It’s fascinating to dive into the details, and Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, does just that.
Genesis 8:13 tells us, "It was in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water began to dry from upon the earth; Noah removed the cover of the ark, and he saw, and behold, the surface of the ground had begun to dry." So, when did the whole ordeal actually begin?
Well, according to Bereshit Rabbah, the judgment of the Flood generation lasted a full twelve months. It all started on the seventeenth day of the second month, as we read in Genesis 7:11, and wrapped up on the twenty-seventh of the second month the following year (Genesis 8:14). That's quite a long voyage!
Let’s break down the timeline even further. Genesis 7:11 states, "In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month…on the seventeenth day of the month." The Midrash specifies that this second month is Marḥeshvan, often shortened to Cheshvan – placing us in the autumn. Then, Genesis 7:12 says, "The rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." That would take us through the remainder of Marḥeshvan and almost all of Kislev. Imagine the constant downpour!
But the rain wasn’t the end of it. Genesis 7:24 tells us, "The water accumulated upon the earth for one hundred and fifty days." That accounts for the months of Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, and Iyar. The waters just kept rising and rising. Finally, the Midrash tells us, at the beginning of Sivan, the water began to recede.
And when did the Ark find its resting place? Genesis 8:4 states, "The ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." The Midrash clarifies that this "seventh month" is Sivan, counting from the cessation of the rain. Why not Nisan, which is the seventh month from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year? Because the accumulation of water continued into Iyar, as we just saw.
For sixteen long days, the water receded, at a rate of one cubit – an ancient measurement roughly equivalent to the length of your forearm – every four days. The earth was submerged, so the Ark was initially eleven cubits underwater. Eventually, after sixty days, the waters fully receded. This brings us to the tenth month – Av – counting from the start of the rain.
Now, here's a curious detail. The text repeats that the earth "dried up" not once, but twice (8:13-14). Bereshit Rabbah offers an explanation: First, the earth was merely "like a soaking wet object." Then, later, it became "like completely dry land." But even then, something wasn't quite right. They tried to sow seeds, but nothing grew. Why? Because the water, remnant of the Flood, represented a curse. Blessing couldn't come from a place of curse. They had to wait for fresh rain to fall before they could sow again.
There's another interesting point about the timing. Why does Genesis say the earth dried on the twenty-seventh of the second month, instead of the sixteenth? If it were the sixteenth, the Flood would have lasted exactly one year! The Midrash explains that those extra eleven days account for the difference between the solar year and the lunar year. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel even suggested a way to observe this difference: mark the sun's position on a wall during the summer month of Tamuz. The following year, at the same time, the sun won't reach that mark until eleven days later.
So, what does this all mean? It's more than just a historical timeline. It reveals the meticulous way the rabbis of the Midrash engaged with the text, seeking to understand not just what happened, but why, and how the events connect to broader patterns in the world. It prompts us to consider the relationship between judgment and renewal, curse and blessing, and the cyclical nature of time itself. Perhaps Noah's journey, with all its trials and tribulations, offers a timeless lesson about patience, perseverance, and the promise of a new beginning.