The Ark of Noah and the Flood

Description of the Flood

It was a global flood, more destructive than just 40 rainy days. The Scripture mentioned two main sources of this water: “fountains of the great deep” and “windows of heaven.”

Fountains of the Great Deep: Probably, they are the oceanic or subterrain sources of water. Gen 7:11 mentioned a “breaking up” of these fountains, which implies a release of the water, possibly through large fissures in the ground or the sea floor. The water that had been held back burst forth with catastrophic consequences. It also involved series of volcanic eruptions with great amounts of water bursting up through the ground. It is interesting that up to 70% of what comes out volcanos today is water, often in form of steam. Scientists stated that during the flood, the ocean floor rapidly lifted up by more than 3500 feet (1067 m) due to the new warmer ocean crust being lighter as it formed from hot waters upwelling where the old, cold, dense ocean crust had broken up. This would spill the seawater onto the land and cause massive flooding.

The Windows of Heaven: (Gen 7:12) says that it rained for 40 days and nights continuously. (Gen 2:5) stated that there was no rain before man was created, therefore, some suggested that there was no rain before the flood. However, the Bible does not actually say this. The expression “windows of heaven” was used many times in the OT to refer to the rain (Gen 7:11; 8:2; 2Kgs 7:2, 19; Mal 3:10). [1]

Local or Global Flood?

If this was a local flood there would be no need for an ark, just move.
The animals would not need to be taken care of.
The passage clearly states that all air breathing animals died.
Jesus stated that the flood killed every person not on the Ark.
The coming judgment was linked with this catastrophe (Matt 24:37-39; 2Pet 3)
The water continued to cover the entire earth for 150 days.
After 7 months the ark rests on the mountains of Ararat in Turkey.
After 370 days, Noah left the ark.

Some have suggested that this was a severe but localized flood. However, there is geological evidence to support a worldwide flood. Partial skeletons of recent animals are found in deep fissures in several parts of the world and the flood seems to be the best explanation for these. This would explain how these fissures occur even in hills of considerable height, and they extend from 140 feet to 300 feet. Since no skeleton is complete, it is safe to conclude that none of these animals (mammoths, bears, wolves, oxen, hyenas, rhinoceros, aurochs, deer, and smaller mammals) fell into these fissures alive, nor were they rolled there by streams. Yet because of the calcite cementing of these diverse bones together, they must have been deposited under water. Such fissures have been discovered in various places around the world. This is exactly the kind of evidence that a brief but violent episode of this sort would be expected to show within the short span of one year.^[2]

The Size of the Ark (6:14-22)

450 feet (139 meters) long, 75 feet wide (23 meters) wide, 45 feet (14 meters) high.

The Capacity of the Ark

It had displacement of 43,000 tons. Its capacity was 522 boxcars, enough for 125, 280 sheep.
There are 17,600 species of animal today. Since Noah needed 2 of each species and 7 pairs of the clean that would be about 45,000.
That would require 1/3 of the living space. Leaving 2/3 for food, storage, and living of Noah’s family.
It took 100-120 years to build.

[1]. Answers in Genesis ministry, “The Global Flood: A biblical and scientific look at the catastrophe that changed the earth. (Petersburg, Kentucky: Answers in Genesis, 2009), 9-13.

[2]. Norman L. Geisler, “Archaeology, Old Testament,” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, 50.

What about other accounts found in other civilizations that describe the Flood?

The superficial similarities in the different accounts point toward an historical core of events that gave rise to all, not toward plagiarism by Moses. The names change. Noah is called Ziusudra by the Sumerians and Utnapishtim by the Babylonians. The basic story doesn’t. A man is told to build a ship to specific dimensions because God(s) are going to flood the world. He does it, rides out the storm, and offers sacrifice upon exiting the boat. The Deity(-ies) respond with remorse over the destruction of life and make a covenant with the man. These core events point to a historical basis. The flood is told of by the Greeks, the Hindus, the Chinese, the Mexicans, and the Hawaiians, which means that all these nations knew about the same event. Consequently, it proves that the flood was universal catastrophe not a localized flood.

There are good reasons to believe that Genesis gives the original story. The other versions contain elaborations indicating corruption:

Only in Genesis is the year of the flood given, as well as dates for the chronology relative to Noah’s life. In fact, Genesis reads almost like a diary or ship’s log of the events.
The cubical Babylonian ship could not have saved anyone. The raging waters would have constantly turned it on every side. However, the biblical ark is rectangular—long, wide, and low—so that it would ride the rough seas well.
The length of the rainfall in the pagan accounts (seven days) is not enough time for the devastation they describe. The waters would have to rise at least above most mountains, to a height of above 17,000 feet, and it is more reasonable to assume a longer rainfall to do this. The Babylonian idea that all of the flood waters subsided in one day is equally absurd.
In these accounts the hero is granted immortality and exalted. The Bible moves on to Noah’s sin. Only a version that seeks to tell the truth would include this realistic admission.