The flood itself in early Jewish and Christian reading

Says “On that very day Noah entered the ark” with his family and the animals, and “the Lord shut him in” (Gen 7:13, 16; וַיִּסְגֹּר יְהוָה בַּעֲדוֹ). Fifteen cubits upward the waters prevailed, and the mountains were covered (7:20, Hebrew), and “only Noah and those with him in the ark remained” (7:23).

Josephus says God “turned the dry land into sea”, and “Noah alone was saved”. At 7:16 Onqelos has “the Lord protected them by His Word”; Pseudo-Jonathan, “the Word of the Lord covered over the door of the ark”, and at 7:4 seven days’ respite “if they will be converted”. Jubilees has the Lord open “seven flood-gates of heaven” and the fountains of the deep, “seven mouths in number”, until “Fifteen cubits did the waters rise above all the high mountains” (5:24–26). In the animal vision of 1 Enoch, Noah, “born a bull”, builds “a great vessel”, three bulls dwell with him “and they were covered in”, and “seven water torrents” pour down (89:1–2). Augustine answers those who deny that water could rise “fifteen cubits above the highest mountains”: if earth reaches such heights, as on Olympus, so may water, the lighter element. These are their views; 1 Enoch is reported as reception, not authority. For Gen 6, see note.historical.Gen.6.1-Gen.6.22.early-readings-of-the-flood.

Uncertain Whether “all the high mountains under all the heavens” (7:19) describes a flood over the whole earth or over a region is open. No lean is taken, and these readings do not fix the meaning of Gen 7.