Homilies on Genesis and Exodus

Homily II

HOMILY II S WE BEGIN TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ARK which was constructed by Noah at God's command, let us see first of all what is related about it literally, and, proposing the questions which many are in the habit of presenting, let us search out also their solutions from the traditions which have been handed down to us by the forefathers. When we have laid foundations of this kind, we can ascend from the historical account to the mystical and allegorical understanding of the spiritual meaning and, if these contain anything secret, we can explain it as the Lord reveals knowledge of his word to us. First, therefore, let us set forth these words which have been written. "And the Lord said to Noah," the text says, "the critical moment! of every man has come before me, since the earth is filled with iniquity by them; and behold, I shall destroy them and the earth. Make, therefore, yourself an ark of squared planks; you shall make nests in the ark, and you shall cover it with pitch within and without. And thus you shall make the ark: the length of the ark three hundred cubits and the breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, you shall assemble and make the ark, and you shall finish it on top to a cubit. And you shall make a door in the side of the ark. You shall make two lower decks in it and three upper decks."2 And after a few words the text says, "And Noah did everything which the Lord God commanded him, thus he did it."3 In the first place, therefore, we ask what sort of appearance and form we should understand of the ark. I think, to the extent that it is manifest from these things which are described, rising with four angles from the bottom, and the same having 1 Tempus here translates kairos in the LXX. 2 Gn 6.13-16. 3 Gn 6.22. 72 GENESIS HOMILY II 73 been drawn together gradually all the way to the top, it has been brought together into the space ofone cubit. For thus it is related that at its bases three hundred cubits are laid down in length, fifty in breadth, and thirty are raised in height, but they are brought together to a narrow peak so that its breadth and length are a cubit.4 But now on the inside indeed are placed those two decks, that is, comprising a double dwelling, which are called its lower decks. But the triple decks are above, as if we should say, constructed with three upper rooms. Now these separations of dwelling places appear to have been made for this reason, that the diverse kinds ofanimals or beasts could be separated more easily in individual rooms and whatever animals are tame and less active could be divided from the wild beasts. Those separations of dwellings, therefore, are called nests. But the planks are said to have been squared. This was both so one piece could be fitted to the other more easily, and so the total assault of the waters might be held back when the flood overflowed, since it was protected, thejoint having been coated with pitch within and without. It has indeed been handed down to us, and not without probability, that the lower parts, which we said above were built double, which also separately are called double-decked, the upper parts which are called triple-decked excepted, were made double for this reason: since all the animals spent a whole year in the ark, and of course, it was necessary that food be provided that whole year and not only food, but also that places be prepared for wastes so that neither the animals themselves, nor especially the men, be plagued by the stench of excrement. They hand down, therefore, that the lower region itself, which is at the bottom, was given over and set aside for 4 This section of the homily, beginning with the question of the appearance of the ark through section 2, is preserved in Greek both in catenae and in Procopius of Gaza (see Baehrens, 23-30). In the Greek text Origen says the ark had the shape of a pyramid (pyramoeides). Cf. Clement Strom. 6.11. Philo. QG. 2.5, says the ark came together to a cubit, like a mound. For the subject matter of this entire homily see J. Lewis. A Study ofthe...