Noah's Ark and the Flood
The Ancients5 Jun 2024

Noah's Ark and the Flood

The Ancients launches a new miniseries exploring the stories, people, objects and kingdoms central to the Old Testament's narrative.


There was only one place to start and it's not "In the beginning..."


The story of the Flood in the Book of Genesis is well known, where God conjured up a great flood to kill off all of humanity for their wicked behaviour. Except for Noah, whom God ordered to construct a massive boat and fill it with 2 of every animal. When the flood came, Noah, his family and the animals survived on board the Ark.


The story of Noah and the Ark is not only embedded in the Bible, however, but it's also central to parts of the Quran and central to Judaism. The origins of the story stretch way back beyond the Old Testament to Mesopotamia.


Tristan Hughes heads to the British Museum to explore this Mesopotamian myth with Dr Irving Finkel who made a discovery which turned the world of Assyriology - and his life - on its head. They discuss who was Noah to the Mesopotamians? What did they do with the animals? And what was the shape and design of THIS great ark?


This episode was presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer was Joseph Knight, edited by Peter Dennis and Aidan Lonergan.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.


Vote for The Ancients in the Listeners Choice category of British Podcast Awards here.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(593)

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve: parents of humanity, or characters in a Near Eastern myth about wisdom, mortality, and the limits of being human?Tristan Hughes and Dr Dylan Johnson strip away the Sunday school varnish ...

1 Feb 59min

The First Popes

The First Popes

What do we know about the earliest Popes, and how did they shape the early Christian Church amidst persecution?Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Rosamond McKitterick to journey back to Imperial Ro...

29 Jan 56min

Xerxes the Great

Xerxes the Great

He is one of the most famous rulers of the ancient world, remembered for leading a vast Persian invasion of Greece. Yet Xerxes the Great was far more than just a battlefield king.In this episode of Th...

25 Jan 55min

The Origins of Rome's Empire

The Origins of Rome's Empire

396 BC. The city of Veii lies in ruins, destroyed by Rome in a brutal act of early imperial expansion. Yet just six years later, Rome itself would face devastation at the hands of invading Gauls, a sh...

22 Jan 58min

The First Arabians

The First Arabians

What can ancient DNA tell us about the first homo sapiens to arrive in Arabia over 50,000 years ago? Tristan Hughes is joined by Prof. Pierre Zalloua to delve into the groundbreaking advances in ancie...

18 Jan 50min

How to Survive on Hadrian’s Wall

How to Survive on Hadrian’s Wall

Step into the daily lives of those stationed along Hadrian's Wall, from Roman soldiers to civilians. Tristan Hughes and Dr. Francis Macintosh are your guides to explore the routines, duties, and uniqu...

15 Jan 1h 10min

Medea: Maligned Sorceress or Heartless Murderer?

Medea: Maligned Sorceress or Heartless Murderer?

She helped Jason win the Golden Fleece, betrayed her own family, and became one of the most feared figures in Greek myth. Medea’s name has echoed through the ancient world for over two millennia, a by...

11 Jan 52min

Fall of Sparta

Fall of Sparta

How did Sparta, the most feared military state in ancient Greece, fall from grace in a single generation?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk and Dr Owen R...

8 Jan 1h 14min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
historier-som-endret-norge
historier-som-endret-verden
henrettelsespodden
rss-benadet
rss-gamle-greier
aftenposten-historie
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-historiske-romanser
sektledere
historiepodden-ww2
historiepodden
rss-historiepodden-ww2
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
taakeprat
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
med-egne-oyne
undersattene
rss-alt-var-bedre-for