Saving Faith
Everything about God and the Christian faith.
4 - Evidence of the Flood
Key Facts About the Great Flood
The Bible recounts that, in the early history of the Earth, a great flood occurred that extended across the entire planet. Flood narratives have been handed down in many of the world's civilizations—including the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh—as well as among the peoples of Egypt, Greece, China, Africa, India, and many others. In total, approximately 270 such accounts exist. In most of them, a figure named Noah is even mentioned—a name that also appears in the Bible. The Bible testifies that, just a few generations after the Fall of Man, the Earth had become corrupted by human wickedness and was filled with violence. For this reason, according to biblical tradition, GOD sent a massive flood to cover the entire Earth. 120 years prior, GOD commanded a man named Noah—who, by virtue of his reverence for GOD, had found grace in His eyes—to construct a gigantic wooden vessel: the Ark. Once the construction of the Ark was complete, GOD instructed Noah to bring aboard the vessel a pair of every land-dwelling creature then in existence, along with food for both humans and animals. After Noah and his family had boarded the Ark, GOD unleashed the promised flood, in which all humans and animals located outside the Ark perished. After approximately one year, the floodwaters receded, allowing Noah and his family to disembark from the Ark together with the surviving animals. It is a remarkable fact that, according to the biblical account, the Ark came to rest in the southern region of the Ararat mountain range (in present-day Turkey)—the very place where the origins of all human civilization are situated. From this location, the historical dispersion of all the world's peoples can be traced.
Video footage reveals the unimaginable natural forces at work during local flood disasters and the enormous damage these events cause. In light of this, the potential impact of a global flood can only be dimly imagined. Modern-day natural disasters are not even remotely comparable to the Great Flood described in the Bible. Science denies that a worldwide flood ever occurred. The reason for this is that a global flood catastrophe—in which all life on Earth would have been annihilated—would simultaneously refute the theory of evolution, which posits that organisms evolved slowly over the course of millions of years. It is reasonable to assume that the Earth looked different in the pre-diluvian era than it did afterward. The shape of today's continents suggests that, in the beginning, there was only a single (super)continent. This hypothesis is further supported by the continental rifts found in the oceans between the continents. Researchers hypothesize that the oceans of that time were smaller and shallower and—unlike today—contained fresh water. Furthermore, the average water temperature is believed to have been higher than that of modern oceans. Mountains, conversely, were much lower in the past than they are today; most likely, they were merely small to medium-sized hills. Most of today's mountains were likely thrust upward from the oceans during the Great Flood. A generally pleasant subtropical climate prevailed, characterized by lush vegetation and optimal living conditions for both humans and animals—which is why humans attained significantly greater ages than they do today. Noah, for instance, is said in the Bible to have lived to the age of 950 before he died. From this, one can infer that animals, too, lived much longer lives during that era. This also serves to explain the remarkable physical dimensions of certain animal species when compared to their living descendants today.
According to the Bible (Genesis 6,14), the dimensions of the Ark were 300 cubits (approx. 130 meters) in length, 50 cubits (approx. 22 meters) in width, and 30 cubits (approx. 13 meters) in height. The construction of such a massive vessel without the aid of modern technology demonstrates that humans living some 5,000 years ago were by no means primitive; in fact, in terms of physical strength, they were vastly superior to us. This is further attested to by other ancient structures—such as the Egyptian pyramids or the colossal temple complexes of Greece and Rome—whose ruins can still be visited today. Since the early Earth consisted of a single contiguous landmass and animals had not yet spread so widely across the planet, bringing the animals aboard the ship did not constitute an overly arduous task for Noah. Furthermore, it can be assumed that, due to the superior living conditions on the planet at that time and their close proximity to humans, the animals were far less skittish and aggressive than they are today. Moreover, it cannot be ruled out that GOD Himself, through supernatural means, moved the selected animals to enter the Ark. Additionally, it is plausible to surmise that Noah took only young animals of each species onto the ship, as they require less food and occupy less space than fully grown specimens. Other creatures—those that exist in water—were able to survive outside the Ark. It is also reasonable to assume that the Ark carried only the so-called "basic kinds" of each animal (e.g., the wolf), from which the various variations that populate the Earth today subsequently evolved. This would have limited the total number of animals aboard the Ark to a few thousand, thereby significantly reducing the spatial requirements. Consequently, ample space would have remained for fodder and for Noah's family.
Global Chalk Layer
A distinctive geological layer, found on every continent worldwide, is chalk. This layer consists of microscopic marine organisms such as algae, shells, crustaceans, snails, and the like. When these organisms die and decompose, only their calcium-based skeletons remain, eventually transforming into chalk. The vast majority of the world's chalk deposits are composed of algae. However, algae do not form in very deep waters, but rather only in relatively shallow ones. Furthermore, algae grow very rapidly, enabling them to spread across vast areas within a short period. The fact that algae exist exclusively in aquatic environments—combined with the widespread distribution of chalk layers across all continents—demonstrates that, at one time, the entire globe was simultaneously submerged beneath water. Moreover, chalk is found not only in lower-lying strata but also atop high mountains. This, in turn, proves that even these mountains—regardless of whether they were uplifted to their current heights during or after the Great Flood—must have been completely submerged beneath the floodwaters.
