Nakedness of Noah

Last night in my uni class, we took a look at how Americans justified slavery, and apparently there is a part of the bible that they used (see below). But what I found particularily interesting is that there was actually a scene at the sistine chapel that depicted the nakedness of Noah. I remember being very interested in the scene at the Vatican (as I always am when nakedness is involved) , but of course I didn't understand it at the time.

The most amusing part of the whole thing is that apparently during Noah's day, it was really, really bad to see your dad naked. Some things just never change . . . I still think it would be really, really bad (and mental torture) to see your father in his birthday suit.

Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers." He also said, "Blessed by the LORD my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave. God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave." Genesis 9