When the Great Abyss Opened: Classic and Contemporary Readings of Noah's FloodThe story of Noah's flood is one of the best loved and most often retold biblical tales, the inspiration for numerous children's books and toys, novels, and even films. Whether as allusion, archetype, or literal presence the American landscape is peppered with recreations of the ark the story of Noah's animals and the ark resonates throughout American culture and the world. While most think of Noah's ark as a dramatic myth, others are consumed by the