Chapter Eleven - The Genesis Flood

 

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Organization of this chapter

The Book of Genesis describes how God destroyed the face of the earth through a year-long global flood, because of the great wickedness of the people. Noah and his family survived, along with representative animals, on a large boat (known as the Noah's ark). Some people regard this account as a myth, or as an exaggeration of an actual local flood event.

This chapter, divided into five major divisions, is a brief consideration of the latest scientific evidences and the biblical truth to support for the global flood and the feasibility of the Noah's ark:

  1. The Biblical setting for the global flood;

  2. The feasibility of the Noah's ark;

  3. The climatic change after the flood;

  4. The scientific evidences for a global flood; and

  5. The typology or spiritual meaning of the Noah's ark.

1.2 What is Genesis Flood?

Read Genesis 6-9; Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 17:26-27; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5.

The global flood of Noah's time, as described in the Bible (Genesis chapters 6-9), is a key tenet of Creationism. The rocks of the earth, as portrayed in the "geologic column", contain many fossils which document a large amount of animal death in the past. The global flood describes in the Bible provides a better scientific explanation of these fossils and the formation of other large-scale geologic features of the earth.

The flood not only destroyed the majority of all plant, animal, and human life, but transformed the earth from a more uniform tropical-like climate into one having the extremes of climate we have today (as the result of the water in the original "vapor canopy" above the earth being released at the start of the flood - Genesis 7:11). The flood waters eroded the surface layers of the earth down to the basement rocks and redeposited all of this material. Vast floating mats of vegetation were buried, forming the coal and oil reserves we now find. The continental plates of the earth were split apart at this time, separating an original supercontinent into the continents as we know them today. The collision of the plates caused mountain ranges to form.

All of this took place because "The God saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Genesis 6:5)

1.3 Why Not a Local Flood?

Some Christians feel compelled to believe that the Biblical flood was just a local event. This is typically because they believe that science has proven that evolution has occurred in the past (which it has not), but they still want to retain faith in the reliability of the Bible. However, this is not a realistic position to take. The described flood must have been a global flood covering the entire earth due to the following reasons:

  1. No need to save animals;

  2. Flood waters covered the tops of the mountains;

  3. Noah could have simply moved somewhere else;

  4. The Bible states that "Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died." (Genesis 7:22); and

  5. God promise that "Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth" (Genesis 9:11b). If this was a local flood, the promise has been broken many times!

 

2. THE BIBLICAL SETTING FOR THE GLOBAL FLOOD

"The God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become ... The God was grieved that he had made man on the earth ... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the God ... So make yourself an ark of cypress wood ... I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish ... You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you ... You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." (Genesis 6:5-6, 8, 14, 17, 19, 21)

2.1 The Global Flood as Described in Genesis chapters 6-9

Genesis chapters 6 through 9 describe the global flood and how a man named Noah was used by God to help preserve a portion of the creation to repopulate the world which was to be destroyed. Noah is to be credited for his obedience in following God's instructions. He probably preached to people for many years about God's coming judgment, but he made no converts!

Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. The flood has been dated to 4,950 years ago (Whitelaw, Time, Life, and History in the Light of 15,000 Radiocarbon Dates, 1970 or the paper The biblical record of Creation, Flood and history in light of 30,000 radiocarbon dates, Proceedings, 15th Anniversary Convention of Bible Science Association, pp. 197-202, 1979).

2.2 The Chronological Sequence of the Flood Events

Feb 10: Noah, his family, animals enter the ark

Feb 17: “All the springs of the great deep burst forth” and rain falls for 40 days and nights

Water floods the earth for 150 days

Jul 17: Ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat

Waters recede steadily

Oct 1: Tops of mountains become visible

Nov 9: Noah sends raven - returns; 7 more days dove brings olive leaf; 7 more days dove doesn’t return (Nov 23)

Jan 1: Water had dried up from the earth

Feb 27: The earth was completely dry and ark unloads

2.3 The Duration of the Flood

A careful study of the Biblical data reveals the fact that the Flood lasted for 371 days, or a little over a year (see the below chart). That the Flood continued for more than a year is entirely in keeping with the doctrine of its universality but cannot properly be reconciled with the local-Flood theory.

