I have to say, the back half of the Noah unit is a wild ride. The general story of the flood was familiar to me, but what strikes me the most about the Jewish legends about it is how much detail they include. Their version of the Old Testament seems much livelier (and darker) than that of the Christian Bible. The storytelling style, however, is still pretty simplistic. I'm interested in experimenting with the style here, because I think it could really add some texture to the story.
Several of the stories in this group were intriguing. I wasn't a fan of how the animals were described as behaving in the ark, given that I don't think animals are morally culpable for their behavior, and the equation of blackness with evil (both with the raven/dove comparison and Ham's descendants) made me incredibly uncomfortable. Noah's drinking problem was a far cry from the description of his birth, and I thought it made him more human, so I don't really want to mess with that. What really shocked, horrified, and absolutely fascinated me, however, was Adam and Eve's babysitting attempt. I did a little research, because I was curious about who Samael was. Apparently, he is an archangel, but also a demon? Some Jewish lore says that he was the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve, and that he was married to Lilith, who was Adam's wife before Eve. Given this information, it could be interesting to write from his perspective, but at the same time the prospect kind of creeps me out. I think I might try it though, as it would also let me flesh out some details about the son (is he an angel? demon? neither?) and give the story something more than Adam and Eve being terrible people. Plus, I’d like to write in first person, since I haven’t done that yet in this class.
Bibliography: Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg. Source.
Image: Jacob Wrestles With the Angel Samael by Gustave Doré. Source.
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