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A Flood of Truth - Part 9 – An Ark’s Worth of Evidence - Part 1
Episode 113 – A Flood of Truth Part 9 – An Ark’s Worth of Evidence
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script/Notes:
Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
The Gospel of John Chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, Contemporary English Version
********
VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K welcoming you to another episode of Anchored by Truth. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books as we continue our wrap up of our series that we are calling “A Flood of Truth.” This is actually the 9th episode of our Flood of Truth series. Obviously, since we have devoted this much time to a single episode in the Bible we must think that it is a pretty important episode. Why do you believe that the Bible’s flood account merits this much attention, RD?
RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Well, in our last episode of Anchored by Truth we mentioned that there are many Biblical accounts of historical events that have left few, if any, details behind that we can investigate effectively today. For instance, in Daniel Chapter 3 we have the famous account of Daniel’s three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah being thrown into a fiery furnace.
VK: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were, of course, their Hebrew names. Their Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and those were the names that were actually used in Chapter 3.
RD: Yes. Anyway, the account of Daniel’s 3 friends refusing to bow down and worship the golden image of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar is an amazing story of faith and trust in God – the same kind of faith that Noah displayed. But we would have very little hope of being able to validate the details of the story through archeological or historical artifacts or extra Biblical records. We certainly aren’t going to see any geological evidence. We can validate some of the broad parameters of the account such as the fact that the Babylonians did, in fact, conquer the Jews and send the Hebrew people into exile. And we have abundant historical evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was the Babylonian king who conquered the Jews as well as many other mid-Eastern nations of the time. And we have evidence that it was common for kings of that day to demand that they be worshipped as if they were deities. But it’s almost impossible we would ever find specific confirmation of that specific event today. But a worldwide flood that dramatically reduced the size of the human and animal populations on the earth – that would produce effects – evidence - that we can still see today.
VK: So, there is contemporary evidence that the Bible’s account of the flood can be shown to be a reliable report of literal history. This makes it a forceful demonstration of the Bible’s historical accuracy notwithstanding the amazing nature of the story. This, in turn, makes the story the target of Bible critics. If the critic could show that the Bible flood account isn’t historically reliable it would have implications for the reliability of the rest of scripture. If doubt can be cast on the story of Noah, by extension doubt can be cast on the reliability of the rest of the Bible.
RD: Exactly. This elevates the stakes in how you view the historicity of the Biblical flood account. So, we have devoted a considerable amount of time to the account because we want listeners to gain a solid appreciation of the many facts and observations they can use to assure themselves that the flood story in the Bible is trustworthy and, by extension, that the opening chapters of Genesis (as well as the rest of the Bible) are trustworthy.
VK: And today you want to begin a summary and review of many of the facts that we learned during the series – not only to reinforce our listeners’ awareness but also to give them an easy reference guide for future study.
RD: Exactly. People are busy today – probably in many cases too busy. But we should never be so busy that we don’t take time for ensuring that we’re properly preparing ourselves for eternity. Obviously, becoming very familiar with the Bible is one of the most important ways we can do that. The Bible is very clear that the Bible is the one source of permanence that we have on this earth. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”
VK: That’s Matthew 5:18. And in Psalm 119, the writer tells us that God’s justice is eternal and God’s laws last forever.” That’s actually an astounding thought. The heavens and earth are one day going to pass away – but God’s word and his laws will not. So, the one way we can firmly grasp eternity in the here and now is to become thoroughly familiar with God’s law and word – with the special revelation God has given us in the Bible.
RD: Exactly. So what I want to is give listeners a baker’s dozen concrete pieces of evidence that demonstrate the Bible flood account may reasonably be accepted as literal history. Essentially, there are two truth claims about the flood that are fundamentally at odds with one another. The Bible’s flood account is either a record of literal history or it is not. If you believe that it is not then it doesn’t matter much whether you think it’s an allegory, myth, or fairy tale. What matters is that believing that the flood account is fictional is a reflection of how you think about the Bible and Jesus.
VK: Why Jesus?
RD: Because Jesus affirmed the historicity of the flood account when he compared his return at some point in the future to the conditions that existed on earth at the time the flood occurred.
