Bible scholars have many different views on the same subject
and it is sometimes difficult to gather a consensus. We've used a compilation
of sources, cited at the end of Teaching
the Bible, so you are given different sides of the research. Enjoy using
these resources and others on discovering new views about Noah and the ark.
- It
took 120 years to build the ark.
- Noah
preached righteousness to the people, while he built the ark.
- The
people had 120 years to turn it around.
- Noah
and family and animals sat in the ark seven days before the first drop of
rain. Even more time for people to rethink their life styles.
- God
sealed the ark. He didn't let human will or human timetables affect the
departure.
- God
gave directions for a floating ship, not a sailing ship. Noah received no
instructions for a rudder.
- The
ark was one and a half football fields long.
- It was
three stories tall within the hull.
- They
were on the ark one year, one month and twenty-seven days.
- There
are two accounts of the number of animals. Gen. 6:19 tells
Noah to take male and female of every kind of animal. Gen. 7:2-3 tells
him to take seven pairs (male and female) of clean animals and only one
pair of unclean animals.
- The
clean animals were presumably for food and sacrifice.
- There
are many flood stories, all have a boat, animals, and a hero. The
Gilgamesh Epic is the Babylonian version of a flood story that mostly
resembles Noah's excursion. The gods were annoyed by the noises of man so
they decided to destroy the earth. Atrakhasis was warned in a dream to
build a boat, take his family, and animals. He was to announce to the rest
of the world that he was being punished, but they would benefit from this
action. The gods caused it to rain and flooded the earth. Atrakhasis sent
out birds to determine whether or not to get off the boat. He offered a
sacrifice to the gods and they promised never to destroy earth with a
flood again. The Genesis flood story is so similar that many suggest they
are one and the same.
- Noah's
ark was 450 feet long; the Mayflower was 90 feet long; the Cutty Sark is
212 feet long; and an aircraft carrier that can carry 5000 people and hold
90 planes is 1000 ft. long.
- One
account said the ark was large enough to hold 330 railroad cars. Another
source says 520 railroad box cars.
- "Only
150 box cars would be needed to comfortably carry two of each
air-breathing creature in the world today!" That's just one floor of
the ark.
- Noah
was 480 years old when he began building the ark.
- Noah
didn't have any children during the first twenty years of building the
ark.
- According
to the Hebrew calendar the ark voyage started about the middle to the end
of our November.
- Noah
didn't race off the boat. He waited for God's signal. Not like passengers
on the plane when you get to the gate.
