Genesis: The Creation and the Flood (1994) - full transcript

Boy: Mother, I'm afraid.

Woman: I'm right here,
near you.

Don't be afraid.

Boy: Why is it so dark?

Woman: Because the day
is resting.

The sun has gone to bed,
like we have.

- Boy: Even the sun?
- Woman: Yes, even the sun.

During the night,
all living things go to sleep.

They close their eyes
so they won't see the dark.

Come on, now,
try to close your little eyes.

Boy: But after, will I be able
to open them again?



Woman: Yes, as soon as the dawn
begins to brighten the sky.

Then, we'll see what the new day
has in store for us.

What is the new day
going to bring us?

Man: No one can know...

what is still hidden...

in the womb of the light.

We have to wait...

for the birth
of the new day.

Not till then shall we discover
all the splendors,

the wonders that accompany
the sunrise.

There are but few
who truly know,

who see what is there.

Can you see, Grandfather?

On occasions my eyes
open.



And when they do,
I know that God

has touched me
on the shoulder.

Could you help me to see?

You are a child, my boy.

That makes my help
unnecessary.

The good Lord on high,
reveals His glories openly

to the young and innocent...

the way he would
have revealed it

to the first man
who looked upon Creation,

with awe...

and infinite wonder.

(sheep bleating)

Grandfather: Thus it was,

from the very beginning
of time,

when the good Lord
created

the sky, the sun,
the stars...

and all the vastness
of the Earth.

But, before Creation,

there was blackness,

black darkness yet untouched
by light...

and the darkness
was over the deep.

The darkness of the void
and the unknown...

because, as yet,
nothing existed,

not even the awareness
of the darkness and the void.

(wind howling)

But, behold,

the Spirit of God
was already

breathing over the waters.

And God said,
"Let there be light. "

And there was light.

The Lord God saw
that the light was good,

and divided the light
from the darkness.

The light, God called "day,"
and the darkness, "night. "

Evening came,
morning came...

and that was the first
of the days.

"Behold," the Lord said,

"let the firmament exist. "

I n the firmament,
God separated

the waters that are
of the Earth

from the waters that are
above the skies.

And the Almighty saw
that it was good.

And evening came,
and morning came

to complete
the second day.

On the third day the Creator
summoned all the waters

that are under
the heavens

so that the dry land
appeared.

And the Earth produced
vegetation and plants

of every species, and all kinds
of fruit-bearing trees,

each one with its own seed.

And thus it came to be

that from that day forth
the Earth began to produce

vegetation and all kinds of
plants and fruit-bearing trees

of every species,

each producing its own seed

to spread over the whole Earth.

And again evening came,

and morning came,
the third day.

On the morning of
the fourth day,

Almighty God said,
"Let there be two great lights

in the vault of the heavens,

one for the night,
and one for the day,

to serve as a sign
for the seasons,

for the days,
and for the years. "

And behold,
the Lord God said,

"Let the waters teem
with living beings,

and let birds fly
above the Earth

under the vault
of the heavens. "

The Lord God created all
the living creatures

that frolic in the waters,

each according to
its own species,

and all the winged creatures,
each according to its species.

And evening came,
and morning came,

the fifth day.

On the sixth day,
the Almighty said,

let the Earth produce
living creatures,

cattle, creeping things
and wild animals,

each one according to
its species.

The Creator blessed them,
and said,

"Be fruitful and multiply.

Fill with life the heavens
and the oceans,

And let the Earth be filled
with living beings

of every species. "

(baby crying)

(sheep bleating)

When the Creator
made Heaven and Earth,

no wild bushes, no herbs
of the field had sprung up,

because God had not
yet sent rain upon the Earth,

and there was no human being
to work in the fields.

I nstead, water flowed
out of the ground

and moistened all
the surface of the soil.

(thundering)

(heavy rainfall)

Out of the Earth
the Lord God fashioned man,

making him out of the soil
God had created.