VK: You’re referring to Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37 through 39. The New Living Translation reads like this: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
RD: Yes.
VK: Your point is that the Bible is clear that Jesus is going to make a literal return to the earth at some point in the future. So, it would make no sense for Jesus to use a fictional event as the symbol for what will be the 2nd most important event in human history? The most important event being the crucifixion and resurrection.
RD: Exactly. So, in judging between those two choices – myth or history - I think people will do best if they have some concrete data points that they can absorb and then rely on.
VK: So, what is your first data point?
RD: The first major idea I think people should grasp firmly is that the ark as described by the Bible was suitable for its intended purpose. Data point number one is that the ark had the size to carry 8 people and huge cargo of animals that included 2 of every kind of animal on earth.
VK: And, as we’ve emphasized throughout this series a Biblical “kind” is not equal to a current species. It’s a much broader category of taxonomic classification.
RD: Yes. The exact size of the ark is dependent on how long a cubit was in Noah’s day but most scholars believe that it was between 18 inches and 24 inches. As Dr. Jonathan Sarfati has pointed out in his Genesis commentary, The Genesis Account, even using the smallest estimate for a cubit the ark would have had the capacity to transport 19,000 sheep even if we applied contemporary animal transport regulations. In his book, An Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Dr. Gleason Archer uses the larger cubit and estimates a cargo capacity of 2,000 railroad cars each of which could hold more than 80 sheep. The actual size is most likely somewhere in between.
VK: But, in any case, it was a huge ship and adequate for carrying thousands of animals. And of course most of the animals that would have been on board would not have been anywhere near the size of a sheep. Noah was told to bring birds and there’s only a few bird species on the planet anywhere near the size of a sheep and Noah would not have had to bring adults. A young pair that could start breeding in a year would have been sufficient.
RD: Yes. Dr. Sarfati estimates the average size of the animals on board would have been about the size of a rabbit. Dr. Archer notes that even today there are only a couple of hundred species of land animals larger than a sheep. So, data point 1 is that the ark had the size to do the job. Data point 2 is that the dimensions of the ark specified to Noah make sense to produce a stable ocean going vessel.
VK: Genesis, chapter 6, verse 15, in the New International Version, records God telling Noah: “This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.” So, the ark was to be 6 times as long as it was wide. This ratio is a classic ratio used for building large ships because it produces a vessel that is stable on the open ocean. It’s still used today as the starting point for modern ship design.
RD: Right. Stability against overturning is one of the primary qualities that affect the safety of a ship in a seaway. Enough overturning stability is required to prevent the ship from capsizing due to the heeling moment caused by winds and waves. The dimensions that are given in the Bible produce a vessel that is extremely stable in an ocean-going environment and scale model tests in wave tanks suggest that the ark could endure wave heights more than 100 feet high without capsizing. Those tests were done in the early 1990’s in Korea Research Institute of Ships and Engineering’s (KRISO’s) large towing tank, which had a wave generating system capable of simulating a wide variety of conditions a vessel on the open ocean might encounter.
VK: And it’s noteworthy that these dimensions appear in the Bible. Conservative Bible scholars have always agreed that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible which, of course, includes Genesis. Even acknowledging that Moses had received an excellent education in the house of pharaoh, neither the Egyptians nor the Hebrews were a seafaring people. Of course the Egyptians were very familiar with rivers and building crafts for use on the Nile. Because of the differences in operating conditions the design of vessels used on rivers generally differs from those are used on open oceans. So – in a way - it’s remarkable that the design details that appear in the Genesis account are so well suited to a boat that could survive rough conditions on an open ocean.
RD: Right. And that brings us to data point number 3 that demonstrate the reasonability of the Biblical flood account – the pitch.
VK: In Genesis 6:14 one of the details Noah was given was to coat the ark with pitch inside and out. Now, some critics allege that this detail was an anachronism because pitch is made from petroleum. And in Noah’s day petroleum was unknown.