Description of Events

Days

There were 40 days during which the rain fell

40

Throughout another 110 days the waters continued to rise, making 150 days in all for their "prevailing" (7:24)

110

The waters occupied 74 days in their "going and decreasing." This was from the 17th day of the seventh month to the 1st day of the tenth month (8:5). There being 30 days to a month, the figures in days are 13 plus 30 plus 30 plus 1

74

40 days elapsed before Noah sent out the raven (8:6-7)

40

7 days elapsed before Noah sent out the dove for the first time (8:8). This period is necessary for reaching the total and is given by implication from the phrase "other 7 days" (8:10)

7

7 days more passed before sending out the dove for the second time (8:10)

7 days more passed before the third sending of the dove (8:12) 

Up to this point 285 days are accounted for, but the next episode is dated the 1st of the first month in the 601st year. From the date in 7:11 to this point in 8:13 is a period of 314 days; therefore an interval of 29 days elapses 

29 

From the removal of the covering of the ark to the very end of the experience was a further 57 days (8:14) 

57 

Total

371

2.4 It's Final Resting Place

2.4.1 Sightings of the Noah's ark in ancient records

The Bible says in Genesis 8:4 that the Ark came to rest on the mountains (plural) of Ararat. At the time Moses wrote Genesis Ararat was a mountainous region located in what is today Eastern Turkey. The Bible only gives a general location for the final resting place of Noah's Ark. Contrary to what many Christians believe, the Bible does not say the Ark landed on the Mt. Ararat of today. There is evidence from ancient history that the Ark landed on a mountain about 200 miles south of Mt. Ararat. Josephus seems to be referring to this mountain, and he claims it still existed in his day. An Arabic historian says the last remains of the Ark were hauled away about 1000 A.D.

2.4.2 Sightings of the Noah's ark in modern times

(Portions are excerpts from the book, The Lost Ship of Noah by Charles Berlitz, published by G. P. Putnam sons.)

Throughout antiquities and into modern times, individuals and groups of individuals have claimed to have sighted and or been up close and touched the Noah's ark. Yet substantiation of these claims in the form of hard evidence remains elusive, but the reports continue. Of the modern day sightings, a few stand out. One of the more intrigueing eyewitness accounts of an encounter with Noah's ark, comes from an Armenian by the name of George Hagopian.

2.4.2.1 Sighting by George Hagopian

He was eight years old, Hagopian said, and it was in the year 1908 when his uncle took him up Ararat, past Ahora Gorge, passing the grave of St. Jacob on the way. As the mountain grew more precipitous his uncle carried him on his shoulders until they came to something that looked like a great ship located on a rock ledge over a cliff and partially covered by snow. It had flat openings like windows along the top and a hole in the roof. Hagopian had first thought it was a house made of stone but when his uncle showed him the outline of planks and told him it was made of wood he realized it was the Ark, just like other people had described it to him. Hagopian died in 1972. Although his testimony was successfully approved by voice-stress analysis, it have been discredited because of lack of corroboratory evidence from others. But there exists another piece of corroboration connected with Lieutenant (now Captain) Schwinghammer's sighting of a boatlike object on Mount Ararat as observed from an aircraft belonging to the 42Sth Tactical Observation Squadron.

2.4.2.2 Sighting by Schwinghammer

In 1983 Schwinghammer had asked an artist friend to draw, under his direction, a sketch of what he had seen before it became too blurred in his memory. Elfred Lee, on his part, while interrogating Hagopian, had drawn a detailed sketch of the reported ship on the mountain, which was done in Hagopian's presence and under his direction. Neither Schwinghammer nor Hagopian knew of the other's existence nor of any sketch made of Hagopian's "Ark." Captain Schwinghammer had been asked by the author to send a copy of his sketch and, after doing so, Schwinghammer received in the mail almost at the same time and without having requested it the picture of the Lee-Hagopian version. To Schwinghammer's astonishment the two sketches were essentially the same: the Ark was in the same position on the mountain and both pictures showed a rectangular boat or barge on a ledge.

2.4.2.3 Sighting by George Hagopian

A number of American pilots saw a shiplike construction protruding from the side of Mount Ararat in the late spring or summer of 1960. These pilots were based at Adana, Turkey, with the 428th Tactical Flight Squadron under the NATO Military Assistance Pact in effect at that time. The pilots had been told about the Ark by the Turkish liaison pilot assigned to them and on several occasions had been guided past Mount Ararat on routine observation flights.

