What Came First? Rainbow or Flood?

[PsychoticEpisode]

I could never make heads or tails of this. Genesis reports that God uses the rainbow as a promise to never flood. He places one up there in the clouds occasionally. Granted, the rainbow is a naturally occuring phenomena but did it only start after the flood? Or was the rainbow well known previous and God just decided to use it as a symbol of His promise to never flood us again? Nothing like a sure thing. Before making use of the rainbow post-flood what did the ancients think of the rainbow? Was the rainbow promise borrowed from another culture? Please, I'm curious.:shrug:

The implication of God's promise indicates that no matter how or when the rainbow got here that God has the power to take it away. Can God actually make rainbows disappear forever without eliminating light or water?

 

[Medicine*Woman]

I could never make heads or tails of this. Genesis reports that God uses the rainbow as a promise to never flood. He places one up there in the clouds occasionally. Granted, the rainbow is a naturally occuring phenomena but did it only start after the flood? Or was the rainbow well known previous and God just decided to use it as a symbol of His promise to never flood us again? Nothing like a sure thing. Before making use of the rainbow post-flood what did the ancients think of the rainbow? Was the rainbow promise borrowed from another culture? Please, I'm curious.:shrug:

The implication of God's promise indicates that no matter how or when the rainbow got here that God has the power to take it away. Can God actually make rainbows disappear forever without eliminating light or water?

*************
M*W: Since the rainbow is a "naturally occuring phenomena," no deity is involved in its appearance or disappearance.

I really don't know the history or myth of the rainbow in other cultures, but I feel sure that when ancient humans saw it, they feared and awed it. Therefore, the myth surrounding it was created by humans.

 

[Prince_James]

Medicine*Woman:

I don't think rainbows have ever inspired fear. I imagine they found it beautiful, like we do.

Comets inspire (and still inspire) fear.