especially in Genesis 8:20–22, which many think had its origin quite early in the development of the Torah. The covenant of Noah is between the Creator and his creatures. Life itself is dependent on God maintaining the world that he created. By this covenant God promised that he would never again loose the floods to destroy all living creatures. The rainbow was to be the sign of God’s protective care. This covenant lacks any instructions about the way God’s creatures should behave. But the idea contained