 --> 00:36:28,685
The question is,
when, how and why?
616
00:36:28,687 --> 00:36:32,622
NARRATOR:
It's long been assumed
that trade and cultural exchange
617
00:36:32,624 --> 00:36:36,493
bring the Babylonian story
to ancient Israel.
618
00:36:36,495 --> 00:36:40,864
But this doesn't explain why
biblical writers adopt the tale
619
00:36:40,866 --> 00:36:43,433
and give it a moral twist.
620
00:36:43,435 --> 00:36:45,402
In the Mesopotamian myth,
621
00:36:45,404 --> 00:36:48,538
pagan gods are disturbed
by human noise
622
00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:52,075
and use the flood
to reduce their numbers.
623
00:36:52,077 --> 00:36:54,945
But in the book of Genesis,
the flood is a disaster
624
00:36:54,947 --> 00:36:59,482
that God uses to punish people
for their sins.
625
00:36:59,484 --> 00:37:03,286
PETER MACHINIST:
The Noah story serves
626
00:37:03,288 --> 00:37:06,256
to provide a platform
of understanding
627
00:37:06,258 --> 00:37:08,758
for all future disasters.
628
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,562
It is the ultimate disaster.
629
00:37:12,564 --> 00:37:14,331
It was not just
natural disasters
630
00:37:14,333 --> 00:37:16,566
that were attributed to God,
631
00:37:16,568 --> 00:37:20,036
it was also historical
disasters.
632
00:37:20,038 --> 00:37:22,973
NARRATOR:
The history of the people
to be known as Jews
633
00:37:22,975 --> 00:37:26,109
is filled with disasters
that are reflected in the Bible.
634
00:37:26,111 --> 00:37:30,480
But many experts believe
there is one in particular
635
00:37:30,482 --> 00:37:33,850
which provides an explanation
for the story of Noah.
636
00:37:33,852 --> 00:37:41,091
(distant screaming
and sword fight)
637
00:37:41,093 --> 00:37:46,663
The Babylonian destruction
of Jerusalem in 587 BCE.
638
00:37:49,801 --> 00:37:52,235
A consequence
of the Judean kingdom's failure
639
00:37:52,237 --> 00:37:55,472
to pay tribute.
640
00:37:55,474 --> 00:37:57,741
If somebody is not
paying their taxes,
641
00:37:57,743 --> 00:38:00,176
not paying tribute
as they're supposed to,
642
00:38:00,178 --> 00:38:01,811
you have to make
an example of them,
643
00:38:01,813 --> 00:38:04,481
so you need to come in
and show the world
644
00:38:04,483 --> 00:38:06,383
what your power is capable
of enforcing.
645
00:38:09,955 --> 00:38:13,023
NARRATOR:
Several thousand Judeans--
646
00:38:13,025 --> 00:38:15,859
the educated and the powerful
of ancient Israel--
647
00:38:15,861 --> 00:38:20,363
were marched about 1,000 miles
to Babylon.
648
00:38:20,365 --> 00:38:22,966
ILAN:
The Babylonians needed manpower.
649
00:38:22,968 --> 00:38:24,634
They had fields that needed
to be cultivated
650
00:38:24,636 --> 00:38:28,071
and craftsmen that needed
to be imported
651
00:38:28,073 --> 00:38:30,907
to make the tremendous buildings
and other things
652
00:38:30,909 --> 00:38:34,244
that they did,
so you imported manpower
653
00:38:34,246 --> 00:38:36,579
to do those kinds of things.
654
00:38:36,581 --> 00:38:39,015
I think for a lot of people
there probably was a sense
655
00:38:39,017 --> 00:38:43,153
that this is the end
of the world as we know it.
656
00:38:43,155 --> 00:38:47,791
MAN:
"Our tormentors demanded
songs of joy.
657
00:38:47,793 --> 00:38:52,062
"They said, 'Sing us one
of the songs of Zion!'
658
00:38:52,064 --> 00:38:54,798
"But how can we sing the songs
of the Lord
659
00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:58,601
while in a foreign land?"
