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Noah
There were giants in the earth in those days..." It was a virgin earth gone wrong: a world touched by strange creatures, angelic beings, and the wickedness of men. Only one man warned of the cataclysm to come. Noah as you never knew him! This may be the most unusual novel you will ever read! Hailed by critics for its daring theories of the pre-Flood world and the preacher of righteousness.
332 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
19 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Gunderson Traylor
40 books65 followersEllen Gunderson Traylor, "America's Foremost Biblical Novelist," is a gifted storyteller who brings characters of the Bible to life. Her many bestselling novels have sold about a million copies in English, with numerous foreign translations.
In addition to writing bestselling novels, Traylor has been a magazine/newspaper columnist and correspondent. An award-winning feature writer, Traylor has written screenplays and political speeches, and was a contributing writer and researcher for the Tyndale Family Bible Encyclopedia project.
In addition to writing bestselling novels, Traylor has been a magazine/newspaper columnist and correspondent. An award-winning feature writer, Traylor has written screenplays and political speeches, and was a contributing writer and researcher for the Tyndale Family Bible Encyclopedia project.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 5, 2010
I love this book. I’ve read it twice and know that I will pick it up again one day. Traylor boldly creates a fantastic work of historical Christian fiction that in my estimation is completely plausible. Her point of view is one rarely discussed, so for me, it was quite refreshing to see it so matter-of-factly explored. This book can be very challenging (I know, I loaned it to a friend) to one’s traditional religious ideals. In my experience, the topic is never preached from the pulpit. Did angels have relationships and consequent offspring with woman of the earth? How did these beings influence and affect the lives of those living during the days of Noah? That is what this book is all about!
Matt 24:37 – But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matt 24:37 – But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
December 29, 2022
More fictional than factual, this book nevertheless attempts a credible account of some of the behind-the-scenes events and processes that the biblical figure was involved in. A significant portion of the book describes the giants, "heroes of old, men of renown" as the Bible refers to them; the progeny of fallen angels and the daughters of men. These are pagan supermen who use a technology more advanced than today and they, along with their technology, vanish utterly with the global flood. These superior (and magnificent but unsympathetic) beings rule the earth, regarding the "normal" human population with tolerance but little interest and occasional cruelty.
It becomes apparent that all of the humans have become morally corrupt - with the exception of Noah and his clan. The well-known narrative of God singling out this small family to build an ark, the requisite animals migrating to the area as the time approaches (as the biblical narrative confirms, God said "I will send them to you") and the outbreak of the deluge follows. More significantly, "the fountains of the deep" are broken open and the topology of the planet begins to change as vast geological shifts, subductions and upthrusts commence.
Life aboard the ark is described and the author takes some license to imagine the conflict and depression that she thinks would have occurred onboard. After the lengthy sojourn on the ark, the family disembarks and a brief narrative describes their beginnings on a totally transformed planet.
There is no drastic digression from the biblical account and the three hundred and thirty-page novel is bulked by detail that the author has imagined after due diligence to avoid contradicting what is accepted by the Judeo-Christian believers.
There were hints of the technicalities which would intrigue a person who desires to picture the pre-deluvian earth and to understand the real-life difficulties of building a massive "ark" (really a chest, or trunk), managing a large collection of animals aboard and the daily events on a vessel designed purely as a floating warehouse - clearly it is not a boat, requiring no streamlining, steering, sails nor lookout. I was disappointed that these details were glossed over but ultimately, I had to concede that the story was acceptable and energetically imagined. So I cannot say it was lazy thinking on the part of the author but merely reflects her considered thoughts of how these events could have occurred and be comprehended by the non-technically-minded reader.
Possibly this book's greatest value to the believer is that so many details that are relevant (for example; Noah was already 500 years old at the commencement of building the ark, the family were aboard for more than a year, all races descended from this group - and the mechanism for this is clearly indicated) are repeated in a modern language with enough detail to be comprehended and remembered easily.
To an unbeliever it may simply be an interesting take on a myth or fairy tale. To the unbiased reader it may serve to stimulate further interest in the biblical record of mankind's ancestry.