The Creator breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life...

and the man became
a living being.

(baby crying)

Thus the Lord God determined
to create man

in His own image.

God wanted them
in the image of God.

He created humankind,
male and female.

He created them
in the very likeness of God.

Then God blessed them
and said,

"Be fruitful and multiply.

Fill the Earth and rule over
all of Creation. "

And thus it was.

An evening came,
and morning came,

the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the Earth
were brought to completion

and all the creatures
that inhabit the Earth.

And then the Creator
blessed the seventh day

and made it holy,

because on that day
God had completed

all the work of the Creation.

(frogs croaking)

Then, the soil
brought forth life,

and the trees
produced fruit,

enticing to look at
and good to eat.

And the Lord sat the man
in the middle of the garden

so that he might cultivate it
and take care of it.

And then the Lord God gave
the man this command:

"All the fruit that grow here
are for you.

And you may freely eat
of them.

But of all these only one
you shall not touch,

the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

If you eat of that fruit

you will know what is good
and what is evil.

And of that knowledge,
you shall die. "

Boy: So many stars!

Man: Look!
That one is Ishtar.

It is the star
of the morning.

But every dawn
it's the last to fade.

Why is the bright star
called Ishtar?

Everything that lives
and moves in the Creation

has been given its own name,

like the sun,
and all the creatures

that live in its light.

From the time of the Creation,

the Creator saw that the man
was alone on the Earth.

And so God thought,
"I will make the man a helper,

who will be like him. "

And then the Lord,

who had already created
out of dust

the animals of the fields
and all the birds of the air,

brought them in front of Adam,
one by one,

in order that he might name
each one.

And whatever Adam called
each and every living creature,

that was to be its name.

Even fire?

And the fire, too,
and the mountains.

Boy: And the rocks,
grandfather?

- And the plants?
- And the plants.

Grandfather:
With all their fruit,

each thing
had its own name.

But the man
could not find a helper

similar to himself.

So the Lord God caused Adam
to fall into a deep sleep

on the ground.

The Lord approached...

as Adam lay there...

and took one of Adam's ribs
from him.

And from this rib
God fashioned the woman,

and brought her to Adam.

Then Adam said,

"Behold...

this one at last is flesh
of my flesh...

and bone of my bone...

life from my life. "

She is to be called,
"Woman,"

because she was made
from the man.

That is why the man will leave
his father and his mother,

and will be united
with his wife,

and the two...

will become one flesh.

(crickets chirping)

Now both of them
were naked,

the man and the woman.

But because
they were innocent,

they felt no shame.

The serpent was the most subtle
of all the wild creatures

that God had created.

And behold,
he said to the woman,

"Did God really say
you shall not eat

of the fruit of any
of the trees in the garden?"

The woman said
to the serpent,

"We may eat of the fruit
of the trees in the garden,

but the Lord God said,

'You shall not eat
of the fruit

of the tree in the middle
of the garden,

nor shall touch it,
or you shall die. "'

But the serpent flattered
the woman saying,

"No, you will not die
at all.

I n fact, God knows that
the day you eat of that fruit

your eyes will be opened

and you will become
like God,

for you will know
good and evil. "

And thus the woman saw that
the fruit of the tree

was good to eat and pleasing
to the eye

and enticing for the knowledge
it would give.

And so she took the fruit
and ate it.

Then she gave some to the man
who was with her.

And he, too,
ate of the fruit.

Adam and the woman hid themselves
behind the trees

because their eyes
were opened

and both of them realized
they were naked.

And so the Lord God Almighty
summoned Adam

and said to him,
"Why are you hiding?"

Adam answered, "I heard the sound
of Your footsteps

and I was afraid

because now I am naked
and alone. "

And the Lord God said,

"Who told you that you
were naked?

Have you perhaps eaten
of the fruit of the tree

that I forbade you to eat?"

