Local Flood Theory

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

 > ===============
 > Joe Alward:
 >
 > I visualized Noah's flooding occurring in a valley, wherever in the world
that
 > might have been, with the flood waters covering local small hills, or
 > "mounts", but not extending beyond the boundaries of the valley.  Can
anyone
 > point to Bible verses which show that the location of Noah's flood could
*not*
 > have occurred in such a valley?
 >
 >
 ==============
 ELF    Um, did you read the references to the flooding of the Black Sea?
 
     A perfect candidate from circa 5500 BCE for just such an event which
could
 have found its way into the folklore of surrounding populations (no real
 civilizations at that date) and could have spread, with details getting added
as
 time passed, as with any legend.
 
     Of course, that is of little help to a biblical inerrantist, but so it
goes.
===============
Joe Alward:

I don't know which reference to Black Sea flooding you're referring to.
Here's what I do know about (clipped from a URL I gave elsewhere):


"Excavations in Mesopotamia have led archaeologists and other scientists 
to conclude that a number of serious floods occurred there between 4000 
and 2000 BC. It is possible that one of these floods was so destructive 
that it made a lasting impression on the population and became a subject 
for the ancient literature of the period. 


"In its fully developed mythical form, the Mesopotamian flood appeared 
in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the first literary masterpieces, which 
relates the adventures of a hero-king of Sumer. The earliest versions of 
the epic derive from the first part of the 2nd millennium BC.


The story of the flood is told to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim, the 
counterpart of Noah in the story. Advised by the god Ea that his city is 
to be destroyed by flood, Utnapishtim is told to build a ship for his 
family, servants, and animals. After a seven-day flood, the vessel comes 
to rest on a mountaintop. The wrath of the gods has been appeased, and 
Utnapishtim and his wife are granted immortality. 


"About two thousand years after the Mesopotamian flood which led to the 
writing of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the story was probably brought to 
Canaan, the land where the Israelites settled, from Mesopotamia by the 
patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The tale was reshaped around the 
eighth or ninth century BC by Hebrew writers into a narrative about God 
and his purposes for mankind. In this version it is the whole Earth that 
is to be flooded. Only Noah, his family, and the animals he collects are 
to be saved. The flooding lasts 40 days, and afterward Noah's Ark 
settles on top of a mountain." 

• Previous message: Shaking Matt's Faith
• Next message: Local Flood Theory
• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]