It becomes apparent that all of the humans have become morally corrupt - with the exception of Noah and his clan. The well-known narrative of God singling out this small family to build an ark, the requisite animals migrating to the area as the time approaches (as the biblical narrative confirms, God said "I will send them to you") and the outbreak of the deluge follows. More significantly, "the fountains of the deep" are broken open and the topology of the planet begins to change as vast geological shifts, subductions and upthrusts commence.
Life aboard the ark is described and the author takes some license to imagine the conflict and depression that she thinks would have occurred onboard. After the lengthy sojourn on the ark, the family disembarks and a brief narrative describes their beginnings on a totally transformed planet.
There is no drastic digression from the biblical account and the three hundred and thirty-page novel is bulked by detail that the author has imagined after due diligence to avoid contradicting what is accepted by the Judeo-Christian believers.
There were hints of the technicalities which would intrigue a person who desires to picture the pre-deluvian earth and to understand the real-life difficulties of building a massive "ark" (really a chest, or trunk), managing a large collection of animals aboard and the daily events on a vessel designed purely as a floating warehouse - clearly it is not a boat, requiring no streamlining, steering, sails nor lookout. I was disappointed that these details were glossed over but ultimately, I had to concede that the story was acceptable and energetically imagined. So I cannot say it was lazy thinking on the part of the author but merely reflects her considered thoughts of how these events could have occurred and be comprehended by the non-technically-minded reader.
Possibly this book's greatest value to the believer is that so many details that are relevant (for example; Noah was already 500 years old at the commencement of building the ark, the family were aboard for more than a year, all races descended from this group - and the mechanism for this is clearly indicated) are repeated in a modern language with enough detail to be comprehended and remembered easily.
To an unbeliever it may simply be an interesting take on a myth or fairy tale. To the unbiased reader it may serve to stimulate further interest in the biblical record of mankind's ancestry.
April 21, 2009
THis book actually dates further back than the copy listed here. I read this back in 1990. Probably was my first book by this author. An interesting imagining of the pre-flood world.
March 2, 2011
This was a fascinating book. The author did a fantastic job of presenting my most favorite Old Testament story. One of my most cherished childhood toys was my Noah's Ark with the accompanying animals.
She presented some new twists on this time period. Who would have imagined that man at that time had reached a high degree of technology and even have crafts that flew. When you think about it, it was 2,000 years back to Adam. It could have been possible.
Most renditions of Noah have him in skins and they are using rough-hewn carts to pull materials for the Ark around.
A very intriguing book. I have recommended it to many with nary a taker.
She presented some new twists on this time period. Who would have imagined that man at that time had reached a high degree of technology and even have crafts that flew. When you think about it, it was 2,000 years back to Adam. It could have been possible.
Most renditions of Noah have him in skins and they are using rough-hewn carts to pull materials for the Ark around.
A very intriguing book. I have recommended it to many with nary a taker.
December 30, 2012
This was a fascinating book.
Traylor is brilliant with Biblical fiction and in this book, Noah, she takes that a step further. In a good way.
Always mindful of the Biblical boundaries, she still gives us a pre-Flood world that contains the origins of myths and legends that have colored global stories for the duration of Mankind's history.
With heartbreaking sorrow, with surprising joy, with humor and love and a devotion to God, Noah is an enriching, edifying read.
Traylor is brilliant with Biblical fiction and in this book, Noah, she takes that a step further. In a good way.
Always mindful of the Biblical boundaries, she still gives us a pre-Flood world that contains the origins of myths and legends that have colored global stories for the duration of Mankind's history.
With heartbreaking sorrow, with surprising joy, with humor and love and a devotion to God, Noah is an enriching, edifying read.
February 8, 2014
Noah, by Ellen Gunderson Traylor is a wonderful author of bible fiction and did not disappoint with Noah. Is of course fiction because she begins with a young Noah full of pride because he is from the line of Seth instead of Cain and God teaching him that faith not your family history is salvation. This book was thought provoking from it's first pages and I recommend it to any lover of bible history.
November 22, 2010
An imaginative adventure of what the world was like in the days of Noah. Including demi-gods, nepherim, talking animals, seduction, and more. The author creates a living fiction based off of verses across the Bible relating to the days of Noah. One of the more entertaining and books I've read and so far everyone I've recommended it to has found it fascinating.
August 22, 2007
awesome book. I loved it
August 20, 2008
Very fun perspective of what it may have been like for Noah.