660
00:38:58,603 --> 00:39:02,472
Psalm 137: 3 and 4.
661
00:39:04,042 --> 00:39:06,943
NARRATOR:
Yet this traumatic uprooting
brought the Judeans
662
00:39:06,945 --> 00:39:10,447
into direct contact
with Babylonian culture.
663
00:39:10,449 --> 00:39:14,451
And that would shape the destiny
of their scripture
664
00:39:14,453 --> 00:39:16,553
and the story of Noah.
665
00:39:25,564 --> 00:39:29,065
One of the greatest collections
of Babylonian relics
666
00:39:29,067 --> 00:39:31,701
in the world is found here,
667
00:39:31,703 --> 00:39:34,270
at the Pergamon Museum
in Berlin.
668
00:39:37,609 --> 00:39:41,177
It includes a reconstruction
of the entrance to Babylon.
669
00:39:44,116 --> 00:39:49,018
The newly arrived Judeans would
have walked through this gate.
670
00:39:49,020 --> 00:39:51,087
On the other side was a world
671
00:39:51,089 --> 00:39:54,657
they could scarcely
have imagined.
672
00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:03,900
In the sixth century BCE,
673
00:40:03,902 --> 00:40:09,873
Babylon was the most
cosmopolitan city on earth.
674
00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:13,276
But what was
the Judean experience?
675
00:40:13,278 --> 00:40:16,413
Dr. Cornelia Wunsch is an expert
676
00:40:16,415 --> 00:40:19,449
in Neo-Babylonian culture.
677
00:40:19,451 --> 00:40:22,318
She has evidence suggesting
exile in Babylon
678
00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:26,389
wasn't as bad as the Judeans
might have feared.
679
00:40:26,391 --> 00:40:28,525
WUNSCH:
They have been allotted land
680
00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:33,029
and they are tilling the land,
building houses
681
00:40:33,031 --> 00:40:36,232
and they are doing
reasonably well there.
682
00:40:36,234 --> 00:40:38,501
It may have been awful
at the beginning
683
00:40:38,503 --> 00:40:40,737
and nobody wanted
to be in exile,
684
00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:43,173
but very quickly,
things got good.
685
00:40:43,175 --> 00:40:47,110
Judea made it after one
or two generations.
686
00:40:47,112 --> 00:40:49,846
They were well ensconced
into the Babylonian economies.
687
00:40:49,848 --> 00:40:51,047
They did well.
688
00:40:51,049 --> 00:40:53,683
NARRATOR:
A Babylonian-style personal seal
689
00:40:53,685 --> 00:40:57,120
of a Judean merchant
named Arricam
690
00:40:57,122 --> 00:40:58,922
suggests how assimilated
691
00:40:58,924 --> 00:41:03,359
some Judeans were
in this new society.
692
00:41:03,361 --> 00:41:05,128
WUNSCH:
He certainly led
a dual existence.
693
00:41:05,130 --> 00:41:08,998
Arricam is clearly
showing himself
694
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,801
as a person of Judean descent,
but on the other hand
695
00:41:11,803 --> 00:41:14,237
as a typical
Babylonian businessman.
696
00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:17,407
NARRATOR:
Many Judeans in Babylon
were well integrated
697
00:41:17,409 --> 00:41:19,676
into Babylonian culture.
698
00:41:19,678 --> 00:41:22,712
But they also preserved
their own traditions.
699
00:41:22,714 --> 00:41:25,248
This was the case
for Judean scribes,
700
00:41:25,250 --> 00:41:28,318
who were editing traditional
stories and prayers
701
00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,488
and writing new ones
702
00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:33,823
that would ultimately become
the Hebrew Bible.
703
00:41:33,825 --> 00:41:35,492
COOGAN:
These priestly authors,
obviously,
704
00:41:35,494 --> 00:41:38,161
had the exile on their minds.
705
00:41:38,163 --> 00:41:40,029
And one of the most significant
aspects of this event
706
00:41:40,031 --> 00:41:41,731
was the formation of the Bible.
