When I posted my review on the movie Noah, I almost
apologized for some tardiness in saying something about it. Well, now Biblical
Archaeology Review (BAR), in its July/August 2014 issue has released an article
by Dr. Ronald S. Hendel entitled Biblical Views: Noah, Enoch and the Flood:
The Bible Meets Hollywood, so I guess I was not late to post my review then.
Dr. Hendel summarizes here the discrepancy of opinions between those would prefer
that Hollywood would remain faithful to the text in its cinematographic renderings
of biblical accounts, and those who think that the Scripture stories should be open
to as many interpretations as any reader would like to make.
This is too much of a title for what this work is about. There
are basically two questions Hendel brings up and tries to answer in this short
essay. First, should Christians shun the Book of Enoch’s interpretation of the
Genesis flood account? He answers with a no, since, according to him, this interpretation
is present in the NT (Jude 14-16). This statement is not accurate since it is clear that the author of Jude appropriates 1 Enoch 1. 9 and applies it, in a new context, as a prophecy against the opponents. Then Hendel affirms that “stories that deviate
from the Bible are still part of the Bible” and that they have always been part
of the Biblical religions. I agree with the author that we should not dismiss the
reasons that led to the flood given in 1 Enoch 1.9, as this book was
appreciated and valued by Jewish and Christian communities, but to say that
stories that are not part of the Bible are still part of the Bible is
oxymoronic. Either they are the biblical stories or not.
With this opinion in mind he tries to answer the second
question: “Is the new flood movie unbiblical?” He says yes and no. There is no
surprise to find another contradiction here too as Hendel seems to give equal value to
the biblical text and to any interpretation that comes afterwards. Therefore, for
him, whatever anyone might come up with to explain and to fill gaps in any
biblical text would be as good as the text itself.
Trying to keep things simple, as I said before, it makes no sense to expect that a Hollywood movie would be totally faithful to
any story. That is why we have different interpretations of the flood account included in Noah. Either we go and enjoy what we paid for to see for what it is: a movie, or as with this case, simply we stay home and read the Flood story again.
Juan Miguel Betancourt
Follow me on Twitter @betancourt_jm
I really enjoy watching movies whatever genre it is. For landscaping needs this is our website
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