RD: But pitch doesn’t have to be made from petroleum. In this case the pitch wasn’t made from a petroleum or tar but it was probably a combination of some tree sap or resin mixed with charcoal made from downed trees. Pitch was made like that for centuries and used in the production of ocean going ships. Of course most listeners think the pitch was just used to seal the hull against leaks and that was certainly part of it. But Noah was told to coat the ark with pitch inside and out. Experiments have shown that a strong wood coated on both sides with this kind of pitch have very good impact resistance. This would have been a critical feature when debris of all kinds would have been tossed around by rough winds and seas.
VK: Ok. So, those are 3 data points that are very easy to understand. The ark had the size, stability, and strength to do the job. What’s the fourth point?
RD: Point number 4 is that the other (almost) incidental details provided in one very brief paragraph in Genesis chapter 6 also make perfect sense in the real world. Noah was told to build the ark with three decks. This would make sense not only from a cargo capacity standpoint but also from a load distribution standpoint. More weight being stored lower down in the ark would have enhanced its stability against overturning.
VK: Lower decks would have been a good place to keep the elephants and dinosaurs, wouldn’t they? And keeping their food down there would have put the food near the animals as well as providing good ballast.
RD: Yes. As the food was used up waste could have built up to partially replace the lost weight. There’s a farming technique used in some Dutch farms called the potstal. During the winter the farmer doesn’t clean out the waste they just keep putting fresh absorbent material such as sawdust, shavings, or peat moss into the stalls. This dries out the waste quickly and keeps the odor down. Then they clean out everything during the spring. The ark was a one-trip boat so there would have been no need to plan for future voyages. Also, Noah was told to leave a one cubit opening below the roof of the ark. This didn’t mean create a gaping hole. In chapter 8 we’re told Noah opened a window to let the raven and dove out. But creating this series of windows would not only have allowed some fresh air in (conditions permitting) but would have helped manage the heat load from the ark’s passengers.
VK: So, details that seem to almost be incidental notes in the larger narrative are actually very sensible in the real world. The 3 decks added to the room for the animal passengers and the opening below the roof would provide ventilation for keeping the heat load down. Actually, the heat created by the passengers may have been welcome in a world where overcast skies persisted for 40 days and gale like winds were blowing outside. So, the boat described by the Bible makes far more sense than the one that is described by a different flood story, the Epic of Gilgamesh. In that epic the boat described was supposed to be a perfect cube with six decks. It’s hard to imagine a boat shape that would be less seaworthy.
RD: Yes. A cube shaped vessel on the open water would roll and capsize in even modest winds or waves. That’s why no real sea going vessels, modern or historic, river or ocean, have ever been built with that as a basic design. And to further contrast the Biblical account with the Gilgamesh Epic, the time periods described by the Bible are reasonable. The times used in the Epic are not. The Bible reports Noah and his family spent just over a year in the ark as the waters rose, persisted, and finally abated. By contrast, the supposed worldwide flood in the Gilgamesh Epic lasted for only a week.
VK: So, the 4th of our 13 data points that demonstrate that the Bible account is trustworthy and makes sense in the real world is that even the seemingly incidental details of the flood account make sense. Where do we go from here?
RD: Well, we’ve seen that the ark’s description in the Bible is consistent with the real world. So, for point 5 let’s begin a look at whether the earth’s surface contains evidence that at one point in history water covered the entire surface. Turns out when you do, there is abundant evidence that at one point the highest mountains on the earth were submerged. There are fossils of marine creatures in limestone near the summit of Mount Everest, which means that this area must have been under the sea in the past. Everyone agrees that the top of Everest was once under the sea.
VK: But many people do not associate these rocks and fossils with Noah's Flood because they think there is not enough water to cover the highest mountains. Moreover, secular geologists insist that even though the mountains were underwater at one point in the distant past they are now well above sea level because the uplifting forces have been pushing them up for millions of years.
RD: But as we discussed during this series there is plenty of water to cover all of the earth. If the earth’s surface were smoothed out, it would be over one and a half miles under water. And the contention that uplift forces have been acting on mountain ranges for millions of years ignores erosion. Mountains such as Everest must have formed quickly and recently, otherwise they would have eroded as quickly as they formed.
