Ark Encounter Blog

A Flood like No Other


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Recent floods have reminded us all of the devastating effects they unleash on the communities they hit. But as horrific as they can be, they only give us a small taste of what went on during the global flood of Noah’s day—a dark period in history when the world and everything in it was destroyed except that which was contained inside the ark.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Today’s floods can destroy communities, leaving behind such overwhelming destruction and debris that it takes years to recover from. The floodwaters can last for weeks, the cleanup can take months, and the rebuilding can last years.

But the global flood was different.

In the account of the global flood and Noah’s ark, God marks the passage of time using Noah’s age, months of the year, and the length of days. When we add all of this information together, we learn that Noah and his family were aboard the ark for about one year.

Timeline (days)DurationMonth/DayDescriptionBible Reference0Initial start point600th year of Noah's life: 2nd month, 17th day of the monthThe fountains of the great deep broke apart and the windows of heaven were opened; it began to rain. This happened on the 17th day of the second month. Noah had entered the ark seven days prior to this.Genesis 7:4 and 7:114040 days and nights3rd month, 27th day of the monthRain fell for 40 days, and then water covered the earth's highest places by over ~20 feet (15 cubits) and began the next stage of flooding until the 150-day milestone. Genesis 7:11–20150150 days inclusive7th month, 17th day of the monthThe water rose to its highest level (covering the whole earth) sometime between the 40th and 150th day, and the end of these 150 days was the 17th day of the seventh month. On the 150th day, the springs of the great deep were shut off, and the rain from above ceased, and the water began continually receding. Sometime after day 150, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat.Genesis 7:24–8:522474 days more10th month, 1st day of the monthThe tops of the mountains became visible on the 10th month, first day.Genesis 8:526440 days more11th month, 11th day of the monthAfter 40 more days, Noah sent out a raven.Genesis 8:62717 days more11th month, 18th day of the monthThe dove was sent out seven days after the raven. It had no resting place and returned to Noah. Genesis 8:6–122787 days more11th month, 25th day of the monthAfter seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again. It returned again but this time with an olive leaf in its beak.Genesis 8:10–112857 days more12th month, 2nd day of the monthAfter seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again, and it did not return.Genesis 8:1231429 days more601st year of Noah life: 1st month, 1st day of the monthNoah removed the cover of the ark on the first day of the first month. The surface of the earth was dried up, and Noah could verify this to the extent of what he could see.Genesis 8:1337056 days more2nd month, 27th day of the monthThe earth was dry, and God commanded Noah's family and the animals to come out of the ark. From the first day of the year during the daylight portion, there were 29.5 more days left in the month plus 26.5 more days left in the second month until the exit.Genesis 8:14–17, Genesis 7:11

Learn more in “How Did the Events of Noah’s Flood Unfold?”.

Noah and his family had a lot of work to do while they were on the ark. They had a lot of animals to care for, along with themselves. Curious how many animals were on the ark, and how just eight people could care for all of them?

Learn more with a visit to the Ark Encounter. Plan your visit today!

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