Dividing Genesis: The Role of the Flood in Biblical History and the Shape of Israelite Identity

As a critique of a consensus in Genesis scholarship, I propose that the primary turning point of Israel's early history is the flood and the figure of Noah in chaps. 6–9 rather than the call of Abraham in chap. 12. This proposal is based on a reexamination and a new presentation of the same evidence on which the current consensus is built, challenging the old divide by reassessing its core data. Making the shift from Abraham to Noah as the defining moment in Israel's history has significant consequences for our understanding of Israel's construction of its identity. By dividing Genesis at Abraham, traditional scholarship has emphasized Israel's place outside of and over against other cultures. By identifying Noah as their first ancestor, Genesis's authors construct an identity for Israel that emphasizes Israel's integral relationship to and role within the world's cultures.