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| | [[Image:Michelangeloflood.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''The Flood'', by Michaelangelo, detail from the Sistine Chapel, 1509.]] | | [[Image:Michelangeloflood.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''The Flood'', by Michaelangelo, detail from the Sistine Chapel, 1509.]] |
| | Cultures around the world record a world-destroying '''flood''' in their oral or written histories. | | Cultures around the world record a world-destroying '''flood''' in their oral or written histories. |
| − | Some people believe that these indicate a common event in the history of all people, while others claim that many people would have a flood some time in their history so they are all recalling separate, local, events.
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| − | == Common themes of the Flood accounts == | + | == The Flood accounts == |
| − | | |
| − | When different people describe the same event, the details will not always match, especially where the account has been subject to generations of oral transmission.
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| − | Nevertheless, it is to be expected that the various accounts would share a number of the details.
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| | The best known of the flood accounts are, firstly, the one found in the book of [[Genesis]], and secondly the one found in the [[Gilgamish Epic]]. Both are written accounts. | | The best known of the flood accounts are, firstly, the one found in the book of [[Genesis]], and secondly the one found in the [[Gilgamish Epic]]. Both are written accounts. |
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| | A table comparing specific details in a number of different flood accounts can be found [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3107 here]. | | A table comparing specific details in a number of different flood accounts can be found [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3107 here]. |
| | + | |
| | + | == The Genesis account == |
| | + | |
| | + | The Genesis account is the most detailed account. |
| | + | In it, God warned Noah that He was going to destroy the world with a flood, because of the wickedness of mankind. Noah was to build an ark and take on it his family and representatives of all air-breathing, land-dwelling creatures. The ark was to be 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide by 30 cubits high<ref>''Genesis'' 6:15</ref> (approximately 450 feet long, by 75 feet wide, by 45 feet high), have three decks, and rooms. |
| | + | |
| | + | God brought the animals and birds to Noah, and there were two of the "[[unclean (animals)|unclean]]" animals and seven (or seven pairs) of the "[[clean (animals)|clean]]". |
| | + | |
| | + | After Noah and his family and all the creatures were on board, God shut the door of the ark. |
| | + | The flood was brought on by the eruption of subterranean water ("''the fountains of the deep were opened''"), and rain. |
| | + | The rain lasted nearly six weeks (40 days and nights). |
| | + | The flood waters apparently continued to rise for 150 days, but it was just over a year before the waters had receded enough for the occupants of the ark to leave. |
| | + | |
| | + | The ark is recorded as having come to rest on the mountains of Ararat, taken by many today to be the existing mountains of that name. |
| | + | God put a rainbow in the clouds, and said that it was to be a reminder that he would never again destroy the world in a flood. (Genesis does not say that this was the first ever rainbow.) |
| | + | He also told Noah that it was now okay to eat meat. |
| | + | |
| | + | == The Gilgamish Epic account == |
| | + | |
| | + | The council of the gods decided to destroy mankind with a flood, but Utnapishtim was warned by the god who had made man, Ea, to build a boat to take all living being. The length, width, and height were each 120 cubits (about 180 feet). It had seven stories. |
| | + | |
| | + | The gods got frightened by the flood and retreated to heaven where they cowered and wept. |
| | + | The flood lasted six days and seven nights, and was accompanied by wind and storm. |
| | + | Utnapishtim send out a dove followed by a swallow, but both returned, unable to find land. He then sent a raven, which didn't return. |
| | + | |
| | + | Dr. Jonathan Sarfati comments on the Gilgamish Epic: |
| | + | :It is common to make legends out of historical events, but not history from legends. ... For instance, in Genesis, God’s judgment is just, he is patient with mankind for 120 years (Genesis 6:3), shows mercy to Noah, and is sovereign. Conversely, the gods in the Gilgamesh Epic are capricious and squabbling, cower at the Flood and are famished without humans to feed them sacrifices. That is, the human writers of the Gilgamesh Epic rewrote the true account, and made their gods in their own image.<ref Name="JS_GE" /> |
| | + | |
| | + | == Other ancient references == |
| | + | |
| | + | Some ancient Chinese characters have been shown to have a basis in their history of creation and the flood. A character meaning "ship" is made up of three sub-characters, or ''radicals'', which respectively mean "eight", "mouth" (representing "person"), and "vessel", which is a reminder that the vessel that saved Noah and his family had eight human mouths to feed.<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2825/31/ CMI misrepresents ancient Chinese language?] by Don Batten.</ref> |
| | + | |
| | + | The Assyrian King [[Ashurbanipal]], who lived in the seventh century B.C., recorded, "I have read intricate tablets inscribed with obscure Sumerian or Akkadian...inscriptions on stone from before the Flood."<ref>[http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1032092 Ashurbanipal]<!-- this may not be the best reference for this.--></ref> |
| | + | |
| | + | == Common Themes for Flood Accounts == |
| | | | |
| | === Cause === | | === Cause === |
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| | Genesis says that the rainbow would be a reminder that God would never again destroy the world with a flood.<ref>Genesis 9:12-17</ref> | | Genesis says that the rainbow would be a reminder that God would never again destroy the world with a flood.<ref>Genesis 9:12-17</ref> |
| − |
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| − | == The Genesis account ==
| |
| − |
| |
| − | === Summary ===
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The Genesis account is the most detailed account.