VK: Well, as an example of how quickly seemingly mature environments can appear there’s an island called Surtsey that was formed in only days from a huge undersea volcanic eruption off Iceland in the North Atlantic in 1963. Within a few months, geologists exploring Surtsey found that it contained wide sandy beaches, gravel banks, impressive cliffs, soft undulating land, gullies and channels and boulders that were almost round, on an abrasion platform cut into the cliff. Moreover, within a few years the island was covered with vegetation and in less than 2 decades it had an abundant insect and bird population.
RD: Exactly. So, point 5 is that there is clear evidence that the highest mountains on earth were underwater at one time and that it doesn’t necessarily take millions of years to form landscapes and forms that can seem very old. Point 6 is that there is additional evidence of extensive flooding all over the earth. There are sedimentary rock formations that cover thousands of square miles and can be hundreds of feet deep. Sedimentary rock is the kind that is formed under water. These formations often have layers. We know that such layers can be formed by laminar flow. Rapid deposition of the layers is shown by the fact that the boundaries between the layers are smooth and not marked by erosion or bioturbation.
VK: And these layers are clearly visible is a number of places around the world including the Grand Canyon, right?
RD: Right. Anyone who has seen the Grand Canyon has to be impressed with both the scale of the layers and how smooth they are. And this brings us to point 7 which is that the geological evidence is not limited to just the presence of massive layers of sedimentary rocks present all over the world. Geologists also acknowledge that many of the great river valleys all over the world were created by truly epic floods. David R. Montgomery, a geology professor at the University of Washington, labeled the floods that created these river valleys “Noah-like” in a 2012 article for Discover magazine. In that same article Montgomery noted that the first geologist to propose that the river valleys of eastern Washington were caused by such floods, J. Harlan Bretz, was met with widespread disbelief when he first proposed the idea in the 1920’s. Yet acceptance of the truth of Bretz’s observations is so widespread today that, at the age of 97, Bretz was awarded the Geological Society of America’s highest honor. Nor is the evidence of ancient flood carved landscapes limited to North America. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
VK: So the conclusion is that the Bible’s account is consistent with scientific observations of the earth and life on the earth. And for anyone who would like to investigate this topic more thoroughly we are including several helpful links to the podcast notes that will be available through most major podcast apps. We would also recommend visiting the website for Creation Ministries International at creation.com. Now next time we are going to complete this review of a baker’s dozen of specific facts that listeners can absorb fairly readily to build their own faith in the flood record reported by the Bible. Do you have any final thoughts for today?
RD: Yes. By their very nature past events, especially those of the distant past – like the flood of Noah - cannot be repeated. So to make intelligent assessments about whether such a flood took place or is highly likely to have occurred we have to look evidence that is available today. And as we consistently reminded everyone all investigators, all interpreters of evidence, bring a viewpoint, a lens through which they interpret evidence. So, people trying to decide whether there ever was a worldwide flood on the earth need to examine the evidence for themselves and make their own decisions. Too often, even Christians have been willing to accept the conclusions of people whose interpretive lens is hostile to the Bible but their conclusions contain no more inherent truth than those who view the Bible favorably.
VK: People need to make up their own minds. A lens that rejects the Bible’s historicity is different from a lens that accepts it – but it is not better and it is not more scientific. There is plenty of specific evidence that demonstrates that the Biblical flood account can be reasonably accepted as literal history. Bible critics may doubt this is true but their doubt is just that - doubt. And doubt is not evidence. Sounds to me like a good time for a prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for the people who rush to help when we get in trouble – our nation’s first responders. Anyone who has ever been helped by a police officer, firefighter, paramedic or other first responder knows how very important they are in our lives and communities. We should all be grateful for their willingness to put the health and safety of others ahead of their own.
---- PRAYER FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show.
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!”
(Bible Quote from the Contemporary English Version)
The Gospel of John Chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, Contemporary English Version
https://creation.com/topics/global-flood
https://activechristianity.org/6-unbelievably-good-reasons-to-read-your-bible
https://considerthegospel.org/2014/03/28/the-noah-controversy-could-that-flood-have-happened/
How could Noah get all the animals on the Ark? - creation.com
Fascinating French fossil find - creation.com
Hell Creek Formation supports the Bible - creation.com
What caused Ice Age - creation.com
Marine Fossils on Mount Everest - Media Center - creation.com
Also, consult Chapters 17 through 20 of “The Genesis Account” by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati available from creation.com.