Adam answered,
"The woman gave me that fruit

and I ate some of it.

And now...

now I know fear.

I am alone.

Now I know good and evil. "

Then the Lord God said
to the woman,

"Why have you done this?"

The woman answered,

"The serpent tempted me

and I ate of the fruit. "

And so the Lord God said
to the serpent,

"Because
you have done this

you shall be cursed
among all the beasts.

You shall crawl in the dust
on your belly

because it was you
who caused her to eat.

For all eternity

there will be enmity
between you and the woman,

between your offspring
and hers

and so until the end of time
her descendants

will crush your head,
and you will strike their heel. "

(wind gusting)

To the man God said,

"Because you disobeyed me

the Earth will be full
of suffering for you.

You will earn your bread
by the sweat of your brow

until you return
to the ground

because out of the ground
you were made.

Dust you are,
and to dust you shall return. "

(breathing deeply)

And again the Lord God
said,

"Behold, now man and woman
have become like me,

equal to me because
they know good and evil.

And so they must not be allowed
to reach out their hands

and take the fruit
of the Tree of Life

and eat it,
and live forever. "

And the Lord God expelled Adam
and the woman from the garden

so that they would work the soil
from which they were made.

And at the east of
the Garden of Eden,

God placed the Cherubim,

armed with the fiery,
flashing sword

to guard the way to
the Tree of Life.

Adam named the woman
"Eve"...

because she was the mother
of all those who live.

Their firstborn son,

they named "Cain. "

When Eve gave birth to him,
she said,

"Behold,

I have received
a gift from the Lord.

With God,

I have created
a human being. "

And so it was.

And after Cain,

the woman gave birth to Abel,
his brother.

Abel, the second son,
was a shepherd and kept flocks.

- J ust like us?
- Yes, just like us.

But Cain worked in the fields,
planting the earth.

(water trickling down)

(sheep bleating)

(wind howling)

(blowing in flute)

(blowing in flute)

(wind whistling)

(long tone)

(long tone)

(flute music)

Grandfather: I n the course of time

Cain offered part
of his crop to the Lord.

Abel sacrificed
to the Most High

the finest of the newborn lambs
of his flock.

The Lord God looked with favor
on Abel's offering.

He was not pleased
with Cain's.

Cain was envious of his brother.
He became angry.

His face was downcast
and he withdrew into himself.

(pigs squealing)

Aagh!

Waah!

Waah!

(rain and thunder)

(water dripping)

(water sizzles)

(flute music playing)

The Lord God sought out Cain
and said to him,

"Why are you so full
of anger?

And why is your face
so downcast?

If you were doing
what is right,

surely you ought to hold
your head high.

But if you are acting
wrongly, look,

the Evil One is crouching
at the door,

hungry to get you.

Wicked thoughts and
temptations assail you...

but you can be the master
of them. "

Aaaah!

(flute music playing)

(music ends)

I n spite of the Lord God's
warning,

Cain raised his hand
against his brother, Abel,

and killed him.

The Lord God again
sought out Cain

and said to him,

"Where is Abel, your brother?"

Cain, afraid and in hiding,
replied,

"I do not know.

Am I my brother's keeper?"

The Lord said,
"What have you done, Cain?

The voice of your brother's
blood is crying out

from the depths
of the Earth.

From this day forth you must
leave forever the ground

which witnessed your brother's
death at your hands.

Thus, when you till
the earth,

it will not easily yield up
its fruits to you.

You shall be
a restless wanderer

and you will not cease

to hide yourself
from Me forever. "

Cain said, "This punishment
is greater than I can bear.

Behold,
You banish me from this place

and from Your holy
presence

and I must hide from Your face
for the rest of my days,

far from You.

I must live in danger,

for whoever meets me on the road
will surely kill me. "

But the Holy One did not want
Cain's death, and said,

"Whoever kills Cain will suffer
a sevenfold vengeance. "

And the Lord, in His love,
put a mark on Cain to protect him,

so that no one coming across
him would kill him.

