This Week In History - 22 May

The Lord said to Noah 'Build an ark and place in it all the animals of the earth, two by two. For I will open up the heavens and make it rain for forty days and forty nights.'

And Noah did as the Lord asked. And when the ark was completed he loaded all the animals into it. Then he loaded his family into the ark and sealed the doors. Then the rain began.

As the rain continued to fall the people who had harassed and ridiculed Noah began to worry. They moved to higher ground and began to make boats themselves. When they realized that the waters were rising too quickly they grabbed what weapons they had and stormed the Ark.

Beating on the hatchways of the Ark with whatever was available, shovels, pitchforks, furniture and pottery, they struggled in vain to gain entry into the Ark.

Finally the waters rose to such levels that the Ark teetered precariously upon its dry-dock supports. The outside population launched a final desperate assault. But the water was too deep to get near the hatches. So they tried to batter their way through the bow of the vessel. All attempts failed.

As a last defiant act, a desperate member of the rabble hurled a crock full of wine against the hull of the vessel, just as the Ark slipped free of it's supports. The complete futility of this last desperate act of a doomed man created a lasting impression upon Noah and his family.

As the waters receded and the occupants left to repopulate the earth they remembered, and as they built boats to sail the seas they made a custom of launching each one with a bottle of spirits.