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According to the account in Genesis, he lived five hundred years, and then he and his wife had three sons, first Ham, then Sem or Shem, and Japheth (Gen. 5:32) (see Sons of Noah for further discussion). Noah's wife is not named in the Bible; according to later Jewish traditions as expressed in the Book of Enoch her name is Naamah.

According to the Bible, Noah was a "just man and perfect in his generation", and "walked with God" (comp. Ezekiel 14:14,20). The descendants of Cain and of Seth began to intermarry, and then there sprang up a race distinguished for their ungodliness. Men became more and more corrupt, and God determined to sweep the Earth of its wicked population (Gen. 6:7). But with Noah God entered into a covenant, with a promise of deliverance from the threatened deluge (18). He was accordingly commanded to build an ark (6:14-16) to save himself and his family. An interval of one hundred and twenty years elapsed while the ark was being built (6:3), during which Noah tried to convince the people to repent so they could avoid the wrath of God. (Christian interpretations, as seen from Rome in the 2nd century1st century 2nd century 3rd century other centuries) Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors' ( 96 180) Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. Significant persons Cai Lun, Chinese inventor Galen, medical writer Saint Irena, are preserved in the First Epistle of PeterIn Christianity, the First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. Doubt has been cast of the Second Epistle of Peter since early times, but this First Epistle was accepted with less difficulty into the Biblical canon. The author identifies himse 3:18-20 and the Second Epistle of PeterThe Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible. The opening verse identifies itself as having been written by Simeon Peter, who has been identified with Saint Peter, although nowhere else in the New Testament is he referred to as 2:5).

When the ark of "gopher-wood" (a wood mentioned only here) was at length completed according to the command of the Lord, the living creatures that were to be preserved entered into it; and then Noah and his wife and sons and daughters-in-law entered it, and the "Lord shut him in" (Gen.7:16). The judgment of God then fell on the guilty world, "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (2 Pet. 3:6). The ark floated on the waters for one hundred and fifty days, and then rested on the mountains of AraratArarat could be Mount Ararat Ararat province in Armenia Ararat, Australia Ararat (movie), a movie by Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan about an Armenian-Canadian filmmaker making a movie about the Armenian holocaust. (Gen. 8:3,4); but not for a considerable time after this was he given divine permission to leave the ark, so that he and his family were in the ark for a whole yearA year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, "Martian year". Seasonal year A seasonal year is the time between successive recurrences (Gen. 6-14).

On leaving the ark Noah's first act was to erect an altarAn altar ( Hebrew mizbe'ah from a word meaning "to slay") is any structure on which sacrifices known as the korbanot or incense offerings are offered for religious purposes. Altars in the Hebrew Bible Altars in the Hebrew Bible were typically made of eart, the first of which there is any mention, and offer the sacrifices of adoring thanks and praise to God, who entered into a covenantCovenant in its most general sense, is a word for a solemn contract or similar undertaking. Under the common law a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a seal. Because the presence of a seal indicated an unusual solemnit with him, the first covenant between God and man, granting him possession of the earthEarth also known as the Earth or Terra is the planet on which we live, the third planet outward from the Sun. It is the largest of the solar system's terrestrial planets, and the only planetary body that modern science confirms as harbouring life. The pla by a new and special charter, which remains in force to the present time (Gen. 8:21-9:17). As a sign and witness of this covenant, the rainbow was adopted and set apart by God, as a sure pledge that never again would the earth be destroyed by a flood. See also Noahide Laws.

The Jewish tradition, however, gives Noah less credit as to his righteousness. Noah's being "perfect in his generation" implied to some Jewish scholars that his perfection was only relative. Moreover, his late entry into the ark (Gen. 7, 12-16) can be seen as an act of one who is of little faith. Later commentaries find two degrees of righteousness, which they demonstrate as a metaphor for a man who is cold: the fully righteous person would set up a fire - that is, help the others. A person who is not absolutely righteous would only get himself a coat - and be warm while others are cold, just like Noah was safe while all other men besides his family died.