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By R.D.Fierro
5
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Episode 113 – A Flood of Truth Part 9 – An Ark’s Worth of Evidence
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script/Notes:
Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
The Gospel of John Chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, Contemporary English Version
********
VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K welcoming you to another episode of Anchored by Truth. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books as we continue our wrap up of our series that we are calling “A Flood of Truth.” This is actually the 9th episode of our Flood of Truth series. Obviously, since we have devoted this much time to a single episode in the Bible we must think that it is a pretty important episode. Why do you believe that the Bible’s flood account merits this much attention, RD?
RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Well, in our last episode of Anchored by Truth we mentioned that there are many Biblical accounts of historical events that have left few, if any, details behind that we can investigate effectively today. For instance, in Daniel Chapter 3 we have the famous account of Daniel’s three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah being thrown into a fiery furnace.
VK: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were, of course, their Hebrew names. Their Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and those were the names that were actually used in Chapter 3.
RD: Yes. Anyway, the account of Daniel’s 3 friends refusing to bow down and worship the golden image of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar is an amazing story of faith and trust in God – the same kind of faith that Noah displayed. But we would have very little hope of being able to validate the details of the story through archeological or historical artifacts or extra Biblical records. We certainly aren’t going to see any geological evidence. We can validate some of the broad parameters of the account such as the fact that the Babylonians did, in fact, conquer the Jews and send the Hebrew people into exile. And we have abundant historical evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was the Babylonian king who conquered the Jews as well as many other mid-Eastern nations of the time. And we have evidence that it was common for kings of that day to demand that they be worshipped as if they were deities. But it’s almost impossible we would ever find specific confirmation of that specific event today. But a worldwide flood that dramatically reduced the size of the human and animal populations on the earth – that would produce effects – evidence - that we can still see today.
VK: So, there is contemporary evidence that the Bible’s account of the flood can be shown to be a reliable report of literal history. This makes it a forceful demonstration of the Bible’s historical accuracy notwithstanding the amazing nature of the story. This, in turn, makes the story the target of Bible critics. If the critic could show that the Bible flood account isn’t historically reliable it would have implications for the reliability of the rest of scripture. If doubt can be cast on the story of Noah, by extension doubt can be cast on the reliability of the rest of the Bible.
RD: Exactly. This elevates the stakes in how you view the historicity of the Biblical flood account. So, we have devoted a considerable amount of time to the account because we want listeners to gain a solid appreciation of the many facts and observations they can use to assure themselves that the flood story in the Bible is trustworthy and, by extension, that the opening chapters of Genesis (as well as the rest of the Bible) are trustworthy.
VK: And today you want to begin a summary and review of many of the facts that we learned during the series – not only to reinforce our listeners’ awareness but also to give them an easy reference guide for future study.
RD: Exactly. People are busy today – probably in many cases too busy. But we should never be so busy that we don’t take time for ensuring that we’re properly preparing ourselves for eternity. Obviously, becoming very familiar with the Bible is one of the most important ways we can do that. The Bible is very clear that the Bible is the one source of permanence that we have on this earth. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”
VK: That’s Matthew 5:18. And in Psalm 119, the writer tells us that God’s justice is eternal and God’s laws last forever.” That’s actually an astounding thought. The heavens and earth are one day going to pass away – but God’s word and his laws will not. So, the one way we can firmly grasp eternity in the here and now is to become thoroughly familiar with God’s law and word – with the special revelation God has given us in the Bible.
RD: Exactly. So what I want to is give listeners a baker’s dozen concrete pieces of evidence that demonstrate the Bible flood account may reasonably be accepted as literal history. Essentially, there are two truth claims about the flood that are fundamentally at odds with one another. The Bible’s flood account is either a record of literal history or it is not. If you believe that it is not then it doesn’t matter much whether you think it’s an allegory, myth, or fairy tale. What matters is that believing that the flood account is fictional is a reflection of how you think about the Bible and Jesus.
VK: Why Jesus?
RD: Because Jesus affirmed the historicity of the flood account when he compared his return at some point in the future to the conditions that existed on earth at the time the flood occurred.
