Abstract
This paper attempts to place Noah in real time and space. First, it is deduced from both biblical and archaeological evidence that Noah probably lived in Mesopotamia around 2900 B.C., in what archaeologists refer to as the Jemdet Nasr Period. Next, Noah's "world" is examined with respect to the geography, climate, irrigation, natural resources, agriculture, animal husbandry, cities, architecture, religion, pottery, textiles, luxuries, language, numbers, and writing of that time. The biblical Noah is then discussed in the context of the time and place in which he lived--how he was righteous in God's sight, why he built the ark, and how he could have obtained the materials (wood and pitch) for building the ark. It is argued that recent attempts to place Noah in the Mediterranean area much earlier in time make Noah a mythological, rather than a historical, person.