The Discovery of Genesis (64 page)

Man and beast alike struggled to escape the rising waters, but at last all were engulfed as the waters
covered over
all. This figure further describes men’s confederacy against God, as
indicates
all, or united
, and
is a radical for
hands joined together
, suggesting not only their united rebellion but also the attempt to help each other escape the threatening waters. When
water
is added to
, the combined symbol forms the word,
to drown, to overflow, submerged
.

A word, total, or altogether,
is significant in that it indicates that the
eight
people were the total population of the earth to be delivered from the overflowing waters. The remaining portions of the figure represent
hands joined
, and the horizontal line, the
earth
. This would picture a company of
eight
united people, with
hands joined
, forming the
total
⁴
number. If the radical
water
is added to this same figure, the new character formed is
flood
, also meaning
vast.
This ideograph therefore reveals a great truth, that the flood involving these
eight
people was
total
, or universal, and not a localized catastrophe.