Ross Nichols’ teaching on 11/2/2024 was about the two flood stories and how they are a blend of the J and P writers. In the video, he provided the following lists of verses for each, and then he read a compilation of those verses to demonstrate they made smooth-flowing stories. He shared the two texts he read from and those are in his directory in DropBox. The Bible’s TWO Flood Stories Separated!
Handout for Ross Nichols lecture on YouTube here.
This special handout presents the Genesis Flood narrative separated into two primary sources: the Priestly (P) and Yahwist (J) accounts. Here are some key distinctions highlighted within this document:
- Divine Names: The P account exclusively uses “God” (Elohim), while the J account uses “Jehovah” (YHWH).
- Animal Instructions: In the P version, Noah is instructed to bring two of each animal, whereas the J source specifies seven pairs of clean animals.
- Duration of Flood: The P account describes the floodwaters prevailing for 150 days, while the J source mentions rain lasting 40 days and 40 nights.
- Different Details and Emphasis: For example, P includes precise instructions for building the ark, while J provides a more narrative-focused approach with vivid details about Noah’s interaction with the animals, including the dove’s journey.
This handout is a valuable tool for visualizing and understanding how later editors skillfully weaved these two sources together into the single text we have today. Yachad members, enjoy this unique glimpse into the documentary layers of the Genesis flood story!
If logged in as Admin click here to read the two re-compiled flood stories that are on a Private Page not available to the public due to the copyrights.
Additional differences are:
In the J source:
- Jehovah is more anthropomorphic; i.e. human-like.
- And JEHOVAH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented JEHOVAH that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
- Noah offers a burnt offering (he had multiple pairs) and Jehovah liked the smell.
