Here is Part 4 of the Accuracy of the Bible Series. Enjoy!
The Ark had the following specifications:
-To be made of gopher wood (unknown wood type)
-Pitch is to be used in the construction
-300 cubits long : 135 meters
-50 cubits wide: 22.5 meters
-30 cubits high: 13.5 meters
-3 stories high
-1,518,750 cubic meters.
Contained on the Ark must be the following:
1. Two of every living thing of all flesh (one male and one female)
2. Two of every fowl, cattle, and every creeping
3. Seven of every clean beast
4. Two of every unclean beast
5. Seven of every fowl
6. Sufficient food to feed Noah, his sons (of which he had three), his wife, his sons’ wives, and all the creatures contained on the Ark to last the entire duration of their stay on the Ark (one year).
The timeline:
-Noah had an unknown amount of time to build the Ark. At absolute most, he had 100 years to build it.
-Noah was 600 years old when the ark was completed. He was, at the youngest, 500 years old when he started building it.
-The rains will continue for forty days and forty nights.
-Noah was on the ark for approximately one year.
I challenge a team of eight people (four men, four women), today, to build the Ark. Let’s only allow them to use tools and equipment available to Noah at the time of the creation of the Ark. No electronics, no computers, no calculators, no tools, not even a standard measuring tape. This team of eight would have to create a boat that must stay afloat for a year on turbulent seas, house and feed hundreds of thousands of animals (along with adequate food), while maintaining appropriate ventilation and waste disposal to prevent rampant disease and sickness.
I dare say that even given one hundred years to create it (and appropriate, nonsensical life spans to keep working), this team of eight could not create this vessel. The sheer mass of the Ark, the complicated and advanced engineering involved, and vast amount of wood required are beyond a handful of people using simple tools.
It would be a miracle of modern engineering to create an Ark. Let’s say that some ambitious engineers and scientists decide to replicate the Ark, to create one that would actually function, using the specifications listed above. The next question is: how did Noah get all the animals on the boat safely and effectively? I challenge this new team of modern engineers to successfully gather hundreds of thousands of animals, many of which are carnivorous and/or incredibly dangerous, and successfully move them from onto this vessel. It would be a logistical nightmare. The amount of organization, compartmentalization, and care required would require a brilliant, modern team of zoologists and handlers. It would take the team years to even plan this sort of endeavor, let alone implement it.
How a small group of relatively simple, unskilled, and uneducated people are believed to have completed such a task is beyond my comprehension. I have read complex explanations on how the Ark itself, as a vessel, could exist – intricate cages, waste disposal systems, and ventilation methods are described at great length. However, no these explanations are provided by people with access to great knowledge, training, and education – things that Noah and his ilk did not have.
One of the things I have always found interesting is the similarities between the Biblical 'Flood Story' and the flood story in the epic of Gilgamesh. It seems tho that even that was an adaptation from an even earlier flood story that historically predates the old testament(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atra-Hasis). It is my opinion that they Old Testament flood story is just a retelling of an earlier tale. Its also unfortunate that they didnt adapt any other stories from the Epic of Gilgamesh, as he was the original oldschool badass before even Hercules and the Bible is severely lacking in the action hero department.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Chris. I believe that the Bible's account of the flood does refer to an actual flood that most likely took place in early history. If we look at this story as one culture's mythological explanation of an actual world event, then it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are people who believe that the stories contained in the Bible happened exactly as they are described, that the Bible is an infallible retelling of historical events. That is the leap I criticize.
Did a catastrophic flood occur at one point in that region's history? Probably. Did a group of simple, nomadic people construct a colossal vessel on which they loaded hundreds of thousands of different species of animals? Probably not. I argue that to believe otherwise is pure fantasy.
Look... you're clearly wrong. Otherwise, how do you explain the extinction of the unicorn? Huh? Care to explain THAT, Mr. Philosopher? I think not! Everyone knows they just missed the boat. QED.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the flood story and it's various incarnations in ancient mythology: This suggests that the story of Noah's Ark is a way to explain catastrophic events through the lens of their religion and culture as well as to strengthen their pride in being the underdog that constantly rises from struggles (having been blessed by their god, etc.)
ReplyDeleteThe Bible makes more sense if the Old Testament taken as a book of mythology that was a combination of true events (Israelite history) embellished with their religion and their strong belief in being the chosen people of their god.
It should be taken as an explanation they created for themselves for constantly having to struggle. ultimately, it's a big rule book with motivational stories for the Israelite man.
In regards to the "approximation of pi" in the previous post. I think the mere fact that it's an approximation nulls the divinity of the book (inspired or otherwise) which is the focus of the critique.
I think what is necessary to understand about that aspect of the argument is that it actually strengthens the critique of the bible: It is a man-made/written object, as are the approximations. (and bad ones at that, considering a man in ancient Greece had approximated the circumference of the earth within miles of it's actual circumference with a staff and the position of the sun)
Taking into consideration these points, even this little bit of opposition, is enough to topple the relevancy/usefulness of the bible in modern society