 

3. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE NOAH'S ARK

3.1 Ark Specifications

God gave Noah specifications for how the ark was to be built. We do not need to assume Noah knew anything about ship-building. The instructions for design are given in Genesis 6:14-16:

  1. Made out of “gopher” wood (teak or other hardened wood)

  2. Sealed with “pitch” inside and out

  3. 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet high

  4. Ark “window” was continuous slot under the roof eaves, 18 inches high

  5. A door in the side

  6. Three decks

Though the Bible does not say, it seems reasonable that Noah employed a large group of workman to build the Ark. If Noah started building the Ark soon after God spoke to him, then the process of building the Ark may have taken close to 120 years.

3.1.1 The shape

The Biblical word for Ark is "tebah". It is used 28 times in the Old Testament and is only used of Noah's Ark and for the container in which Moses was hidden among the bulrushes. Because of a similar Egyptian word meaning "box", and the ultimate purpose of the Ark, we believe the Ark was not like a streamlined vessel designed to easily glide through the water. More likely it was shaped like a rectangular barge which floated rather low in the water. The ark was not really a "boat". It didn't need a power source to move it along (like sails), nor a rudder to steer it, nor did it need to move through the water efficiently. It only needed to be sea-worthy for one year. The bottom of the ark may have been made out of large logs to give it extra stability. It did not have any particular place to go! From the story in the Bible, it also would appear that Noah had no control over the vessel. He, and it contents were at the total mercy of God.

3.1.2 Construction material

The Bible says the Ark was to be built of "gopher wood". "Gopher" is the actual Hebrew word. In early english translations the meaning of the word was unknown so it was left untranslated. The NIV translates it "cypress wood", however, this is only a guess. It was undoubtedly translated this way due to the fact that cypress wood is highly resistent to rot. What this material was is still a mystery. It could have been a pre-flood wood with which we are not familiar.

The phrase in the NIV (6:14) "make rooms" is also problematic in that the word is obscure. The Hebrew is "qnm". Since Hebrew did not have any vowels when it was written, scholars speculate that the word could be either "qinnim" or "qanim". The former would mean either "rooms" or "nest", and the later, "reeds". Most english translations translate as in the former. However, some of the better and more recent commentaries, believe it should be translated "reeds" since the context is building materials. If in reality it is "reeds", then somehow reeds were part of the construction material. Large boats are still made from reeds and are very seaworthy. The Egyptians still use reeds for caulking their wooden ships.

3.1.3 Waterproofing material

The Ark was to be coated inside and out with pitch. Again the Hebrew word for "pitch" is obscure. The "pitch" with which the ark was sealed may or may not have been petroleum-based. It is believed that some oil may have existed before the flood, produced from non-biological sources. Most oil is believed to have formed from plant material uprooted and buried by the flood. It was more likely some resinous material used not only to waterproof the vessel but also to prevent decay. If Noah was 480 years old when God told him to build an Ark and 600 when the Flood came, it is reasonable to assume that the construction of the Ark took place during this 120 year period (See Genesis 6:3 along with 1 Peter 3:20). The need for this preservative was essential. It is also possible that things did not decay as rapidly in the pre-flood atmosphere.

3.1.4 The dimensions of the ark

It is given in cubits as being 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. A cubit in the Old Testament was generally about 17.5 inches. However, an Egyptian royal cubit measured about 20.5 inches. Since Moses was educated in Egypt we must allow for the possibility that the longer measurement was meant here. The Ark, therefore, could have measured from 437 feet to 512 feet in length! It was not until the late 19th century that a ship anywhere near this size was built.

3.1.4.1 Its Ratio

The Ark had a ratio (length x width x height) of 30 x 5 x 3. According to modern ship-builders, this ratio (i.e. the ratio of length to breath is 6:1) represents an advanced knowledge of ship-building since it is the optimum design for stability in rough seas (Filby, Frederick A., The Flood Reconsidered, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971). The Ark, as designed by God, was virtually impossible to capsize! It would have to have been tilted over 90 degrees in order to capsize.

