A CLOSER LOOK AT NOAH’S FLOOD Reconciling Science and the Bible

NOAH’S FLOOD A BIBLE STORY WIDELY DISMISSED BY MAN AS A FABLE BUT ERIELY SIMILAR TO FLOOD STORIES FROM ALL ANCIENT CULTURES.

BASIS OF STUDY 1)For the Bible to be accepted as a true historical record, it must align with scientific evidence of the past!

BASIS OF STUDY 1)For the Bible to be accepted as a true historical record, it must align with scientific evidence of the past! 2)If there appears to be a discrepancy between science and the Bible, we apparently have misinterpreted scripture or misunderstood the facts.

BASIS OF STUDY 1)For the Bible to be accepted as a true historical record, it must align with scientific evidence of the past! 2)If there seems to be a discrepancy between science and the Bible, we apparently have misinterpreted scripture or misunderstood the facts. 3)The story of Noah’s Flood appears to be a scientific impossibility. In this study, we want to show a possible explanation of how God pulled off this awesome event.

EARTH’S WATER SUPPLY

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass can neither be created or destroyed.

EARTH’S WATER SUPPLY The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass can neither be created or destroyed. Earth’s water supply if fixed. It cannot be added to or subtracted from. The amount we have has been here for millions of years (brought by comets?).

EARTH’S WATER SUPPLY The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass can neither be created or destroyed. Earth’s water supply if fixed. It cannot be added to or subtracted from. The amount we have has been here for millions of years (brought by comets?). Earth’s water only changes states (water, ice; vapor) and places (people, seas, lakes, glaciers, aquifers, etc.).

RECONSILING SCIENCE WITH THE BIBLE Here we have a serious conflict. In order for the entire Earth to be covered with enough water to cover the mountains, the amount of Earth’s water would have to double or triple. For this to happen, the Law of Conservation of Mass would be untrue, and an additional water supply miraculously appeared then vanished after the flood.

RECONSILING SCIENCE WITH THE BIBLE Here we have a serious conflict. In order for the entire Earth to be covered with enough water to cover the mountains, the amount of Earth’s water would have to double or triple. For this to happen, the Law of Conservation of Mass would be untrue, and an additional water supply miraculously appeared then vanished after the flood. This means that the Bible is a either a fairy tale or we are not interpreting correctly or rightly dividing the Word. I believe the latter is the problem, and we just haven’t studied the event in enough detail.

INTERPRETATION ERRORS The greatest error made in Bible study is interpretation based on present day beliefs, customs and knowledge rather than placing oneself in the era and beliefs of the story characters and writer!

INTERPRETATION ERRORS The greatest error made in Bible study is interpretation based on present day beliefs, customs and knowledge rather than placing oneself in the era and beliefs of the story characters and writer! For us to understand what happened at Noah’s Flood, we must see the world as those who lived (and wrote the story) in that era

NOAH’S VIEW OF THE EARTH The extent of the Earth as viewed by man 4,300 years ago (Black Sea only a lake at the time)

MOSES’ VIEW OF THE EARTH The extent of the Earth as viewed by man 3,500 years ago

COLUMBUS’ VIEW OF THE EARTH The world as viewed by man up to 400 years ago

THE WORLD 20,000 YEARS AGO

EVIDENCE OF THE LAST ICE AGE

THE ICE AGE SLOWLY ENDS With ice 2 miles thick and the Earth slowly warming, the glaciers retreat for the next several thousand years

THE ICE AGE SLOWLY ENDS With ice 2 miles thick and the Earth slowly warming, the glaciers retreat for the next several thousand years With most of Earth’s water locked in ice, the oceans levels are low and land bridges exist that are now under water (Alaska-to-Russia; Turkey-to-Greece, for example)

THE ICE AGE SLOWLY ENDS With ice 2 miles thick and the Earth warming, the glaciers retreat for the next several 1,000 years With most of Earth’s water locked in ice, the oceans are shallow. In Noah’s time (4,300 years ago), the oceans were filling to higher levels than today as the ice sheets and glaciers disappeared.

THE MEDITERRANEAN PRIOR TO THE FLOOD (BLACK SEA WAS A LOW ELEVATION LAKE)

PLACE YOURSELF IN THE CHARACTER’S ERA Here you must interpret the flood story THROUGH THE EYES of Noah and the historical writer, Moses. Moses wrote the flood story 3,500 years ago. Moses’ concept and understanding of the Earth was much different from us today.

MOSES’ ACCOUNT OF THE FLOOD Gen 7:12 And the rain was on the EARTH 40 days and 40 nights. Gen 7:18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the EARTH. Gen 7:20 The water prevailed 15 cubits upward and the hills were covered. What would be Moses’ definition of Earth when writing the story?

MOSES’ VIEW OF THE WORLD This was the EARTH Moses understood and described in Genesis!

