Do You Know About Noah? [3]

So what is that headline?

It refers to some research done in America (well it would be!) that suggests that there are huge amounts of water pent up in the earth's crust.

The experiments replicated the environment and conditions deep in the Earth.

Based on what they witnessed in their lab, the researchers concluded that more water probably exists deep within the Earth than is present on Earth's surface; as much as five times more.

Other research has suggested that a zone between the mantle and the crust also contain a great deal of water, the Japanese researchers noted. If so, there could be more than ten times the amount of water inside the planet as there is on its surface.

That's a lotta lotta wotta (as the Scotsman said).

Very amusing! And this, spookily, is what the Bible says:-

When Noah was six hundred years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month all the outlets of the vast body of water beneath the earth burst open, all the floodgates of the sky were opened, and rain fell on the earth for forty days and nights.

That is spooky. I never knew about the "vast body of water beneath the earth".


It certainly provides food for thought.

When I was at school ...

And that was before the flood!

... I was taught that Noah's flood was most likely a massive local inundation; the world as it was known then was flooded. That map above shown how some people think the Black sea was once much smaller (the dark blue) and was flooded when water from the Mediterranean burst through. Millions who lived on the banks of the smaller sea would have been drowned.

But that modern research might change our opinion?

Then there's the legend of Gilgamesh.

What's that? A large slice of crispbread?

Its a slab of stone with part of the "Legend of Gilgamesh" engraved upon it. It dates from about 4,000 years ago; probably about the time the story of Noah was being passed round.

I watched the appearance of the weather
the weather was frightful to behold!
I went into the boat and sealed the entry.
there arose from the horizon a black cloud.
All day long the South Wind blew ...
blowing fast, submerging the mountain in water,
overwhelming the people like an attack.
No one could see his fellow,
they could not recognize each other in the torrent.
The gods were frightened by the Flood,
and retreated, ascending to the heaven of Anu.
Six days and seven nights
came the wind and flood, the storm flattening the land.
When the seventh day arrived, the storm was pounding,
the flood was a war
struggling with itself like a woman writhing in labour.
The sea calmed, fell still, the whirlwind and flood stopped.
I looked around all day long: quiet had set in
and all the human beings had turned to clay!
The terrain was as flat as a roof.
I opened a vent and fresh air fell upon the side of my nose.
I fell to my knees and sat weeping,
tears streaming down the side of my nose.
I looked around for coastlines in the expanse of the sea,
and at twelve leagues there emerged a region of land.
On Mount Nimush the boat lodged firm.

So what?

It suggests very strongly that there is some truth in the idea that there was some really huge and widespread flood, way back in history. It seem that most cultures in that part of the world had some sort of hazy memory. Not utter proof that the Bible is right, but very strong evidence.

And then there's Atlantis. And remember in this map is upside down which is why America is on the left and Africa is on the right.

But that's just a legend, surely?

Ah, but it might be a legend with just a tiny threat of truth in it. So maybe we need to take Noah's Flood more seriously.

Are we going to talk about Doves and Ravens and Mount Ararat?

Oh we are a clever little teenage person, aren't we. But that will be in the New Year. When we meet up for our next little chat.

So it's Happy Christmas, then!

And I wouldn't be seen dead in that!

 Fat Bus Bloke's Bible Blog  

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