3.1.4.2 Its Volume

With the shorter cubit the Ark would have an internal volume of 1,518,750 cubic feet, or the equivalent of 569 standard railroad boxcars. If the average sized animal was the size of a sheep it means the Ark could hold over 125,000 sheep. (Assuming the shape of the Ark to be rectangular there would have been over 100,000 sq. ft of floor space!)

3.1.5 Ark window

The ark "window" was actually a long "slot" under the roof eaves. It was a particularly important feature, as it provided needed ventilation and illumination. The exact type of wood used is not known. It may have been teak, cypress, or some other hard or hardened wood.

3.1.6 A door in the side

The Ark had 3 storeys with only one door. The phrase in Genesis 6:16, "Make a roof for it and finish the Ark to within 18 inches of the top." is problematic in that the words used are obscure. Most commentators believe it means leave an 18 inch space at the top that is open all around the vessel. This then would be for ventilation, and when water entered it would drain out somewhere below, similar to the vents in cars.

3.2 Gathering of Animals

How were the animals for the ark gathered? It is clear from the scriptures referenced on the slide that both Noah (Genesis 6:19; 7:2) and God (Genesis 6:20; 7:9, 15) were involved.

God made the final decision about which pair of individuals of each type boarded the ark. One reason for this is that only God could know the genetic potential of each candidate, and it would be important that the individuals having the greatest genetic potential serve as the "founding pair" in repopulating the world. Some of the animals were probably chosen by God directly from the wild.

However, Noah may have kept a menagerie (a collection, like a zoo) of animals in preparation for the ark. It is important to remember that Noah had a long time to prepare (up to 120 years). He may have even paid people to help gather the animals. With such a menagerie Noah could be sure he had individuals that adapted well to captivity, and that exhibited gentle, "non-nervous” behavior. In addition, he could have performed breeding experiments to help determine which individuals would be best suited as parents for repopulating the world.

3.3 Factors Lessening Difficulties of Gathering Animals

There are other factors that make the gathering of the animals less of a problem than is commonly supposed. They are:

  1. Antediluvian world was much different possibly just one continent (Pangea);

  2. Warm climate throughout due to “vapor canopy” therefore animals were more evenly distributed;

  3. Animals did not fear humans (Genesis 9:2);

  4. Animals were originally vegetarians (Genesis 1:30);

  5. Migration instinct may have been introduced at this time (Genesis 6:20); and

  6. Hibernation instinct may have been introduced at this time.

The world before the flood may have consisted of just a single continent, eliminating the need for animals to cross oceans. The postulated water vapor canopy covering the earth at that time caused the whole earth to have a warm, tropical-like climate. In such a setting the different types of animals would have been more evenly distributed over the land, with each type capable of living almost anywhere. These two factors (single continent plus one climate) meant that all of the animals for the ark may have lived fairly close by.

Also, animals did not originally fear humans and only ate plants. This would have made them much easier to deal with. Both the fear of man and the allowance for animals to eat meat were introduced by God after the flood (Genesis 9:2-3). Some animals may have already started to eat meat prior to the flood, as the scriptures seem to indicate that the animals had also become violent (Genesis 6:11) and that God was "grieved that I have made them [men and animals]" (Genesis 6:7).

Genesis 6:20 states the God brought the animals to the ark. The migration instinct found in some animals may have been introduced as this time. Likewise, the animals would have been easier to deal with in the ark if many of them were in a state of hibernation. Both migration and hibernation are traits used to escape difficult living conditions, which did not exist before the flood.

3.4 The Passengers on the Ark

The ark contained both human and animal passengers.

3.4.1 The human passengers

2 Peter 2:5 says 8 souls were saved. This means the people on the ark were Noah, his three sons (Ham, Shem, and Japeth), and their four wives (we don't know their names).

