The great flood

It appears that the author of book of Genesis had taken the main idea from other religious beliefs. The mythological stories of flood in books of other religions as well confirm that in a remote time in the past, the fire or flood had either destroyed or cleansed the world. God had inflicted the punishment on humankind because of their wrong doings. A Mesopotamian mythology does recall the incident of sudden flooding from the two Great River Tigris and Euphrates. There is a similar account in the Gilgamesh Epic, a Babylonian heroic narrative of Sumerian origin. There it says that the high god Enlil sends a deluge to destroy humankind. Only one man, Utnapishtim, survives in a cube-shaped ark he had built. In this cube, shaped ark had stocked the seed of all living creatures. The description of his preparation and voyage closely anticipate the biblical story of Noah. The motif of the Flood also occurs in the mythology of India and Greece. In Chinese myth, the Emperor Shun had asked a hero named Yu to bring floodwater under control. The punishing toil took 13 years, but Yu at last solves the problem by constructing canals. The Aboriginal Australian myth of the Great Flood, which both destroyed a previously existing world and initiated a new social order, may have a historical basis in the effects of rising sea levels as temperatures rose after the last Ice Age. In several versions, the Flood is the work of the great serpent or rainbow-snake Yulunggul, who sends it in anger at pollution of his waterhole by the two Wawalag sisters, Waimariwi and Boaliri, whose travels play a major role in Aboriginal creation myths. Yulunggul devours the sisters and their two children, but after the Flood has abated, he regurgitates them, creating the first inhabitants of the New World. Yet surprising but true, while Flood myths show the destructive power of water; the creation myths on the other hand often recount the origins of the world from a watery abyss or primal sea. Moses perhaps had narrated the story of Noah to the Israelites while they were wandering in the desert. He had done so just to reveal the redemptive features of God in men like Noah. To Israelites, rains and floods were not the known occurrences. Therefore, they did not know that the Ark is a mere curved vessel and not a ship. Only Ships have a hold to carry possessions of the kind that went in with Noah. Besides, to survive forty days in heavy floods the ship must have a bulk, volume, and watertight compartments. Further, such a ship Noah might have made out of a highly seasoned wood. How was Noah able to build such a ship single-handed? Why not, some would say, since Noah had lived in the woods; it was quite natural for him to be a skilled carpenter. Then there had been no rains before the deluge; therefore, long exposure to dry weather had naturally seasoned the wood. Nevertheless, the story of a charming ship builder; a sailing vessel with bowsprit and rigged masts; floating in flood; containing men, animal, etc., had greatly fascinated the people wandering in the desert. The story had not only raised their spirits but also had kept their hopes alive in desert at times when they were greatly distressed. The story of Noah had raised in them a hope; that later became real in Jesus. Through this story, Moses had revealed the redemptive plan of God for the humankind. What is that redemptive plan? God's redemptive plan is; whenever men will be overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, and despair he shall then come himself to save them. When Israelite were in captivity, there was Moses to lead them out of Egypt. Thus, when there shall be none to lead God shall then come again to lead the humankind.

There is a lot of proof that there has been a worldwide flood. One thing is the stories around the world but the most reliable history is in the Bible. Some geologists mean that we have proof in the nature, especially near the North and South poles, that there has been lots of powerful lightnings that came together with the water and made enormous holes in the rocks. You might be interested in reading more about this subject. I found the following article online that asks if the flood in Noah´s days was really global: http://www.watchtower.org/e/20080601/article_01.htm

Floods are destructive, and they happen EVERYWHERE. It's no coincidence that they all talk about "great" floods because many countries and cultures have, in fact, experienced great and terrible floods. They didn't experience the great flood of the bible, though. If they had, we'd see the scar of such a flood in the layers of the Earth, all over the Earth, but we don't. Not to mention the logical impossibility of gathering every species of animal onto a single ship, some from continents entirely unknown of at that time.

Hi danielle, It's true that there are many stories and tales about a great flood but we have no idea how long these stories have been around. Some think it may go back to the last ice age and the melting ice after the earth began to warm up again. The Genesis story is obviously old legends that were passed down for hundreds of generations, and the Adam and Eve story is just that a story. Blessings.

There was an ancient flood around Mesopotamia that all these stories are based upon. Sure there are stories from all over the world, however you must take into account that people love to talk even in ancient times. A good story can be passed all over the world. Much easier today with the internet. Besides if Noah was the only one to survive, you have to ask yourself the big question. Where were all those fishing boats people were using??? Someone else would have made it alive.

For me in the bible no flood ever happened like the Noah's day the type of animals also not to carry in the ark because no ark to be built to have a salvation.