| |
| − | In it, God warned Noah that He was going to destroy the world with a flood, because of the wickedness of mankind. Noah was to build an ark and take on it his family and representatives of all air-breathing, land-dwelling creatures. The ark was to be 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide by 30 cubits high<ref>''Genesis'' 6:15</ref> (approximately 450 feet long, by 75 feet wide, by 45 feet high), have three decks, and rooms.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | God brought the animals and birds to Noah, and there were two of the "[[unclean (animals)|unclean]]" animals and seven (or seven pairs) of the "[[clean (animals)|clean]]".
| |
| − |
| |
| − | After Noah and his family and all the creatures were on board, God shut the door of the ark.
| |
| − | The flood was brought on by the eruption of subterranean water ("''the fountains of the deep were opened''"), and rain.
| |
| − | The rain lasted nearly six weeks (40 days and nights).
| |
| − | The flood waters apparently continued to rise for 150 days, but it was just over a year before the waters had receded enough for the occupants of the ark to leave.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The ark is recorded as having come to rest on the mountains of Ararat, taken by many today to be the existing mountains of that name.
| |
| − | God put a rainbow in the clouds, and said that it was to be a reminder that he would never again destroy the world in a flood. (Genesis does not say that this was the first ever rainbow.)
| |
| − | He also told Noah that it was now okay to eat meat.
| |
| | | | |
| | === Criticisms === | | === Criticisms === |
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| | And Murray Adamthwaite responds regarding the missionary influence, "''...that explanation fails since in many cases secular anthropologists gathered the stories before missionaries reached these tribes with the Gospel. In other cases missionaries have related how they indeed told the story of Noah, only to find that the tribal folk already had a similar tale in their own legends.''"<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2538 Animals, a Deluge and Noah’s Ark]</ref> | | And Murray Adamthwaite responds regarding the missionary influence, "''...that explanation fails since in many cases secular anthropologists gathered the stories before missionaries reached these tribes with the Gospel. In other cases missionaries have related how they indeed told the story of Noah, only to find that the tribal folk already had a similar tale in their own legends.''"<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2538 Animals, a Deluge and Noah’s Ark]</ref> |
| − |
| |
| − | == The Gilgamish Epic account ==
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The council of the gods decided to destroy mankind with a flood, but Utnapishtim was warned by the god who had made man, Ea, to build a boat to take all living being. The length, width, and height were each 120 cubits (about 180 feet). It had seven stories.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The gods got frightened by the flood and retreated to heaven where they cowered and wept.
| |
| − | The flood lasted six days and seven nights, and was accompanied by wind and storm.
| |
| − | Utnapishtim send out a dove followed by a swallow, but both returned, unable to find land. He then sent a raven, which didn't return.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Dr. Jonathan Sarfati comments on the Gilgamish Epic:
| |
| − | :It is common to make legends out of historical events, but not history from legends. ... For instance, in Genesis, God’s judgment is just, he is patient with mankind for 120 years (Genesis 6:3), shows mercy to Noah, and is sovereign. Conversely, the gods in the Gilgamesh Epic are capricious and squabbling, cower at the Flood and are famished without humans to feed them sacrifices. That is, the human writers of the Gilgamesh Epic rewrote the true account, and made their gods in their own image.<ref Name="JS_GE" />
| |
| − |
| |
| − | == Other ancient references ==
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Some ancient Chinese characters have been shown to have a basis in their history of creation and the flood. A character meaning "ship" is made up of three sub-characters, or ''radicals'', which respectively mean "eight", "mouth" (representing "person"), and "vessel", which is a reminder that the vessel that saved Noah and his family had eight human mouths to feed.<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2825/31/ CMI misrepresents ancient Chinese language?] by Don Batten.</ref>
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The Assyrian King [[Ashurbanipal]], who lived in the seventh century B.C., recorded, "I have read intricate tablets inscribed with obscure Sumerian or Akkadian...inscriptions on stone from before the Flood."<ref>[http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1032092 Ashurbanipal]<!-- this may not be the best reference for this.--></ref>
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| | == Modern explanations == | | == Modern explanations == |
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| | <references /> | | <references /> |
| | + | |
| | + | == Headline text == |