3.4.2 The animal passengers

In Genesis 6:19, Noah is instructed to bring mated pairs of every kind of bird, every kind of animal, and every kind of creature that moves along the ground. In Genesis 7:2, he is more specifically instructed to bring seven mated pairs of clean animals and seven pairs of all birds. Only air-breathing animals needed to be included on the Ark. There was no need for Noah to make any provision for sea animals. The animal passengers on the ark included:

  1. Land mammals;

  2. Land reptiles;

  3. Terrestrial birds;

  4. Amphibians;

  5. Dinosaurs; and

  6. Some animals now extinct.

3.5 The Capacity of the Ark

Who exactly was on the ark? The large number of species of animals in existence today is often used to illustrate the supposed impossibility of the ark. According to the latest research carried out by John Woodmorappe, he reported that it was possible to contain all the required kinds of animals on the Noah's ark (John Woodmorappe, Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study, Institute for Creation Research, 1996). The reasons are summarized as follows:

  1. Large-sized animals were juveniles.

  2. Median size = a small rat.

  3. Only 11% larger than a sheep.

  4. Representative animals from each genus, not species.

  5. No need to make any provision for sea animals.

  6. Up to maximum no. of 75,000 animals (or maybe as few as 8,000 if kinds only).

3.5.1 Large-sized animals were juveniles

Dinosaurs would have been part of the cargo, but as with all animals that grow to be large, juvenile representatives would have been taken. In fact, the median-sized animal (half were smaller than this and half larger) was about as big as a small rat, with only 11% being larger than a sheep. Adult animals were not only unnecessary, but are typically less flexible in adapting to new situations.

3.5.2 Representative animals from each genus

It would have been sufficient to bring just representative animals from each "genus" in the taxonomic rank, not every species. All of the species for a given genus have the same amount of genetic complexity (just expressed physically in different ways, such as differing coloration or size), and both creationists and evolutionists agree that the variations identified as species can all be derived from a suitable common ancestor.

3.5.3 No need to make any provision for sea animals

It was only necessary to bring aboard those animals that lived on land (land mammals, land birds, land reptiles, amphibians). Ernst Mayr, probably the leading American systematic taxonomist, lists the following numbers for animal species according to the best estimates of modern taxonomy (Ernst Mayr, cited in Dobzhansky, op. cit., p.7).

Animals

Species

Mammals

3,500

Birds

8,600

Reptiles & Amphibians

5,500

Fishes

18,000

Tunicates

1,700

Echinoderms

4,700

Arthropods

815,000

Mollusks

88,000

Worms

25,000

Coelenterates

10,000

Sponges

5,000

Protozoans

15,000

Total Animals

1,000,000

There was no need for Noah to make any provision for:

  1. Fishes (18,000 species);

  2. Tunicates (marine chordates like sea squirts - 1,700);

  3. Echinoderms (marine creatures like starfishes - 4,700);

  4. Mollusks (mussels, oysters, - 88,000);

  5. Coelenterates (corals, jelly fishes - 10,000);

  6. Sponges (5,000); and

  7. Protozoans (single-celled creatures, mostly marine - 15,000).

This eliminates 142,000 species of marine creatures. In addition, some mammals are aquatic (whales, seals); the amphibians need not all have been included; a large number of the arthropods (815,000), such as lobsters, shrimps and barnacles, are marine creatures, and the insect species among arthropoda are usually very small; and many of the 25,000 species of worms, as well as many of the insects, could have survived outside of the Ark.

3.5.4 Maximum no. of 75,000 animals (or maybe as few as 8,000 if kinds only)

As shown in the above table, Ernst Mayr estimates that there are less than 17,600 (say approx. 18,000) species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians living in the world today. We might double this to allow for extinct species. This would gives us 36,000 species times 2, or 72,000 animals. Adding for the clean animals, we might say there were as many as 75,000 animals. As we have mentioned in previous section 3.1.4.2, we said there was room enough in the Ark for 125,000 sheep, but most animals are smaller than a common house cat. There appears to be plenty of space for the preservation of the animal life. However, some taxonomists believe there may have been far fewer animals if Noah only took on board pairs of "kinds" (i.e. maybe as few as 8,000 animals) as the word is used in Genesis 1. God created these "kinds" with potential for rich genetic diversity. For instance, at the time of Christ there existed only two types of dogs. All the diversity we see in the modern breeds of dogs came from these two!

3.6 Caring for the Animals in the Ark

Noah was instructed to include food for the animals (Genesis 6:21). The ark was that of intensive livestock confinement, where animals are raised in the minimum possible space with the maximum amount of labor saving devices employed. The ark was not intended to be an enjoyable experience for the animals (or the people!). It was, rather, a temporary captivity in which the only thing to be achieved was simply survival in reasonable health. There are many things that are doable for one year with survival as the only goal, that could not be sustained for a long period of time. The three main ingredients for survival are:

  1. A place to stay;

  2. Sufficient food; and

  3. Sufficient water.

3.6.1 Space

Woodmorappe has calculated how much of the ark was needed to support each of these. A little less than one-half of the floor space (i.e. 47%) was needed to house the animals.

