Noah’s story begins amid human violence and divine judgment. God instructed him to build a vessel that would preserve his family and living creatures. Noah obeyed, and the waters covered the land for a long period. When the ark came to rest, he sent out birds while waiting for dry ground and built an altar when he finally emerged.
God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature never again to destroy the earth by such a flood, giving the rainbow as its sign. Genesis 8:4 speaks in the plural of the mountains of Ararat, not a single summit. The ancient name Ararat is connected with the region of Urartu. The link with modern Mount Ararat is a powerful tradition, but should not be presented as an exact identification made by the biblical text.