Noah's Ark and the Flood: The science behind the story

***Noah's Ark (Hebrew: תיבת נח‎; Biblical Hebrew: Teyvat Noaḥ)***

Where did all the water come from?

A critical observation is that the Bible says "all the springs of the great deep burst forth". Scientists believe this could have been caused by the shifting of the Earth's crust underneath the ocean, a shift that caused the ocean floors to rise and push all the water in the oceans up onto the surface of the land. We know that the surface of the Earth was quite different thousands of years ago and is constantly undergoing changes in shape and formation. Around the time of the flood, some mountains had not yet been formed while others existed that are no longer there. This tectonic shift could have caused mountains to form and the Earth to flatten out. Scientists calculate that the volume of the world's oceans and lakes is large enough that if the planet were perfectly flat, water could cover the surface of the Earth with a depth of two miles.

In addition, a major tectonic shift could have caused water from underground reservoirs to push up through the surface of the Earth. Scientists estimate that if all the water in underwater reservoirs were brought to the surface up the Earth, it would cover the entire planet to a depth of 100 feet.

Rain figured into the cumulative flood water too although the majority probably did not come from rain as there is not enough water vapor in the air to cover large mountains. Still, some scientists believe that pre-flood Earth could have had a different atmospheric composition though, a global blanket that could have contained more dense water vapor.

If the cause of all this water releasing and rain falling were due to major tectonic shifts, it is likely that volcanoes were erupting too which would have released lava and produced what is known as juvenile water. Juvenile water occurs in volcanoes and is in effect, the creation of new water. It is the result of hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonding together as a result of the dynamics of the eruption.

Other sources of water could have included comets, ice bodies in space, or even tides caused by planets or other large body object passing very close to the Earth. Scientist estimate that a large body passing close to the Earth could raise tides as much as 3,000 feet.

Are there other stories about the flood or deluge?

The exact date of the flood is not known but some biblical scholars believe that the flood probably took place around 1600-2400 BC with around 1600 years occurring between the creation and the flood. Various cultures throughout the world have traditions of a worldwide flood occurring in ancient times.  The most detailed accounts come from the area near Mt. Ararat region, the place where the ark came to rest. Other versions exist in India, Tahiti, Hawaii, China, Japan, Siberia, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Hopi Indians, Incas, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, South Africa, Greece, Ireland, Finland, and many more.  All of these societies have tales that tell of a flood that covered the Earth and virtually all life on Earth was destroyed.

Physical evidence that a worldwide flood occurred is overwhelming.  Fossil evidence indicating a catastrophic flood have been found on mountains throughout the world, including Mt. Ararat.  Some supply the redwood trees as evidence of a Earth shattering flood pointing out that no redwood tree has ever been found to die of old age.  The oldest redwoods in existence can be traced back to around 3,500 years ago – around the time of the biblical flood.

Where did all the races come from?

Races differ only slightly in genetic makeup. For instance, the difference in Caucasian eyes and Asian eyes is due to a slightly different fat content in the area around the eye, a genetic trait that is passed from Asian to Asian. Some scientists theorize that not enough time has passed for all races to develop such different traits.  Biblical scholars concur but point out the distinct possibility that Noah's family was "racially mixed", at least at the genetic level.

Biblical scholars note that through the confusion of tongues of Babel, the population of the Earth was scattered and subsequent environmental factors began to impact the traits of each race.  For instance, people located near the equator began developing darker skin while people located near the poles developed higher fat contents.  They also note that the human race has three distinct types of races, Caucasoid (Europeans), Mongoloid (Asian), and Negroid (African). It may be no coincidence that Noah had three sons at the time of the flood, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Have people looked for the ark?

Many people have attempted to locate the ark, even though where it exists or even if it could still exist today is questionable.

Mt. Ararat is located in eastern Turkey. Scientists and other explorers have attempted to search for the ark in and near Mr. Ararat but political resistance and the hostile environment have made searches difficult.  Natives of the area refuse to climb above 13,000 feet claiming that evil spirits guard the ark.  Area guides are nearly impossible to obtain.

There have been sightings of the ark reported. Most reports describe the ark as being located in a very remote area of Mt. Ararat, in a very rugged section of the mountain overlooking a massive canyon (one Mt. Ararat canyon, the Ahora Gorge, is twice as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon in the United States). The area the sightings refer to is basically unreachable by humans (they were made from the air) and the reports were typically made at times when the permafrost was thawed (the site lies above the frost line and hence, is frozen all year long).

Finding wood of any kind on Mt. Ararat is unusual as the mountain is almost completely devoid of trees.  Nobody is sure what the "gopher wood" referred to in the Bible really is.  Some believe it is cypress, pine, or some other similar tree.  Still, ancient wood scraps have been found on the mountain with no explanation as to how they got there.

Mt. Ararat is very difficult to explore.  It is 17,000 feet high with the top 4,000 feet covered with an ice cap that is 800 feet deep in some places.  It is also a very volatile mountain, an extinct volcano, and was probably being formed during the time of the flood.  It is possible that the ark, if it still exists in one piece, is covered by thousands of feet of volcanic debris.

»»『SNIFFED: Bible Blender』««
☞ Naija Sniffer©