3.6.2 Food

Food in the form of hay, dried fruit, dried meat, and dried fish occupied up to 12% of the ark volume. Most of the food was hay, compressed or possibly pelletized to take up less space.

3.6.3 Water

Drinking water took up about 10% of the ark volume. This could have been less if rain water was also collected from the roof. Of course, all of the available floor space and most of the interior volume would have been used for some purpose (there may have been an animal exercise ring). The main point of the calculations is to show that the minimum amount of space needed was readily available. We still have 31% of total floor space available for other usage!

3.7 Waste Management

How to deal with the problem of animal waste? Woodmorappe estimated that 12 tons of wet excreta would have been produced daily (12 cubic meters) - comparable to intensive poultry house. Such problem may be handled by the following methods:

  1. Labor-saving features;

  2. Use of biological pest control (ducks, cats, mongooses);

  3. Vermicomposting (use of earthworms to biodegrade manure); and

  4. Hibernation.

3.7.1 Labor-saving features

It would not be possible to clean each cage individually, nor would it be necessary if enclosures were employed. We must remember that Noah and his sons were smart people, and that they had a long time to prepare for the voyage. Extensive planning took place. Part of this planning was to design suitable enclosures for different types of animals, and to design them with the following labor-saving features:

  1. Sloped, non-bedded floors;

  2. Slatted floors with manure pits;

  3. Manure gutters (animals can’t turn around);

  4. Thick sanitary bedding with no excreta removal; and

  5. Animal enclosures designed to minimize cleaning.

3.7.2 Use of biological pest control

Pests such as insects and rats could have been controlled through the use of ducks, cats and other animals that effectively control pest populations. Even though Noah is told to take two of every type of animal, this should be regarded as a minimum, and does not prevent him from taking, say, dozens of ducks and cats on board.

3.7.3 Vermicomposting

Earthworms provide another solution for getting rid of waste materials (they are natural biologic agents for the immediate biodegradation of manure).

3.7.4 Hibernation

God continued to keep special watch over the occupants of the ark during the Flood (Genesis 8:1). It is reasonable to assume that the animals' metabolism may have been slowed down during their confinement, even to the point where some of the animals may have gone into a state of hibernation by the supernatural power of the God.

Hibernation is usually associated with "winter sleep," estivation with escape from summer heat and drought, food shortage and carbon dioxide in the environment. It appears that the animal world has two powerful means for coping with unfavorable environmental conditions, hibernation and migration. It is likely that all animals possess these powers in latent form, some of them still in active form. We suggest that these remarkable abilities of animals were unusually intensified during the Deluge period. In fact, in may well have seen at this time that these powers were first imparted to the animals by God. It seems rather likely that climatic conditions before the Flood were so equable that these particular abilities were not needed then. Perhaps it is significant that, after the Flood, God's pronouncement that "cold and heat, and summer and winter" (Genesis 8:22) would henceforth come in regular cycles is immediately followed by statements concerning the animals that seem to imply changes in animal natures and relationships to mankind (Genesis 9:2-5).

3.8 Ark Inventory by Mass

Category

Tons

Empty Ark

4,000

Biomass at start

111

Biomass at end

411

Food at start

2,500

Water at start

4,070

Total needed

11,000

Cargo capacity

17,000

Spare mass

6,000

Woodmorappe estimates the ark contents by weight to show that the carrying capacity of the ark was more than enough for its cargo. The dimensions of the ark and a draft of 15 cubits (Genesis 7:20) give it a cargo mass of 17,000 tons.

Biomass refers to the weight of the animals (and people). This increased significantly during the year as the animals grew bigger. Some reproduction would also have taken place. The increase in biomass would have been more than offset by the consumption of the food and water supplies initially on the ark.

3.9 Noah's Ark is Feasible

According to the above reasons and calculations, it is feasible that a boat to carry about 75,000 animals of all genera could have been built, having adequate room for food and water, with the animals cared for by 8 people. God was involved to keep special watch over the occupants of the ark during the Flood (Genesis 8:1), but continuous miracles were not necessary.