VK: You’re referring to Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37 through 39. The New Living Translation reads like this: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
RD: Yes.
VK: Your point is that the Bible is clear that Jesus is going to make a literal return to the earth at some point in the future. So, it would make no sense for Jesus to use a fictional event as the symbol for what will be the 2nd most important event in human history? The most important event being the crucifixion and resurrection.
RD: Exactly. So, in judging between those two choices – myth or history - I think people will do best if they have some concrete data points that they can absorb and then rely on.
VK: So, what is your first data point?
RD: The first major idea I think people should grasp firmly is that the ark as described by the Bible was suitable for its intended purpose. Data point number one is that the ark had the size to carry 8 people and huge cargo of animals that included 2 of every kind of animal on earth.
VK: And, as we’ve emphasized throughout this series a Biblical “kind” is not equal to a current species. It’s a much broader category of taxonomic classification.
RD: Yes. The exact size of the ark is dependent on how long a cubit was in Noah’s day but most scholars believe that it was between 18 inches and 24 inches. As Dr. Jonathan Sarfati has pointed out in his Genesis commentary, The Genesis Account, even using the smallest estimate for a cubit the ark would have had the capacity to transport 19,000 sheep even if we applied contemporary animal transport regulations. In his book, An Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Dr. Gleason Archer uses the larger cubit and estimates a cargo capacity of 2,000 railroad cars each of which could hold more than 80 sheep. The actual size is most likely somewhere in between.
VK: But, in any case, it was a huge ship and adequate for carrying thousands of animals. And of course most of the animals that would have been on board would not have been anywhere near the size of a sheep. Noah was told to bring birds and there’s only a few bird species on the planet anywhere near the size of a sheep and Noah would not have had to bring adults. A young pair that could start breeding in a year would have been sufficient.
RD: Yes. Dr. Sarfati estimates the average size of the animals on board would have been about the size of a rabbit. Dr. Archer notes that even today there are only a couple of hundred species of land animals larger than a sheep. So, data point 1 is that the ark had the size to do the job. Data point 2 is that the dimensions of the ark specified to Noah make sense to produce a stable ocean going vessel.
VK: Genesis, chapter 6, verse 15, in the New International Version, records God telling Noah: “This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.” So, the ark was to be 6 times as long as it was wide. This ratio is a classic ratio used for building large ships because it produces a vessel that is stable on the open ocean. It’s still used today as the starting point for modern ship design.
RD: Right. Stability against overturning is one of the primary qualities that affect the safety of a ship in a seaway. Enough overturning stability is required to prevent the ship from capsizing due to the heeling moment caused by winds and waves. The dimensions that are given in the Bible produce a vessel that is extremely stable in an ocean-going environment and scale model tests in wave tanks suggest that the ark could endure wave heights more than 100 feet high without capsizing. Those tests were done in the early 1990’s in Korea Research Institute of Ships and Engineering’s (KRISO’s) large towing tank, which had a wave generating system capable of simulating a wide variety of conditions a vessel on the open ocean might encounter.
VK: And it’s noteworthy that these dimensions appear in the Bible. Conservative Bible scholars have always agreed that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible which, of course, includes Genesis. Even acknowledging that Moses had received an excellent education in the house of pharaoh, neither the Egyptians nor the Hebrews were a seafaring people. Of course the Egyptians were very familiar with rivers and building crafts for use on the Nile. Because of the differences in operating conditions the design of vessels used on rivers generally differs from those are used on open oceans. So – in a way - it’s remarkable that the design details that appear in the Genesis account are so well suited to a boat that could survive rough conditions on an open ocean.
RD: Right. And that brings us to data point number 3 that demonstrate the reasonability of the Biblical flood account – the pitch.
VK: In Genesis 6:14 one of the details Noah was given was to coat the ark with pitch inside and out. Now, some critics allege that this detail was an anachronism because pitch is made from petroleum. And in Noah’s day petroleum was unknown.
RD: But pitch doesn’t have to be made from petroleum. In this case the pitch wasn’t made from a petroleum or tar but it was probably a combination of some tree sap or resin mixed with charcoal made from downed trees. Pitch was made like that for centuries and used in the production of ocean going ships. Of course most listeners think the pitch was just used to seal the hull against leaks and that was certainly part of it. But Noah was told to coat the ark with pitch inside and out. Experiments have shown that a strong wood coated on both sides with this kind of pitch have very good impact resistance. This would have been a critical feature when debris of all kinds would have been tossed around by rough winds and seas.
