Flood Legends Read Online Free PDF Page B

400 B.C., though not referenced in 1400 B.C., we can safely assume it was written sometime within that window. Any actual
date
given within that window is, at this point, merely conjecture.
    Who wrote the
Mahābhārata
? Tradition claims that one man, a sage named Vyāsa, composed the epic poem single-handedly. However, outside of this basic tradition, there is no way to confirm the "historicity" of this "mythological figure." 3 In other words, history cannot, so far, even confirm the
existence
of Vyāsa, let alone that he composed one of Hinduism's greatest works. If we add to it the sheer size and scope of the epic poem, we find it even more difficult to believe that one man composed the
Mahābhārata
. It seems far more likely that the work was composed over several centuries, based on oral tradition and previously existing documents. Interestingly, the name "Vyāsa" actually
means
"arranger" and "distributor," and so may not even be intended to refer to an actual
author
but is merely used as an indication that the poem was compiled (or "arranged") from many sources. However, dismissing the idea of a single author outright
is
rather unfair. Besides, regardless of how it came about, the
Mahābhārata
is an impressive work.
    This version of the Flood has been translated by the author. I selected the Sanskrit version for two reasons. First, I wanted a version that I could, personally, translate. From a purely linguistic standpoint, I wanted to see with my own eyes that at least
one
version did claim the Flood to be global. Many arguments
against
the Deluge follow the lines that we are misinterpreting the literature, and I wanted to lay
that
argument to rest in my own mind. Secondly, I selected this version because it is
not
well-known in this country. Few people in America are even familiar with Sanskrit literature at all, let alone a Sanskrit myth buried within a much larger work, as is the case with the Fish Story and the
Mahābhārata
. Since I am a firm believer in learning to understand other cultures — even if we, ultimately, disagree with these other cultures — introducing a little-known piece of literature just seems like the right thing to do.
    The Torah: Genesis
     
    The Jewish Bible was written over a thousand-year span, from around 1400 B.C. to 400 B.C. In scope, it deals with the personal relationship of God with His people, the Hebrews (or Israelites). This basic theology is in sharp contrast with the polytheistic view of the
Mahābhārata
. In the Hindu literature, the many gods only become involved in human affairs when it is of greatest profit to them, whereas the Hebrew God shows a continued and vested interest in the well-being of the people of earth. The general theme of the Jewish Bible is, more or less, as follows:
God creates people.
People rebel against God.
God punishes those people.
God promises to provide a way out of that punishment (both now and in the afterlife) by sending a chosen being, a person known in Hebrew as
Messiah
, to rescue the people of earth from the punishment of their sins.
    The Bible is known to have numerous authors, and because some of the books do not have a clear authorship, finding a precise number of contributors has been a difficult task over the years. Tradition says that the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) were written by Moses around 1400 B.C., during the 40-year span in the desert immediately following the Exodus from Egypt. The Books of Moses — as they are often called — make up the portion of the Jewish Bible known as the
Torah
, or "The Law." It is generally believed that Moses penned the books based solely on existing oral traditions; however, many argue that Moses merely compiled already existing manuscripts when he wrote the Book of Genesis. Over the years, some have even gone so far as to suggest that, by the time of the Exodus, Genesis was, more or less, already complete, and Moses merely "polished" the manuscript.