 

4. THE CLIMATIC CHANGE AFTER THE FLOOD

4.1 After the Flood

The condition of the earth following the flood was much different from what it was prior to the flood. Some scientists believe that the cataclysmic events occurring at the time of the flood included the breakup of the single landmass of antediluvian times into the continents as we now know them. This theory is known as "catastrophic plate tectonics", and is basically a speeded up version of standard plate tectonics theory. The flood events would seem to provide a suitable, large-scale cause for the breakup. One of the main arguments for plate tectonics is that the existing continents seem to fit well when placed together. The collision of the plates would lead to the formation of mountain ranges, probably much higher than those existing before the flood.

The removal of the protective vapor canopy above the earth would lead to the start of the hydrologic water cycle, the introduction of seasons, and climate differences between the equator and polar regions. The warmed ocean (friction from the plate movements) in conjunction with more barren land areas would lead to an ice age occurring. One result of all these changes is that some types of animals (including the dinosaurs and many others) would not have the genetic potential to adjust and became extinct.

Even the nature of the animals was now deemed to be different by God, as they were now ordained to have a fear of man and to eat meat (Genesis 9:2-3).

4.2 Recovery After the Flood

Both plant and animal life needed to recover after the flood. Much of this life was not on the ark, so how was it able to survive? Most of the fish died in the flood, but some fresh, brackish, and salt water individuals would survive in various pockets/gradients of water having appropriate salinity. It is a mistake to think that the flood waters would be fully mixed to a homogenous salinity state. It is also true that most fish can withstand some change in the salinity level of their water.

The waters of the flood were covered with large floating mats of vegetation stripped from the land surfaces. Some plants would continue to grow on these thick mats. Some birds, and maybe some insects, amphibians and other small creatures may also have survived on these mats. Some of the mats would wash up onto the new shorelines to reseed the land, but most were buried to form the large coal and oil deposits we now find. The buried seeds of many plants would also become exposed during the erosion events at the end of the flood period (the erosion at the end of the flood was significant, and caused large geologic structures such as the Grand Canyon to form).

What did the animals from the ark eat after they left the ark? It is interesting to note that God kept them on board for three months following the first appearance of dry land. This would give time for some plants to grow. Other food sources would have included seaweed, fungi, carrion (the meat of dead animals exposed by erosion), fish, insects, earthworms, and rodents.

4.3 Repopulation After the Flood

The animals on the ark would repopulate the world by migrating away from the ark landing site. The mountainous area around the ark would be ideal to encourage successful repopulation, as a mountainous area contains varying ecological zones and would tend to fragment the growing population into sub-populations (different "herds") giving the animal type multiple chances to avoid extinction. Inbreeding within these sub-populations would also cause differing traits to become dominant within each sub-population, leading to the formation of what we now call different "species" ("rapid speciation"). It is important to remember that speciation (the formation of a new species) is NOT evolution, as no new complexity is being introduced, only the rearranging of existing genetic information.

We must also remember that it was God who made the final selection of the animals for the ark. This was necessary as only God could know the genetic makeup of the individual animals, and it was important to choose animals having the widest range of genetic potential. But even if this were not the case, it is true that most of the potential variation of any type of animals will be found in every male/female pair. There are modern day examples of a pair or small number of individuals successfully starting a repopulation effort that eventually leads to a diversified population exhibiting much variation (such as the rock pigeon introduced into the USA from England).

 

5. SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES FOR A GLOBAL FLOOD

5.1 Physical Evidences for Noah's Flood

Is there evidence that there was once a flood which covered the entire earth? If this were the case you would think the result would be obvious, and modern scientists say it is!

Global flood evidences include:

  1. The earth's features such as: mountains, canyons, regional stratigraphy, and soft bending of rock strata, require some type of catastrophic explanation.

  2. Sedimentary rock formations (formed through water deposition) cover substantial portions of North America and other continents.

  3. There is no evidence that coal, oil, or ore deposits are being formed today, yet massive deposits are found in the earth.

  4. Likewise, the earth contains many great fossil beds, none of which appear to be forming today either. Fossils require rapid burial to be preserved.