April 22, 2022
This is actually my second time reading this book; the first time was back in the mid-80s when it was first written. It is a fun book to read; the author stated that she researched whatever information she could find, including from ancient history, to try and extrapolate what the Pre-diluvian world might have been like. She also extrapolates from the verse in Genesis that talks about how some of the angels desired to have intercourse with human women in order to have offspring and how such relationships and offspring would have impacted the known world at the time.
Overall, I thought it was well-written. It held my interest better this time around than the first time I read it; I am not sure why that is the case. I enjoyed her extrapolations as to what the world would have been like, how the offspring between angels and humans would have impacted the world as well as possible experiments that were imposed upon the human race. It was a fascinating look at what kind of technology might have been developed during that time before the flood, the kind of advances that might have been made.
I also liked how Noah's . . . uncle (I think it was) reminds Noah that even though Cain was judged and "cursed" for murdering his brother Abel, Yahweh still showed Cain grace and mercy and compassion by giving Cain a mark that would protect Cain and keep Cain from being killed by any other human after that point on that Cain encountered.
As far as speculative fiction blended with a biblical story goes, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was well-written; the "biblical narrative" was sound; I was not offended by what was written. It was a fun book to revisit and reread, for which I was grateful. I am glad I reread it.
Overall, I thought it was well-written. It held my interest better this time around than the first time I read it; I am not sure why that is the case. I enjoyed her extrapolations as to what the world would have been like, how the offspring between angels and humans would have impacted the world as well as possible experiments that were imposed upon the human race. It was a fascinating look at what kind of technology might have been developed during that time before the flood, the kind of advances that might have been made.
I also liked how Noah's . . . uncle (I think it was) reminds Noah that even though Cain was judged and "cursed" for murdering his brother Abel, Yahweh still showed Cain grace and mercy and compassion by giving Cain a mark that would protect Cain and keep Cain from being killed by any other human after that point on that Cain encountered.
As far as speculative fiction blended with a biblical story goes, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was well-written; the "biblical narrative" was sound; I was not offended by what was written. It was a fun book to revisit and reread, for which I was grateful. I am glad I reread it.
October 29, 2024
I found this book in a landfill, and jokingly referred to it as 'my garbage book'; that joke came closer and closer to reality with each page flipped.
It starts interesting enough with some somewhat interesting world-building, but quickly fails to keep delivering as the story derails away from the Nephilim and false gods (who, somehow, have unexplained 'awesome' powers to affect the world in ways similar to Yahweh anyway, even though they're 'false'. This loophole is never addressed.). One can anticipate the preachy nature of this book - it's a Christian fiction novel, for Christ's sake - but c'mon.
In fact, with each loophole present in the plot, the author conveniently either fails to address this or does so in a way which would require the reader to be fully submerged in a religious fugue state. Every time Noah is forced to address someone's concerns involving the prophecy of the flood - most of which are well-founded and fairly concerning, IMO - he does so with perhaps the most surface-level, banal explanations you can imagine (Basically, just go ask your local preacher why your grandmother had to get cancer and you'll know what I mean when you hear that). When he does these lobotomized sermons which elaborate and explain on almost nothing, the antagonist is always made to clam up, despite there being very evident rebuttals. They just let this random dude pull up and talk mad sh*t, give the most detached-from-reality sermons you can think of, and just get away with it. Also, the whole conflict with his middle son Ham conveniently smoothing over just long enough for them to get through the flood was stupid. Overall, you know nobody is going to be on Noah's side (SPOILERS!!!), but they could have at least made 90% of the conflict in the book *believable*.
Also, Noah is such a little bitch. He *listens* to one dude get gay gang-raped (doesn't even see it), and suddenly he's on board with drowning the entire world. The book attempts to remedy the tried and true argument that invariably follows: how can one love God and thus be saved from His wrath if they've never heard of him? It does so in a repetitive manner which gets no more satisfying the tenth time they feed you some drivel about how God's love is in everyone so they should 'just know'. You're telling me that literally millions of people were supposed to 'just know', and not ONE did? Incredible.