707
00:41:41,733 --> 00:41:45,235
It began in Babylon.
708
00:41:45,237 --> 00:41:50,273
Some of these books were already
in process but seem to have been
709
00:41:50,275 --> 00:41:53,209
shaped by the experience
of the exile.
710
00:41:55,113 --> 00:42:00,116
NARRATOR:
In the center of Babylon
is a giant ziggurat.
711
00:42:00,118 --> 00:42:03,486
In the book of Genesis
it becomes the ultimate symbol
712
00:42:03,488 --> 00:42:07,056
of human folly--
the Tower of Babel.
713
00:42:15,534 --> 00:42:16,866
For Irving Finkel,
714
00:42:16,868 --> 00:42:20,236
this borrowing is just
one of many.
715
00:42:20,238 --> 00:42:24,274
In collaboration with
the Archaeological Institute
716
00:42:24,276 --> 00:42:26,543
in Berlin, he examines
extraordinary evidence
717
00:42:26,545 --> 00:42:29,412
that links some elements
of Babylonian literature
718
00:42:29,414 --> 00:42:32,415
with the beginnings
of the Hebrew Bible.
719
00:42:34,119 --> 00:42:38,054
One is the story of King Sargon,
who was cast adrift
720
00:42:38,056 --> 00:42:40,590
by his mother in a round basket
721
00:42:40,592 --> 00:42:43,192
to save him
from being discovered.
722
00:42:43,194 --> 00:42:48,197
She made a little ark
out of reeds and bitumen
723
00:42:48,199 --> 00:42:51,501
and she put the baby in this ark
and she put the ark in the river
724
00:42:51,503 --> 00:42:52,835
and away it went.
725
00:42:52,837 --> 00:42:56,573
Now, this is a story which has
a certain familiar ring about it
726
00:42:56,575 --> 00:42:58,608
from the book of Exodus
point of view
727
00:42:58,610 --> 00:43:02,812
because Moses was given
the same kind of origin.
728
00:43:04,649 --> 00:43:06,916
NARRATOR:
There's also a list
of Babylonian kings
729
00:43:06,918 --> 00:43:08,318
before the flood,
730
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:10,420
very similar to Adam's genealogy
731
00:43:10,422 --> 00:43:13,122
described
in the book of Genesis.
732
00:43:14,826 --> 00:43:16,726
But the most amazing piece
of evidence is written
733
00:43:16,728 --> 00:43:21,197
on a Babylonian school tablet--
a retelling of Gilgamesh,
734
00:43:21,199 --> 00:43:25,668
the epic poem that contains
the flood story.
735
00:43:25,670 --> 00:43:27,003
FINKEL:
What does it tell us?
736
00:43:27,005 --> 00:43:29,439
It tells us that you have
at this time in Babylonia,
737
00:43:29,441 --> 00:43:32,775
schoolrooms where
the Gilgamesh story,
738
00:43:32,777 --> 00:43:36,212
undoubtedly including the flood
story, was on the curriculum.
739
00:43:36,214 --> 00:43:41,184
NARRATOR:
Could Judean children
have read these same stories?
740
00:43:41,186 --> 00:43:45,755
A detail in the Bible's book
of Daniel suggests they did.
741
00:43:45,757 --> 00:43:47,023
According to the story,
742
00:43:47,025 --> 00:43:50,460
Daniel was the son
of an exiled Judean nobleman.
743
00:43:50,462 --> 00:43:53,029
In Babylon, the Bible says,
he and his friends
744
00:43:53,031 --> 00:43:56,599
were taught to read cuneiform.
745
00:43:56,601 --> 00:44:01,704
Just as these children discover,
learning cuneiform isn't hard.
746
00:44:01,706 --> 00:44:05,708
It would have made Babylonian
stories easy to absorb.
747
00:44:05,710 --> 00:44:09,078
FINKEL:
These kids suddenly
find themselves
748
00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:10,647
learning these very narratives
749
00:44:10,649 --> 00:44:14,283
which seem to us the essential
Babylonian narratives
750
00:44:14,285 --> 00:44:16,452
that ended up embedded
in Judean Hebrew.