  5. Ocean fossils are found at high altitudes on all five continents.

  6. Exceptions in the geologic column indicate that it was not formed in a gradual manner, such as the appearance of single trees that extend vertically through multiple "ages".

5.2 Other Flood Evidences

There are other, non-geological, evidences that point to a start (or rebirth) of the earth approximately 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, as would be the case if a global flood has occurred. They are:

  1. The origin of civilization is generally agreed to be in the Middle East, which is where Noah's ark landed.

  2. The Middle East just "happens" to be a good, centrally located place from which to repopulate the world.

  3. The oldest written materials date back five to 6,000 years.

  4. The first signs of civilization, things like pottery, agriculture, the domestication of animals, metallurgy, and the first cities are dated by secular scientists to approximately 10,000 years ago at the earliest.

  5. The oldest known living things, the Bristlecone pine trees in California, date to about 5,000 years ago.

  6. Study of the build up of human population makes it clear that humans have only existed for a few thousand years (not millions), even when the maximum likely effects of war, disease, disaster, and other population-reducing factors are considered.

  7. An analysis (Whitelaw, 1979) of 30,000 radiocarbon dating results shows an unmistakable spike in the death of living things about 5,000 years ago.

5.3 Results of Radiocarbon (Carbon-14) Dating Age Distribution Analysis

Whitelaw divided some once-living matter into four classes:

  1. Death of men and animals in Afro-Eurasia;

  2. Death of men and animals in the Western Hemisphere;

  3. Death of trees; and

  4. Death of marine life.

The results of radiocarbon (Carbon-14) dating age distribution analysis (of 30,000 different samples) show that a "spike of death" was happened about 5,000 years ago, followed by a much smaller amount of death followed by gradual recovery reaching a steady state. All the four classes show similar results. This is consistent with the results that a global flood would produce.

Some conclusions drawn from this study are:

  1. Radiocarbon clearly points to a worldwide catastrophe destructive of man, beast, tree, and marine life.

  2. Radiocarbon indicates a large and widespread human population in the world just before this catastrophe.

  3. Radiocarbon indicates the widespread existence of now-extinct flora and fauna in the world before this catastrophe.

  4. Radiocarbon indicates that the "re-origin" of both animals and man after this catastrophe was in the vicinity of the Near East and noticeably later in the Western Hemisphere.

  5. Radiocarbon supports the biblical chronology of ancient empires and of Israel.

 

6. THE TYPOLOGY OR SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE ARK

The story of Noah and his family being spared from a world-wide deluge (a judgement by God) is one of the most important in the Old Testament. Much is learned about the nature of God from this story, including:

  1. It shows He is a holy God and cannot tolerate sin.

  2. It shows He is a just God and that sin will not go unpunished.

  3. It shows He is a God of mercy in that He spares some.

  4. It shows God's power in that the Flood unleased great power.

The Ark of Noah is a rich picture of the salvation provided by Christ who today is our Ark of safety. Some of the points of comparison are:

  1. God took the initiative in sparing Noah and his family. God demonstrates His own love for us (Romans 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

  2. There was a divine and human side to the Ark as Christ is both human and divine (Matthew 1:23).

  3. There was only one door to enter into the Ark as there is only one way to God and that is through Christ Jesus (John 10:7; Acts 4:12).

  4. There was great security for the passengers of the Ark. Likewise, if we are in Christ we are secure (Romans 8:31).

 

7. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY

  1. Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study, Institute for Creation Research, 1996, by John Woodmorappe.

  2. Time, Life, and History in the Light of 15,000 Radiocarbon Dates, 1970, by Whitelaw.

  3. The Biblical Record of Creation, Flood and History in Light of 30,000 Radiocarbon Dates, Proceedings, 15th Anniversary Convention of Bible Science Association, 1979, pp. 197-202, by Whitelaw.

  4. The Lost Ship of Noah, G. P. Putnam Sons, by Charles Berlitz.

  5. The Genesis Flood, The Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 39th Printing, 1995, by Whitcomb C. John, and Morris M. Henry, PhD.

  6. The World That Perished, Grand Rapids, Baker House, Revised Edition, 1988, by Whitcomb C. John.

  7. The Genesis Record, A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings, Grand Rapids, Baker House, 26th Printing, 1994, by Morris M. Henry, PhD.

 

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