Finkel, Irving (1951– )

The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood [Pre-Genesis - Babylonian]

New York: Doubleday, 2014. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.
THE FLOOD STORY'S OLDEST VOICE
A compelling first edition of British Museum curator Irving Finkel's landmark investigation into one of humanity's most enduring narratives. Drawing upon a remarkable Babylonian cuneiform tablet translated by Finkel, the book presents new evidence for the ancient Mesopotamian origins of the flood story and offers a fresh perspective on traditions later preserved in the biblical account of Noah.

Combining archaeology, philology, history, and detective work, Finkel reconstructs the world of ancient Mesopotamia while explaining how the flood narrative evolved across cultures and centuries. Richly illustrated and written for both general readers and scholars, the work presents one of the most important modern examinations of the ancient flood tradition.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's hardcover in original dust jacket. Octavo; 9.5 inches tall; 421 pages with appendices and index. Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings, maps, and reproductions of cuneiform tablets.

CONDITION: Near Fine hardcover in a Fine dust jacket protected in a new Mylar sleeve. Appears unread. A discreet remainder mark is present; otherwise without flaws. An attractive, giftable copy. First Edition, First Printing.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Irving Finkel serves as Assistant Keeper of the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum and is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities on ancient Mesopotamian texts. This volume brought international attention to the so-called 'Ark Tablet,' a cuneiform document describing a circular vessel built to survive a catastrophic flood, offering significant insight into the development of Near Eastern flood traditions and their relationship to later biblical narratives.

SUBJECTS: Mesopotamia, Babylonian Flood Myth, Noah's Ark, Cuneiform Tablets, Ancient Near East, Biblical History, Assyriology, Archaeological Discovery, Ancient Religion, Irving Finkel; Archaeology; Ancient History; Biblical Studies; Near Eastern Studies.

Item #22073
ISBN: 9780385537117

Price: $14.00