751
00:44:21,493 --> 00:44:23,893
MICHALOWSKI:
The idea that it was Judeans
752
00:44:23,895 --> 00:44:26,963
in Babylonian captivity
who learned cuneiform
753
00:44:26,965 --> 00:44:28,765
and adopted the flood story
754
00:44:28,767 --> 00:44:31,434
is to me the only decent
explanation that you can have.
755
00:44:31,436 --> 00:44:37,507
NARRATOR:
If this theory is correct,
stories like Noah and the Flood
756
00:44:37,509 --> 00:44:41,310
were widespread
in Babylonian culture
757
00:44:41,312 --> 00:44:44,781
and absoed
into Judean scripture.
758
00:44:46,317 --> 00:44:48,518
They would eventually become
the moral teaching
759
00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:53,256
for three great faiths.
760
00:44:53,258 --> 00:44:57,427
But not until the Judeans
emerged from exile.
761
00:45:01,433 --> 00:45:08,371
In India, the Babylonian ark
is almost complete.
762
00:45:08,373 --> 00:45:11,474
And unlike the Babylonians--
763
00:45:11,476 --> 00:45:13,810
who would have just waited
for the floodwaters to rise--
764
00:45:13,812 --> 00:45:16,879
the building team has had
to find a way to launch the ark
765
00:45:16,881 --> 00:45:21,284
without dragging its fragile
hull across the ground.
766
00:45:21,286 --> 00:45:23,953
We have two rails running
straight underneath the ark
767
00:45:23,955 --> 00:45:25,188
into the water.
768
00:45:25,190 --> 00:45:28,424
So on top of these rails,
we are going to put rollers.
769
00:45:30,361 --> 00:45:31,728
And then on top of the rollers,
770
00:45:31,730 --> 00:45:33,930
we're going to have
another set of runners.
771
00:45:36,434 --> 00:45:39,035
And then sitting on top
of these runners,
772
00:45:39,037 --> 00:45:41,804
we have the launch platform.
773
00:45:41,806 --> 00:45:43,206
And then on top
of the platform...
774
00:45:45,310 --> 00:45:47,777
Is the ark.
775
00:45:47,779 --> 00:45:50,346
Once she's all ready go,
776
00:45:50,348 --> 00:45:52,115
basically just roll
into the lake.
777
00:45:52,117 --> 00:45:55,051
NARRATOR:
It's a traditional
boat launching technique.
778
00:45:55,053 --> 00:45:58,654
But they've had to resort
to modern machinery
779
00:45:58,656 --> 00:46:01,057
to build the launch platform.
780
00:46:01,059 --> 00:46:05,795
Once in the water,
the platform will sink,
781
00:46:05,797 --> 00:46:08,564
leaving the coracle
to float away.
782
00:46:08,566 --> 00:46:11,534
Except, as things stand,
783
00:46:11,536 --> 00:46:14,070
it probably won't.
784
00:46:14,072 --> 00:46:17,006
Alessandro's version
of Babylonian bitumen
785
00:46:17,008 --> 00:46:19,509
is melting and dropping off.
786
00:46:24,149 --> 00:46:26,382
It's quite catastrophic
at this stage.
787
00:46:27,986 --> 00:46:30,186
Once we launch the boat,
the water can push
788
00:46:30,188 --> 00:46:33,356
through the gaps and holes
789
00:46:33,358 --> 00:46:36,492
and then we're going to have
a major leak.
790
00:46:40,165 --> 00:46:43,132
NARRATOR:
Just before launch,
the ark is still not waterproof.
791
00:46:48,673 --> 00:46:50,973
In 539 BCE,
792
00:46:50,975 --> 00:46:54,243
over 50 years in exile,
793
00:46:54,245 --> 00:46:58,648
the Judeans were allowed
to return home.
794
00:46:58,650 --> 00:47:01,484
They began rebuilding
the Israel of old,
795
00:47:01,486 --> 00:47:06,556
with a new temple
and a single text, the Torah.
