The history of the Great Flood is present in many ancient cultures. But did it really happen?
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the springs of the great abyss were opened, the windows of heaven were opened; and it rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7: 11,12)
About five to nine thousand years ago, an exciting historical event took place in the northern Turkish province of Sinop. Some even argue that it is evidence of the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible, but perhaps not on such a large scale.
In September 2004, an expedition to the Black Sea, consisting of a team of scientists from various organizations (including the National Geographic Society), concluded that this sea was not always the same as we know it today, and that it originated from a huge lake of black water. which once began to expand unusually rapidly. So quickly that the locals were forced to immediately look for a safer place, hastily leaving behind housing, tools and other evidence of their living.
The underwater expedition, led by oceanographer Robert Bollad, announced that human settlements once existed there, now more than 100 meters underwater. This stunning Black Sea discovery not only contributed to the historical understanding of the severe historical changes in the seabed that plagued the ancient Near East, but also raised questions about what caused those changes.
Since then, scientists and reporters have continued to explore this issue, which may be the key to understanding the historical development of human civilization and the various climatic stages that the Earth experienced. In addition, it is an important topic, intertwined not only with Jewish and Christian traditions, but also with many legends from various cultures of the world.
Black Sea - proof of the flood?
Modern hypotheses suggesting that the rapid growth of the Black Sea was a consequence of an incredible downpour on a planetary scale, have never been accepted with a bang. Based on a large structure of scientific laws, predominantly geological, that have been established through empirical observation over the years, this makes this a pretty incredible scenario.
Promotional video:
Firstly, skeptical geologists propose that if such a flood occurred, all over the world in the earth's crust they would find layers similar to the Black Sea, covered with pebbles, sediments, boulders, etc. It is curious that similar layers still cannot be found, even taking into account that the flood described by the Bible happened, by geological standards, recently, possibly as early as 3000 BC.
Also, no fossils of various animals and vegetation have been found occupying certain soil layers. According to the Rapid Flood Hypothesis, animal remains of all pre-Flood species (including extinct dinosaurs) are to be found in only one layer today. But paleontology completely contradicts these hypotheses.
Yet these examples seem to be just the tip of the iceberg, including arguments that refute global flooding. Even so, much of this reasoning is refuted with the same grace by other flood scientists. In fact, such descriptions as “all the sources of the great abyss were opened” or “the windows of heaven were opened” from the Bible are supported by hypotheses that cannot be ruled out as incompatible with reality.
One of the more controversial hypotheses suggests that the planet may have been covered in water to its highest points, contrary to calculations indicating that all the water in the atmosphere would be enough to cover the entire surface of the Earth by 3 cm. Calculate that if the geography of the Earth has gone through the flattening of its surface - lowering mountains, raising the seabed, the entire Earth will be covered by thousands of feet of water.
According to the "water gripping the earth" theory, in Noah's time, the upper atmosphere contained a significant amount of water that makes up the oceans today. This atmospheric water was what covered the entire planet and which later returned to the ocean trenches, created by strong vertical tectonic movements. Researchers in support of this idea believe that these "waterfalls of heaven" could have compacted themselves thanks to the dust produced by several simultaneous volcanic eruptions.
Non-biblical global flood myths can also be found in Hindu, Sumerian, Greek, Acadian, Chinese, Araucanian cultures, as well as in Mayan, Aztec, and Easter Island legends. Some of these stories share remarkably similar general factors. Among the most frequently repeated plots are signs of heaven, ignored by people, the great flood itself, the construction of an ark for salvation, and the later restoration of life on the planet.
One such myth is the pre-biblical Mesopotamian story, in which the Earth God warned Uta-na-pistim, King of Shuruppak, about the punishment that awaits humanity for its serious moral degeneration. Uta-na-pistim received instructions from God to build a cube-shaped ship with eight floors. God also said that he should place in it a couple of each species of animals, plant seeds and his family. Thus, Uta-na-pistim survived a flood for several days, released a bird to check the proximity of land, and sacrificed the animal to the gods.
Searching for the Lost Ark
One separate fact that adds weight to what the Bible says is photographs and surveys of a large object located on Mount Ararat, where, according to Christian accounts, Noah's ark finally landed on land.
In early 2006, Porcher Taylor, a professor at the University of Richmond, announced that a study of satellite photographs taken in recent years showed an unusual object on the northeastern slope of Mount Ararat, the length of which exactly matches the size of the ark mentioned in the Bible.
This statement prompted many scientists to organize expeditions. Some of them found the remains of petrified wood and 13 massive stones in the area of the alleged location of the ark. Supersonic tests were also done which revealed a very strange structure embedded in the stones.
Despite the diversity of texts from numerous cultures that tell the story of the great ancient flood, the magnitude and duration of this event remains a controversial point, even among those who believe that such an event did occur. Thus, while a small number of researchers believe that this flood covered the entire Earth, most geologists believe that such a scenario is impossible.
While not everyone believes the ancient testimonies that describe the rebuilding of humanity from a handful of rescued people, it seems that a climate catastrophe did indeed occur across the planet several millennia ago. We can also assume that a certain number of people on the highlands had the ability to continue civilization and pass on the history of origin to later generations.
Until new evidence finally tilts the balance towards one of these specific theories, the history of the eras, when the great flood purged man's sins, will be perceived by some as a myth, and by others as a historical fact. In any case, this large ancient flood will forever remain a part of human history.