Flood Myths

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In today’s episode we are going to look at the various flood mythologies from some of the world’s religions. Floods have been a part of human history since time immemorial, and across different civilizations and religions, we find remarkable stories of deluges that reshaped entire landscapes and changed the course of humanity. In fact, of all the countries in the world, Japan stands out as one of the very few major cultures that do not have a flood myth. The Hebrew flood myth that focuses on Noah and his ark is probably one of the best known however cultures across the world including those in Mesopotamia, India, Africa, China and Mesoamerica all have stories of life shattering inundations. While the details may differ, the core elements of a catastrophic flood, a chosen hero, the construction of an ark or vessel, and the survival and repopulation of the earth are remarkably similar across these cultures. How did this happen? How did cultures separated by time and distance all develop remarkably similar tales? 

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