796
00:47:06,558 --> 00:47:09,525
COOGAN:
One of the most
remarkable things
797
00:47:09,527 --> 00:47:12,695
about ancient Israelite religion
is that it survives.
798
00:47:12,697 --> 00:47:15,765
The Babylonians
conquered Jerusalem.
799
00:47:15,767 --> 00:47:18,601
But the exiles from Jerusalem
did not give up belief
800
00:47:18,603 --> 00:47:20,770
in their God.
801
00:47:20,772 --> 00:47:25,641
NARRATOR:
The Babylonian flood myth is now
retold as a moral lesson.
802
00:47:25,643 --> 00:47:29,979
In some ways,
it's a metaphor for the exile.
803
00:47:35,653 --> 00:47:38,087
VANDERHOOFT:
The foreign agent comes,
punishes,
804
00:47:38,089 --> 00:47:41,290
as a tool of God's wrath.
805
00:47:41,292 --> 00:47:43,326
There's a cataclysm
to be survived by a select few.
806
00:47:43,328 --> 00:47:47,196
NARRATOR:
And for them,
the promise of a new beginning
807
00:47:47,198 --> 00:47:49,298
is echoed in the Noah story.
808
00:47:53,071 --> 00:47:57,340
MAN:
"God blessed Noah and his sons,
saying to them,
809
00:47:57,342 --> 00:48:04,513
"'Be fruitful and increase
in number and fill the earth.
810
00:48:04,515 --> 00:48:08,618
"'I establish my covenant
with you.
811
00:48:08,620 --> 00:48:12,555
"'Never again will all life
be destroyed
812
00:48:12,557 --> 00:48:15,858
by the waters of a flood.'"
813
00:48:15,860 --> 00:48:19,595
Genesis 9: 1 and 11.
814
00:48:19,597 --> 00:48:25,067
NARRATOR:
This covenant defines man's
relationship with God
815
00:48:25,069 --> 00:48:29,839
and marks the birth of Judaism.
816
00:48:29,841 --> 00:48:33,242
The great Israeli scholar
Yehezkel Kaufmann said,
817
00:48:33,244 --> 00:48:36,045
"The exile is the watershed.
818
00:48:36,047 --> 00:48:39,749
"With the exile, the religion
of Israel comes to an end
819
00:48:39,751 --> 00:48:40,917
and Judaism begins."
820
00:48:43,488 --> 00:48:46,856
MICHALOWSKI:
This is the moment
at which the history
821
00:48:46,858 --> 00:48:49,692
of the Jewish people begins.
822
00:48:49,694 --> 00:48:53,562
Not at the beginning of time,
823
00:48:53,564 --> 00:48:55,965
but after the flood.
824
00:49:06,044 --> 00:49:09,245
NARRATOR:
In India, Irving's theory
that the legend was based
825
00:49:09,247 --> 00:49:11,647
on an authentic
boat-building tradition
826
00:49:11,649 --> 00:49:14,116
is about to be put to the test.
827
00:49:14,118 --> 00:49:19,455
The big question
is Alessandro's bitumen recipe.
828
00:49:19,457 --> 00:49:21,624
Will it work?
829
00:49:25,763 --> 00:49:29,732
For Irving, the culmination
of years of translation,
830
00:49:29,734 --> 00:49:34,003
study and investigation
is this moment.
831
00:49:34,005 --> 00:49:35,972
I can hardly
believe my eyes!
832
00:49:35,974 --> 00:49:37,073
Amazing.
833
00:49:37,075 --> 00:49:38,207
After all
this imagination,
834
00:49:38,209 --> 00:49:40,142
it's really here
in the flesh so to speak.
835
00:49:40,144 --> 00:49:42,178
It's incredible,
it's incredible!
836
00:49:48,219 --> 00:49:51,821
NARRATOR:
The ark is raised
on inflatable rollers.
837
00:49:51,823 --> 00:49:54,090
On its launch platform,
838
00:49:54,092 --> 00:49:57,226
it begins its journey
down to the lake.
839
00:50:12,944 --> 00:50:17,446
Alessandro is standing by to
plug any leaks from the outside.
