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Dan
Dan
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There is another possible explanation for Noah's use of a raven, regardless of its spiritual significance. Sending out ravens was an early maritime method of identifying if a ship was close to land and in which direction the land was. The Landnamabok manuscript, for example, recounts the story of Floki Vilgeroarson, who in the 9th century was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland. He carried with him several ravens. He let them go at intervals of several days, noting whether they flew back in the direction of where he had come, simply circled the ship, or headed onward. The one that headed onward, he knew, had spied land ahead, and so he followed it. We assume, of course, that the ark could not be steered, but it appears that Noah observed the raven's behavior--thatbehavior—that at first it simply flew back and forth (indicating it could not find land) and then when it did disappear and not return, Noah knew land was visible. This might also explain the cryptic wording of the passage (which to us seems unclear and vague). Assuming that the writer and readers of Genesis understood the role of ravens on ships, such a brief reference would make perfect sense and be clearly understood.

There is another possible explanation for Noah's use of a raven, regardless of its spiritual significance. Sending out ravens was an early maritime method of identifying if a ship was close to land and in which direction the land was. The Landnamabok manuscript, for example, recounts the story of Floki Vilgeroarson, who in the 9th century was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland. He carried with him several ravens. He let them go at intervals of several days, noting whether they flew back in the direction of where he had come, simply circled the ship, or headed onward. The one that headed onward, he knew, had spied land ahead, and so he followed it. We assume, of course, that the ark could not be steered, but it appears that Noah observed the raven's behavior--that at first it simply flew back and forth (indicating it could not find land) and then when it did disappear and not return, Noah knew land was visible. This might also explain the cryptic wording of the passage (which to us seems unclear and vague). Assuming that the writer and readers of Genesis understood the role of ravens on ships, such a brief reference would make perfect sense and be clearly understood.

There is another possible explanation for Noah's use of a raven, regardless of its spiritual significance. Sending out ravens was an early maritime method of identifying if a ship was close to land and in which direction the land was. The Landnamabok manuscript, for example, recounts the story of Floki Vilgeroarson, who in the 9th century was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland. He carried with him several ravens. He let them go at intervals of several days, noting whether they flew back in the direction of where he had come, simply circled the ship, or headed onward. The one that headed onward, he knew, had spied land ahead, and so he followed it. We assume, of course, that the ark could not be steered, but it appears that Noah observed the raven's behavior—that at first it simply flew back and forth (indicating it could not find land) and then when it did disappear and not return, Noah knew land was visible. This might also explain the cryptic wording of the passage (which to us seems unclear and vague). Assuming that the writer and readers of Genesis understood the role of ravens on ships, such a brief reference would make perfect sense and be clearly understood.

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Steve P
Steve P
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There is another possible explanation for Noah's use of a raven, regardless of its spiritual significance. Sending out ravens was an early maritime method of identifying if a ship was close to land and in which direction the land was. The Landnamabok manuscript, for example, recounts the story of Floki Vilgeroarson, who in the 9th century was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland. He carried with him several ravens. He let them go at intervals of several days, noting whether they flew back in the direction of where he had come, simply circled the ship, or headed onward. The one that headed onward, he knew, had spied land ahead, and so he followed it. We assume, of course, that the ark could not be steered, but it appears that Noah observed the raven's behavior--that at first it simply flew back and forth (indicating it could not find land) and then when it did disappear and not return, Noah knew land was visible. This might also explain the cryptic wording of the passage (which to us seems unclear and vague). Assuming that the writer and readers of Genesis understood the role of ravens on ships, such a brief reference would make perfect sense and be clearly understood.