You could go into how much God/Yahweh really loves us if he's willing to kill us all off like that, or how authentic his grief was when he said he'd never do it again. Like, my Christ in Christ, you KNEW this would happen. Performative much? You could debate how God works in mysterious ways until the cows come home, but it wouldn't change that this book belongs in the dump where I found it.
It starts interesting enough with some somewhat interesting world-building, but quickly fails to keep delivering as the story derails away from the Nephilim and false gods (who, somehow, have unexplained 'awesome' powers to affect the world in ways similar to Yahweh anyway, even though they're 'false'. This loophole is never addressed.). One can anticipate the preachy nature of this book - it's a Christian fiction novel, for Christ's sake - but c'mon.
In fact, with each loophole present in the plot, the author conveniently either fails to address this or does so in a way which would require the reader to be fully submerged in a religious fugue state. Every time Noah is forced to address someone's concerns involving the prophecy of the flood - most of which are well-founded and fairly concerning, IMO - he does so with perhaps the most surface-level, banal explanations you can imagine (Basically, just go ask your local preacher why your grandmother had to get cancer and you'll know what I mean when you hear that). When he does these lobotomized sermons which elaborate and explain on almost nothing, the antagonist is always made to clam up, despite there being very evident rebuttals. They just let this random dude pull up and talk mad sh*t, give the most detached-from-reality sermons you can think of, and just get away with it. Also, the whole conflict with his middle son Ham conveniently smoothing over just long enough for them to get through the flood was stupid. Overall, you know nobody is going to be on Noah's side (SPOILERS!!!), but they could have at least made 90% of the conflict in the book *believable*.
Also, Noah is such a little bitch. He *listens* to one dude get gay gang-raped (doesn't even see it), and suddenly he's on board with drowning the entire world. The book attempts to remedy the tried and true argument that invariably follows: how can one love God and thus be saved from His wrath if they've never heard of him? It does so in a repetitive manner which gets no more satisfying the tenth time they feed you some drivel about how God's love is in everyone so they should 'just know'. You're telling me that literally millions of people were supposed to 'just know', and not ONE did? Incredible.
You could go into how much God/Yahweh really loves us if he's willing to kill us all off like that, or how authentic his grief was when he said he'd never do it again. Like, my Christ in Christ, you KNEW this would happen. Performative much? You could debate how God works in mysterious ways until the cows come home, but it wouldn't change that this book belongs in the dump where I found it.
July 29, 2025
I’ll be honest, got really bored in the middle. The first part of the book was my fav part, but it’s because it truly did feel more like fantasy than just plain fiction.
Historical/Biblical Fiction. It’s not the first time I’ve read something with the framework of a biblical worldview. And although I appreciate it, defs not a genre I anticipate ever loving.
But my dad suggested / wanted me to read this book so I wanted to make sure I did that for him! 🥰
Spice: 0, insinuations between the fallen angels and humans.
Historical/Biblical Fiction. It’s not the first time I’ve read something with the framework of a biblical worldview. And although I appreciate it, defs not a genre I anticipate ever loving.
But my dad suggested / wanted me to read this book so I wanted to make sure I did that for him! 🥰
Spice: 0, insinuations between the fallen angels and humans.
September 22, 2022
Extraordinary story telling of the times of Noah. It enriched the Bible passages for me, understanding that it's one imaginary version of what those years leading up to the flood could have been like. I'm so glad I found this author!
November 7, 2020
Throughly enjoyable.
I have three more EGT books on my TBR. Looking forward to them all.
I have three more EGT books on my TBR. Looking forward to them all.
November 20, 2024
This work of historical fiction is truly unique. I love all the detail she put into the story and characters. I wish there were more books like this out there.
June 10, 2008
This book takes a different approach and look of the life of the prophet Noah. I have never considered what life was like before the flood, other than there was wickedness on the Earth. She has several theories that do not follow my own way of thinking. Her theories are interesting, but they leave me with a feeling of let down in this book. If you want to read this book as being almost completely fictional, then it is an interesting read.
August 10, 2016
Really well done.
May 10, 2015
I loved this story. You want to know how Ham, Shem and Cush found their wives in a time when men were doing only evil all the time? A very interesting, thought provoking read. Enjoy.
June 7, 2015
I think only about 1/2 the story was true. Being a bible reader, parts of the book I couldn't agree with or even imagine.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews