Science and the Bible

[Tesaje]

We knew for a really long time that the melting of the glaciers caused massive flooding in a lot of areas and caused the sea level to rise obliterating quite a lot of land. There was dry land between England and France during the ice age - no more.

What is interesting about the Black Sea flood theory is it presents firmer evidence of how it became like it is today and evidence that it was a very sudden flood - literally a dam breaking kind of rush of water. They have found evidence of neolithic villages now submerged that once were on dry land. The other thing that is interesting is how late it might have happened - some 8000 years ago. This theory is not accepted by all. There is also evidence that the Mediterranean sloshed over the Bosporus many times as the sea levels rose.

Some also link this event to Plato's story of the deluge of Atlantis.

This is a little more rational compilation of the known facts of this area:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_noah.htm

[yydanay515]

Originally Posted by MICoastieMom

I totally get that, yydanay, but please remember that you are looking at the event with the benefit of hindsight. 8000 years ago, the bulk of the 5 million inhabitants on earth lived in the fertile crescent. They had no idea how big the world was. When you don't know the rest of the world even exists, a flood big enough to create the Black Sea might indeed seem large enough to have flooded the entire planet.

You have no argument from me. I am a firm believer that some of the biblical stories are old, handed down, oral traditions that by the time they reached the pages of the bible were already embellished with fanciful details to spice up the stories.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by MICoastieMom

I totally get that, yydanay, but please remember that you are looking at the event with the benefit of hindsight. 8000 years ago, the bulk of the 5 million inhabitants on earth lived in the fertile crescent. They had no idea how big the world was. When you don't know the rest of the world even exists, a flood big enough to create the Black Sea might indeed seem large enough to have flooded the entire planet.

This is not true. Most people in the world at that time did not live in the fertile crescent region. They were spread out on all the continents of the earth save Antarctica. Also, the fertile crescent region was not affected by the Black Sea flooding, however it may have happened. There is a theory that peoples of the Black Sea are migrated there but this is not well substantiated.

Since the myth of world flooding is so widespread, it is likely a distant memory of glacial melt flooding in several areas. You are probably right that the events to people without much travel experience would consider any of those events a catastrophic disaster, especially if they could no longer return to their old homes.

Another thing with the Black Sea flood that doesn't jive with the bible myth is the waters didn't recede back as they were supposed to in the bible story.

[coosjoaquin]

Originally Posted by stycotl

i don't know what it was called, but there was one like this on the history channel (i think) a few years ago that could tie all of the plagues, and the parting of the red sea (kind of) to volcanic activity off the coast of italy. it was fascinating. i am sure that they got some of it wrong (references to red sea vs. reed sea), but it was still very cool.

It was probably the same, the only thing I remember is saying how it was traditional for firstborns to sleep on the ground floor then CO built up there and axphisiated them in their sleep, the jews we spared because they were up celebrating I think.

I have many problems with the ideas presented there(well just 1 big one) but it was still quite interesting to watch at the time.

[stycotl]

yeah, it was a good show. plus, i love volcanos, so cool stuff.