VK: Ok. So, those are 3 data points that are very easy to understand. The ark had the size, stability, and strength to do the job. What’s the fourth point?
RD: Point number 4 is that the other (almost) incidental details provided in one very brief paragraph in Genesis chapter 6 also make perfect sense in the real world. Noah was told to build the ark with three decks. This would make sense not only from a cargo capacity standpoint but also from a load distribution standpoint. More weight being stored lower down in the ark would have enhanced its stability against overturning.
VK: Lower decks would have been a good place to keep the elephants and dinosaurs, wouldn’t they? And keeping their food down there would have put the food near the animals as well as providing good ballast.
RD: Yes. As the food was used up waste could have built up to partially replace the lost weight. There’s a farming technique used in some Dutch farms called the potstal. During the winter the farmer doesn’t clean out the waste they just keep putting fresh absorbent material such as sawdust, shavings, or peat moss into the stalls. This dries out the waste quickly and keeps the odor down. Then they clean out everything during the spring. The ark was a one-trip boat so there would have been no need to plan for future voyages. Also, Noah was told to leave a one cubit opening below the roof of the ark. This didn’t mean create a gaping hole. In chapter 8 we’re told Noah opened a window to let the raven and dove out. But creating this series of windows would not only have allowed some fresh air in (conditions permitting) but would have helped manage the heat load from the ark’s passengers.
VK: So, details that seem to almost be incidental notes in the larger narrative are actually very sensible in the real world. The 3 decks added to the room for the animal passengers and the opening below the roof would provide ventilation for keeping the heat load down. Actually, the heat created by the passengers may have been welcome in a world where overcast skies persisted for 40 days and gale like winds were blowing outside. So, the boat described by the Bible makes far more sense than the one that is described by a different flood story, the Epic of Gilgamesh. In that epic the boat described was supposed to be a perfect cube with six decks. It’s hard to imagine a boat shape that would be less seaworthy.
RD: Yes. A cube shaped vessel on the open water would roll and capsize in even modest winds or waves. That’s why no real sea going vessels, modern or historic, river or ocean, have ever been built with that as a basic design. And to further contrast the Biblical account with the Gilgamesh Epic, the time periods described by the Bible are reasonable. The times used in the Epic are not. The Bible reports Noah and his family spent just over a year in the ark as the waters rose, persisted, and finally abated. By contrast, the supposed worldwide flood in the Gilgamesh Epic lasted for only a week.
VK: So, the 4th of our 13 data points that demonstrate that the Bible account is trustworthy and makes sense in the real world is that even the seemingly incidental details of the flood account make sense. Where do we go from here?
RD: Well, we’ve seen that the ark’s description in the Bible is consistent with the real world. So, for point 5 let’s begin a look at whether the earth’s surface contains evidence that at one point in history water covered the entire surface. Turns out when you do, there is abundant evidence that at one point the highest mountains on the earth were submerged. There are fossils of marine creatures in limestone near the summit of Mount Everest, which means that this area must have been under the sea in the past. Everyone agrees that the top of Everest was once under the sea.
VK: But many people do not associate these rocks and fossils with Noah's Flood because they think there is not enough water to cover the highest mountains. Moreover, secular geologists insist that even though the mountains were underwater at one point in the distant past they are now well above sea level because the uplifting forces have been pushing them up for millions of years.
RD: But as we discussed during this series there is plenty of water to cover all of the earth. If the earth’s surface were smoothed out, it would be over one and a half miles under water. And the contention that uplift forces have been acting on mountain ranges for millions of years ignores erosion. Mountains such as Everest must have formed quickly and recently, otherwise they would have eroded as quickly as they formed.
VK: Well, as an example of how quickly seemingly mature environments can appear there’s an island called Surtsey that was formed in only days from a huge undersea volcanic eruption off Iceland in the North Atlantic in 1963. Within a few months, geologists exploring Surtsey found that it contained wide sandy beaches, gravel banks, impressive cliffs, soft undulating land, gullies and channels and boulders that were almost round, on an abrasion platform cut into the cliff. Moreover, within a few years the island was covered with vegetation and in less than 2 decades it had an abundant insect and bird population.