840
00:50:17,448 --> 00:50:21,484
But before he can,
a roller slips free,
841
00:50:21,486 --> 00:50:24,620
pitching the ark in the water.
842
00:50:25,623 --> 00:50:26,956
Start pulling!
843
00:50:31,963 --> 00:50:34,830
NARRATOR:
Below decks, it's clear
their non-Babylonian
844
00:50:34,832 --> 00:50:36,499
waterproof mix isn't working.
845
00:50:40,538 --> 00:50:42,738
So we are now floating,
which is the good news.
846
00:50:42,740 --> 00:50:43,773
The potentially bad news,
however,
847
00:50:43,775 --> 00:50:46,042
is that we have a heck
of a lot of water
848
00:50:46,044 --> 00:50:47,843
coming in at the moment.
849
00:50:47,845 --> 00:50:49,912
NARRATOR:
They had hoped to get
animals on board.
850
00:50:49,914 --> 00:50:53,916
But right now they're consumed
with saving the ark.
851
00:50:57,422 --> 00:51:02,224
They plug the gaps and put
a collection of pumps to work.
852
00:51:06,164 --> 00:51:09,165
By the time Irving climbs
on board,
853
00:51:09,167 --> 00:51:13,335
the problem is under control.
854
00:51:13,337 --> 00:51:14,703
Welcome aboard.
855
00:51:14,705 --> 00:51:15,938
Thank you!
856
00:51:15,940 --> 00:51:17,073
I'm proud to be here.
857
00:51:17,075 --> 00:51:19,975
How wonderful,
how absolutely wonderful!
858
00:51:24,549 --> 00:51:26,082
NARRATOR:
The boat-building team
never managed
859
00:51:26,084 --> 00:51:28,084
to duplicate Babylonian bitumen,
860
00:51:28,086 --> 00:51:31,987
but the structure of the ark
is sound.
861
00:51:36,094 --> 00:51:39,562
At the root of the story
may have been
862
00:51:39,564 --> 00:51:42,731
a flood vessel like this one.
863
00:51:42,733 --> 00:51:45,101
Behind the legend
of a great flood
864
00:51:45,103 --> 00:51:48,637
were thousands of real floods.
865
00:51:48,639 --> 00:51:51,574
And behind the myth
of a giant ark
866
00:51:51,576 --> 00:51:55,377
is a genuine tradition
of round boat building.
867
00:51:57,715 --> 00:52:01,317
All this
from a Babylonian tablet--
868
00:52:01,319 --> 00:52:03,819
a story that emerged
4,000 years ago.
869
00:52:06,157 --> 00:52:08,624
It continues to resonate today
870
00:52:08,626 --> 00:52:11,827
as one of the world's
most enduring tales.
871
00:52:27,111 --> 00:52:29,411
The exploration
continues online,
872
00:52:29,413 --> 00:52:32,715
where you can watch this
and ot NOVA programs.
873
00:52:32,717 --> 00:52:35,351
Dig deeper into biblical
archaeology,
874
00:52:35,353 --> 00:52:38,154
from the iconic exodus
to Babylon,
875
00:52:38,156 --> 00:52:40,189
to the belief in one God,
876
00:52:40,191 --> 00:52:43,993
to the origins and authors
of the written Bible.
877
00:52:43,995 --> 00:52:47,396
Watch original video shorts,
explore in-depth reporting,
878
00:52:47,398 --> 00:52:50,299
and dive into interactives.
879
00:52:50,301 --> 00:52:53,435
Find us at pbs.org/nova.
880
00:52:53,437 --> 00:52:55,371
Follow us on Facebook
and Twitter.
881
00:52:59,143 --> 00:53:03,312
It is a new class of weapon,
made of ones and zeros.by
Media Access Group at WGBH
882
00:53:13,324 --> 00:53:16,258
This NOVA program is available
on DVD.
883
00:53:16,260 --> 00:53:21,263
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or call 1-800-play-PBS.
884
00:53:21,265 --> 00:53:21,263
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