Cain withdrew from the presence
of the Holy One

nd settled in the land of Nod,
to the east of Eden.

Then Cain united himself
to his wife,

and she conceived
and gave birth to Enoch.

And Cain founded a city and
a new civilization.

And he called the city,
"Enoch," after his son.

And these are the descendants
of Cain:

Enoch fathered Irad,
and Irad fathered Mehujael.

Mehujael fathered
Methushael,

who, in turn,
fathered Lamech.

Lamech married two women,
Adah and Zillah.

The second wife, Zillah,
gave birth to Tubal-cain,

the craftsman,
ancestor of all those who work

with copper
and all other metals.

Tubal-cain's sister
was Naamah,

whose name means
"The one loved by all.

The one who is seduced

by the comforts and
pleasures of urban living. "

And Lamech said,

Lamech: All of you,
hear my voice!

Listen to what
I am about to say!

I killed a man
who attacked me!

A boy,
in a moment of rage!

Sevenfold vengeance for Cain,

but for Lamech,
seventy-seven fold!

So now it happens

that violence spreads itself
wider and wider among men.

Behold,
from action to action,

from insult to insult,

humankind shapes
its own history.

Some are perpetrators
of violence,

some are its victims.

Some come out of the East,
others come out of the West.

But in all this movement,
all this confusion,

which is
the right direction?

Then Adam,
the father of all peoples,

was joined again
to his wife.

She gave birth
to a male child,

and she named him
"Seth," because,

she said, "God has granted me
other offspring

in the place of Abel,
whom Cain has killed. "

And Seth had a son whom
he called Enosh.

It was at that time
that people began to invoke

the name of the Lord.

Then Enosh fathered
Kenan,

and Kenan fathered
Mahalalel.

Mahalalel fathered Jared,
and Jared, Enoch.

Enoch fathered Methuselah,
who fathered Lamech.

And Lamech fathered Noah.

(music playing)

(music playing)

(music playing)

Grandfather: Loyalty has disappeared
from among human creatures.

Neighbor lies to neighbor,

the poor are oppressed
by the arrogance of the rich,

and the evildoer
in his heart thinks,

"No one, not even the Lord,
will hold me accountable. "

The Lord God looks down
from the heavens

at the children of Adam

to see if a single one
is still wise,

if a single one
still seeks God.

But many have become
corrupt.

Many have proven faithless
and violent.

They are guilty
of all manner of sins.

Not one of them does
what is right.

All are seeking
their own advantage.

Why, O Lord,
do you keep so distant?

Why do You hide Yourself

in time of trouble?

Hear Me,
all you nations and peoples.

Listen to Me,
all you who inhabit the Earth,

people, high and low,
rich and poor alike.

Do not be overawed
or jealous

when some of you
become rich

and live in ever greater
splendor.

When they die, they will take
nothing with them.

Their wealth will not
go down with them.

Humankind, in all its splendor,
cannot last.

Human beings will never be able
to repay to God

their own ransom,

no matter how powerful
they become.

They will see that
the wise also die,

just as the fool
and the brute,

and leave their wealth
behind for others.

The tomb is their home
forever,

their dwelling place until
the end of time,

even though they give
their names to vast palaces,

and properties.

You who eat from the work
of your hands,

blessed are you for you walk
in the ways of the Lord.

Your wife will be
a fruitful vine

in the inner places
of your house,

and your children round
your table

like shoots
of an olive tree.

Even the sparrow finds
a home,

the swallow,
a nest to place its young.

Blessed are they,

who dwell in the house
of the Lord.

(laughing)

Woman: Tell me, then...

O loved one of my soul,

where will you lead your flocks
to graze?

Where will you stop to rest
at noon?

For sick with love I am.

Your right hand
is under my head

and the other
embraces me.