RD: Exactly. So, point 5 is that there is clear evidence that the highest mountains on earth were underwater at one time and that it doesn’t necessarily take millions of years to form landscapes and forms that can seem very old. Point 6 is that there is additional evidence of extensive flooding all over the earth. There are sedimentary rock formations that cover thousands of square miles and can be hundreds of feet deep. Sedimentary rock is the kind that is formed under water. These formations often have layers. We know that such layers can be formed by laminar flow. Rapid deposition of the layers is shown by the fact that the boundaries between the layers are smooth and not marked by erosion or bioturbation.
VK: And these layers are clearly visible is a number of places around the world including the Grand Canyon, right?
RD: Right. Anyone who has seen the Grand Canyon has to be impressed with both the scale of the layers and how smooth they are. And this brings us to point 7 which is that the geological evidence is not limited to just the presence of massive layers of sedimentary rocks present all over the world. Geologists also acknowledge that many of the great river valleys all over the world were created by truly epic floods. David R. Montgomery, a geology professor at the University of Washington, labeled the floods that created these river valleys “Noah-like” in a 2012 article for Discover magazine. In that same article Montgomery noted that the first geologist to propose that the river valleys of eastern Washington were caused by such floods, J. Harlan Bretz, was met with widespread disbelief when he first proposed the idea in the 1920’s. Yet acceptance of the truth of Bretz’s observations is so widespread today that, at the age of 97, Bretz was awarded the Geological Society of America’s highest honor. Nor is the evidence of ancient flood carved landscapes limited to North America. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
VK: So the conclusion is that the Bible’s account is consistent with scientific observations of the earth and life on the earth. And for anyone who would like to investigate this topic more thoroughly we are including several helpful links to the podcast notes that will be available through most major podcast apps. We would also recommend visiting the website for Creation Ministries International at creation.com. Now next time we are going to complete this review of a baker’s dozen of specific facts that listeners can absorb fairly readily to build their own faith in the flood record reported by the Bible. Do you have any final thoughts for today?
RD: Yes. By their very nature past events, especially those of the distant past – like the flood of Noah - cannot be repeated. So to make intelligent assessments about whether such a flood took place or is highly likely to have occurred we have to look evidence that is available today. And as we consistently reminded everyone all investigators, all interpreters of evidence, bring a viewpoint, a lens through which they interpret evidence. So, people trying to decide whether there ever was a worldwide flood on the earth need to examine the evidence for themselves and make their own decisions. Too often, even Christians have been willing to accept the conclusions of people whose interpretive lens is hostile to the Bible but their conclusions contain no more inherent truth than those who view the Bible favorably.
VK: People need to make up their own minds. A lens that rejects the Bible’s historicity is different from a lens that accepts it – but it is not better and it is not more scientific. There is plenty of specific evidence that demonstrates that the Biblical flood account can be reasonably accepted as literal history. Bible critics may doubt this is true but their doubt is just that - doubt. And doubt is not evidence. Sounds to me like a good time for a prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for the people who rush to help when we get in trouble – our nation’s first responders. Anyone who has ever been helped by a police officer, firefighter, paramedic or other first responder knows how very important they are in our lives and communities. We should all be grateful for their willingness to put the health and safety of others ahead of their own.
---- PRAYER FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show.
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!”
(Bible Quote from the Contemporary English Version)
The Gospel of John Chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, Contemporary English Version
https://creation.com/topics/global-flood
https://activechristianity.org/6-unbelievably-good-reasons-to-read-your-bible
https://considerthegospel.org/2014/03/28/the-noah-controversy-could-that-flood-have-happened/
How could Noah get all the animals on the Ark? - creation.com
Fascinating French fossil find - creation.com
Hell Creek Formation supports the Bible - creation.com
What caused Ice Age - creation.com
Marine Fossils on Mount Everest - Media Center - creation.com
Also, consult Chapters 17 through 20 of “The Genesis Account” by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati available from creation.com.