DISECTING THE FLOOD First, we must acknowledge that the flood occurred. The discovery of Noah’s ark confirms the Biblical account Next, we must determine the extent and cause of the flood. Was the EARTH (as we know it) covered with water and did the 40 days of rain cause a world wide flood?

DISECTING THE FLOOD The EARTH as described by Moses was the known world of the time. The extent of man’s population at the time of Noah was the Alps to the north, Mesopotamia to the east, Asia Minor to the west and the probably North Africa to the south It is reasonable to assume the flooded Earth described by Moses was this geographical, localized area inhabited and known by early man

DISECTING THE FLOOD Noah lived and built the ARK in Northern Turkey. This is the area where the ark was found. So, we know the flood waters were in this area of the known Earth of the time We must ask where did so much water to cause such a flood come from? The Rain? A look at the geology of the age gives some strong clues.

DISECTING THE FLOOD The Ice Age of 10,000 years ago was melting and the oceans were rising to levels higher than today (remember, a melting Greenland ice shelf alone would raise sea levels over 20 feet). The melting ice glaciers were 2 miles high. As the Mediterranean level continued to rise, a disastrous event was ready to unfold in Noah’s part of the world

A GEOGRAPHIC DISASTER

As the water overflows the land bridges between Turkey and Greece, the land bridges collapse and the sea rushes into the low lands now known as the Black Sea. The water flooded the low plains with water levels here exceeding 7,259 feet (present Black Sea depth) flooding a large portion of the known countries surrounding Noah Evidence of ancient settlements found at the bottom of the Black Sea

A GEOGRAPHIC DISASTER After 365 days, where did the flood waters go? Around the world, rising water levels breached other areas and filled new lakes and seas causing the waters to slowly recede to their present level If the flood was indirectly caused by the ending ice age and rising sea levels, what was the significance of the 40 days of rain and what was God’s hand in the flood?

GOD RULES There are 10 instances of the number 40 in the Bible. A 40-something time period, whether days, months, or years is ALWAYS a period of testing, trial, probation, or chastisement and ends with a period of restoration, revival or renewal.

GOD RULES God was about to exercise chastisement against man. As always in scripture, God’s testing period was to be 40 days. He was sending a flood to eradicate wicked man and start anew.

GOD RULES God was about to exercise chastisement against man. As always in scripture, God’s testing period was to be 40 days. He was sending a flood to eradicate wicked man and start anew. Here, God has a problem in executing His judgment in a way man of that day could comprehend. Man had no concept of glaciers, ice ages, a world larger than the caravans traveled, the world was not flat and the world was not the center of the universe.

GOD RULES God was about to exercise chastisement against man. As always in scripture, God’s testing period was to be 40 days. He was sending a flood to eradicate wicked man and start anew. Here, God has a problem in executing His judgment in a way man of that day could comprehend. Man had no concept of glaciers, ice ages, a world larger than the caravans traveled, the world was not flat and the world was not the center of the universe. The only way man could understand the cause of God’s judgment was RAIN. This, man could see and understand as the reason the waters were rising.

GOD RULES God was about to exercise chastisement against man. As always in scripture, God’s testing period was to be 40 days. He was sending a flood to eradicate wicked man and start anew. Here, God has a problem in executing His judgment in a way man of that day could comprehend. Man had no concept of glaciers, ice ages, a world larger than the caravans traveled, the world was not flat and the world was not the center of the universe. The only way man could understand the cause of God’s judgment was RAIN. This, man could see and understand as the reason the waters were rising. Rain for 40 days can be believed as the atmosphere was saturated from melting sea water.

EVIDENCE IS IN THE SCRIPTURE AND FOSSIL RECORDS 40 days of rain at an estimated 7” per day equals 280” rain, or about 15 cubits. Gen 7:20 says the water prevailed 15 cupids upward. This says the rain contributed greatly to the flood but was insufficient to raise the seas to the elevation the ark was found. This shows the flood was caused by both the rain and the glacial flood. As sea fossils were found near the ark, we have confirmation sea water was in the flood.

GOD RULES Regardless of how the flood happened, it doesn’t diminish what God did. It shouldn’t disturb anyone that God may have used natural events to serve His purpose. The miracle was not the flood. It was merely a vehicle to execute judgment in a way primitive man could comprehend. The Bible story is not incorrect. God simply didn’t feel it necessary to supply further details that man wouldn’t understand.

GOD’S HAND IN THE FLOOD Instructing Noah up to 100 years in advance of the flood to build an ark. Warning Noah in advance of the flood that judgment was coming and to be ready and prepared. Providing building instruction details for an ark that was an engineering marvel, even by today’s standards. Providing salvation through an ark that was a type of Christ. God’s elect was placed behind the blood (pitch – kaphar- atonement Preserving the ark as proof of His word.

NOAH’S ARK NATIONAL PARK