On my bed,
in the night,

I searched for the one
whom my heart loves.

I searched for him,
but did not find him.

Before the day breeze rises,

before the shadows flee,

return, my love.

Leap joyously,

like a gazelle,

like a young stag on the mountain
of sweet fragrances.

Kiss me with the sweetest kisses
of your mouth.

Your love is sweeter
than any nectar.

Your name
is an inebriating perfume.

Your banner on me
is love.

(noise and commotion)

(festive music)

Grandfather: "Show respect
for my Creation,"

says the Lord.

"Revere everything
that lives

in My holy place.

But unless you honor
My laws

and live your days according
to My commandments,

you will know the terrors
I can inflict.

No light shall enter
your eye.

You shall suffer fever
and disease

and your days shall pass
in agony.

I n vain will you wait to reap
what you have planted.

Your enemies will gather
the harvest.

And if, in spite of this,
you refuse to listen to Me,

I will continue
to chastise you

and will punish you
seven times over for your sins.

I will break your
proud strength

and I will make the sky like
scorching iron for you,

and your soil like flesh
without a shield.

Then you will seek refuge
in your cities,

but there I will send
plague and pestilence,

and you shall fall
into the clutches of death.

And if, in spite of this,
you will not listen to Me,

and continue to go
against Me,

I will go against you
in fury

and punish you
seven times over

for your sins.

You shall eat the flesh
of your children.

I will destroy
your higher places.

I will smash
your incense altars,

and I will pile your corpses
on your foul idols. "

(horse whiney)

(drum beats)

(drum beats continue)

(drum beats)

(wind howling)

Grandfather: Then the Most High
saw that human wickedness

was great on the Earth,

and that the violent heart
of humankind contrived

nothing but evil schemes.

The Lord God regretted having made
human beings on the Earth.

The Holy One was grieved
at heart and said,

"I will rid the face
of the Earth

of the human beings
I created,

and of all the domestic animals,
the crawling creatures,

and the birds of the air.

All,
I will exterminate them,

because I regret
having created them. "

And so the Creator God
spoke to Noah,

"I have decided that the end
has come for all living things,

for the Earth is full
of lawlessness and violence

because of them.

So now I will destroy them

and the entire Earth. "

(wind gusting)

Then the Lord God said
to Noah,

"I am going to send the flood,
the waters on Earth,

to destroy
all living things

with the breath of life
under heaven.

Everything on Earth
is to perish,

but with you, Noah,
I will make a pact.

With you I will establish
my covenant.

Behold,
you will build an ark.

You will make it out
of resinous wood.

You will divide it
into compartments

and caulk it with pitch,
inside and out.

You will fashion a roof
for the ark

raising it a cubit higher
than the rest.

You will build the ark
with three decks,

lower, middle, and higher,

and one side of the ark,
you will make a door. "

This is the story of Noah.

Noah was a good man,
just and honest,

and he walked with the Lord.

Noah fathered three sons,

Shem,
Ham, and Japheth.

And so Noah did exactly
as the Lord had commanded him.

Then the Lord God said
to Noah,

"Go aboard the ark
and with you take your sons,

your wife,
and wives of your sons.

From all living creatures,
from all animals,

you will take into the ark
two of each species

to save their lives
with yours.

There must be
a male and female

of the birds, the cattle,

and of all the creatures
that crawl on the Earth,

according to their species.

Two of each will go aboard
with you,

so that they might live. "

(sheep bleating)

Again the Lord God said,

"Take with you provisions
of every kind

and lay in a store of them.

They will be nourishment for you
and the others in the ark. "

And Noah did this

exactly as God
had commanded him.

(wind gusting)

(rain drops)

(rain pattering)

(heavy rain falling)

Grandfather: Seven days later
the waters of the flood

appeared on the Earth.

All the springs of the great
deep burst through

and the cataracts
of the heavens opened wide.

