(5) Story of the Flood Preserved. As the flood affected equally the common ancestry of mankind, all nations that have not sunk into the lowest barbarism would be likely to preserve the memory of the chief person connected with it ; and it would be a natural fallacy that every peo ple should attach to itself a principal interest in that catastrophe, and regard that chief person as the founder of their own nation, and belonging to their own locality. Hence, we can well account for the traditions of so many peoples upon this capital fact of ancient history, and the chief per son in it; the Xisuthrus of the Chaldxans, with whom is associated a remarkable number of pre cise circumstances, corresponding to the Mosaic narrative (Alex. Polyhist. in the Chronicle of Eu scbius, so happily recovered by Mr. Zohrab, in the Armenian Version, and published by him in 1818) ; the Phrygian Noi, of the celebrated Apamean medal, which, besides Noah and his wife with an ark, presents a raven, and a dove with an olive branch in its mouth (figured in Bryant's Anc. Myth., vol. iii); the Manes of the Lydians (Mr. W. J. Hamilton's Asia Min., iii. 383; see NA TIONS, DISPERSION OF) ; the Deucalion of the Syr ians and the Greeks, of whose deluge the account given by Lucian is a copy almost exactly circum stantial of that in the book of Genesis (Dca Syria; Luciani opp. Hi:457, ed. Reitz; Bryant iii :28) ;
the many coincidences in the Greek mythology in respect of Saturn, Janus, and Bacchus; the traditions of the aboriginal Americans, as stated by Clavigero, in his History of Mexico; and many others. (See DELUGE.) J. P. S.
(6) Character. That the conduct of Noah cor responded to the faith and hope of his father we have no reason to doubt. The brevity of the his tory satisfies not human curiosity. He was born boo years before the Deluge. We may reasonably suppose that through that period he maintained the character given of him: 'Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God' (Gen. vi:8, 9). These words declare his piety, sincerity, and integrity, that he maintained habitual communion with the Father of Mercies, by the exercises of devotion, and that he was an inspired instrument of conveying the will of God to mankind. The wickedness of the human race had long called upon the wisdom and justice of God for some signal display of his displeasure, as a measure of righteous government and an ex ample to future ages.
2. (Heb. no-aw', motion), one of the five daughters of Zelophehad (Num. xxvi:33; xxvii:i ; xxxviai; Josh. xvii:3), B. C. about t7o. She. with her sisters, obtained an inheritance in the Promised Land, as her father had no sons.