On the same day Noah entered
the ark with his three sons,

Shem, Ham and Japheth,
his wife

and the wives of
his three sons.

These people and the animals,

each according to his species,
all came to Noah in the ark.

And thus it was,
as God had commanded.

And then the Lord God closed
the door behind him.

(thunder)

(rain pouring down)

(thunder)

(baby cries)

(thunder)

(thunder)

(baby cries)

(sizzle)

(water dripping)

(sizzle)

Noah: The Lord God Almighty
summons the Earth,

from the West to the East,

and the heavens proclaim
His justice.

Our God is coming to sit
in judgement.

Before Him,
devouring fire,

around Him,
raging tempests.

Behold, the Holy One comes
and the Holy One speaks,

"I am the Lord God,

your God.

Not for your sacrificial offerings
does your God reproach you.

Nor for the solemn ceremonies
you ever performed

to the Almighty.

But do not offer me a bull
of your herd,

nor the goat you prize
over others.

They're already mine.

All the beasts
of the forest,

the animals that graze
on the earth,

they're mine already.

I know every bird that flies
to the highest summit,

and all living creatures
of the sea.

They are mine also.

Does God eat, perchance,

the cattle you give
your Lord,

or drink blood from
your sacrificial goats?

Offer thanksgiving.

Let it be your sacrifice
to the Holy One.

I n this way...

fulfill the vows
you've made

to the Most High. "

(water dripping)

(creaking)

(creaking)

(thud)

Grandfather: The flood lasted for
40 days and 40 nights.

The water swelled,
lifting the ark

until it floated
off the ground.

The waters rose higher and higher
on the surface of the Earth

until they covered the highest
mountains under the heavens.

And so it was that all
living things on Earth perished.

Every being with the least breath
of life in its nostrils, died.

Everything on the face
of the Earth was exterminated:

Human beings, birds,
animals, domestic and wild,

and creeping things.

Only Noah was saved,

and with him,
those in the ark.

(chirping)

(rain stops)

Then the Creator
remembered Noah

and all the animals
that were in the ark with him.

And so the Lord God Almighty
sent a wind across the Earth,

and the waters began to subside.
The springs of the deep

and the cataracts
of the heavens were stopped up.

And the rains ceased.

(thud)

And thus the waters began
to withdraw from the earth.

And after 150 days

the ark came to rest
on the mountains of Ararat.

I n the tenth month,

on the first day
of the month,

dry land
began to appear.

And in the distance,

the peaks of the mountains
were to be seen.

Another 40 days passed,

and Noah released a raven

who flew back and forth,

because the waters
had not yet receded

from the face of the earth.

(draining water)

Then Noah released a dove,

but the dove, too,
returned to Noah in the ark,

for there was still water
on the surface of the earth.

Noah waited another
seven days...

and once again
sent out the dove...

from the ark.

I n the evening the dove
came back to him.

And behold, in its beak,

was a fresh olive branch.

And so Noah realized
that the waters were receding

from the earth.

Noah waited another
seven days.

Then,
he set free the dove.

And this time,
it returned to him no more.

And so the Most High
blessed Noah and his family

and said to them,

"As long as Earth endures,

seed time and harvest,

cold and heat,
summer and winter,

day and night
will never cease.

I will now set my bow
in the clouds.

This is the sign
of the covenant

I am establishing between
Myself and the Earth.

The bow will be on the clouds
and I shall see it.

And I shall remember
the eternal covenant

established between God
and every living being.

Every living thing
that has life and moves

will be yours to eat.

Behold,
I give you everything,

as in the past I gave you
the green fruits of the field.

But there
is one exception:

You must not eat flesh
with its life,

that is to say,
with its blood in it.

And I will hold you accountable
for your own life blood, too.

The Lord of life will demand
an accounting

of every living creature.

The Creator of life will demand it
of all human beings.

Whoever sheds human blood
will be accountable for it

because the Lord has made man
and woman in His own image. "