Water deposits
The vast majority of geological strata formed underwater. Due to the lime contained in the floodwaters, they hardened until they eventually turned into solid rock. After the water had receded—approximately one year later—some of these strata remained behind as mountains and landscapes. Others were washed away and vanished. The recurring underwater turbidites (or mudslides) gradually formed layers containing buried animals and plants. In this way, they were preserved and have survived to this day as fossils. Almost all fossils that are excavated are oriented in the direction of the current. This applies to dinosaurs, mammals, and microorganisms, as well as plants and trees. This, too, demonstrates that all fossils were originally deposited in water. Furthermore, vast regions of the Earth—including numerous deserts—contain evidence indicating that they were once submerged. The towering sand dunes found in the Sahara and other deserts could only have reached such heights underwater, as on dry land, they would collapse under their own weight. What all geological strata have in common is that the heavier material (such as stones, rubble, etc.) is situated at the bottom, while the lighter material (such as sand, chalk, etc.) is found at the top. This fact also serves as evidence of the role water played in the formation of these fossils. Moreover, this circumstance proves that these strata formed within a very short period rather than over the course of millions of years. In some geological strata, one finds a multitude of leaves in varying states of preservation. This constitutes further evidence that the fossils formed within a relatively short timeframe, given that a leaf exposed to air and the elements would decay within a matter of weeks.
Fossils
Science asserts that fossils were formed by volcanic lava and ash. However, this claim is contradicted by the fact that the vast majority of fossils are embedded in aquatic sediments. This moist sediment protects the fossils from weathering. Therefore, rapid burial is the most critical factor in the process of fossilization. Slow fossilization is impossible—certainly not over the span of millions of years—because dead organisms would inevitably decay, decompose, or be consumed by other animals due to exposure to the elements. The scales of fish and the baleen of whales, in particular, decompose very rapidly. Footage of modern-day flood disasters demonstrates that the remains of deceased animals vanish after only a short period. This, too, argues against the possibility of fossilization occurring over extended periods. Furthermore, if fossils were indeed millions of years old, they should have long since been destroyed by the planet's high rates of erosion. Consequently, no fossils would exist today. Moreover, fossilized remains of aquatic animals—such as marine mussels and fish—can be found in every corner of the globe, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountain peaks. This fact, too, can only be explained by a cataclysmic global flood. Many of the fossils discovered are remarkably well-preserved; this indicates that they must have been buried before the process of decomposition could begin. In some specimens, a prey animal can even be found still clutched within the predator's jaws. Among the fossils excavated worldwide are the remains of many massive creatures, such as whales, dinosaurs, and elephants. Burying such animals rapidly requires an immense volume of water and sediment. In certain regions of the world, vast "fossil graveyards" have been discovered, containing the remains of hundreds of such animals. Localized floods are an insufficient explanation for such catastrophic circumstances; the only plausible explanation is a global deluge of biblical proportions. Furthermore, bone fragments from tens of thousands of mammals are found intermingled within the uppermost geological strata—such as the Tertiary layer—across the globe. This provides compelling evidence of a global catastrophe. The fact that mammals and birds are typically found in the uppermost layers is due to the fact that these animals float on the surface of the water. After perishing in the floodwaters and decomposing in the water until only their bones remained, they were churned about by the immense forces of the water. In the process, they broke apart, were washed together with the skeletal remains of other animals, and became embedded in mud—thereby ultimately turning into fossils.
So-called trace fossils, which can be found all over the world, indicate the direction in which animals moved in the past. What is remarkable is that over 90% of the discovered tracks point uphill—the direction of travel. This is an unnatural phenomenon and suggests escape behavior, which is best explained in the context of a global flood. Similar animal behavior can be observed during modern-day flood disasters, even though tracks rarely survive in such instances. For a long time, the scientific community maintained that the process of fossilization required vast amounts of time, thereby seeking to refute the biblical Flood and the theory of a young Earth. However, it is now known that fossilization can occur within a very short period. The rule is: the greater the presence of water and calcium carbonate, the less time it takes for a living organism or object to turn into stone. In the event of a global flood—during which immense quantities of water and calcium carbonate would have been present—fossils could have been petrified in an extremely short time. Worldwide, there have been numerous discoveries of bottles, clay vessels, and ship's bells from sunken vessels found embedded within solid rock. Since these petrified objects are only a few decades old, the process of fossilization cannot have spanned millions of years. The same conclusion can be drawn regarding biological fossils. Furthermore, there are rock formations in which two distinct geological layers are intermixed. This phenomenon may have resulted from underwater mudslides churning together various materials. However, this is only possible if the respective layers are still soft—which, in turn, implies that they must have formed rapidly.
V-shaped gorges
Worldwide, one finds extremely wide riverbeds—including many within canyons—that could not have been shaped by natural circumstances alone. These formed when the massive volumes of water from the Great Flood receded at high velocity, eroding the landscape in the process. It was in this manner that today's river valleys were shaped. Furthermore, most of these riverbeds have been scoured out into a V-shape. Researchers have discovered that this indicates a rapid erosion of the mountains within a short timeframe, implying that very large quantities of water were involved. Conversely, a slow formation process occurring over a long period (e.g., through the action of a river) would have left behind U-shaped gorges.
Fold Mountains and Sandstone Pillars
In many mountainous regions, layers several hundred meters thick can be found that are bent and folded into U-shapes. According to the geological timescale, these formations are supposed to have solidified over hundreds of millions of years before being bent. Nevertheless, the folding occurred without fracturing. This implies that these mountains must have been soft at the time of their formation. The claim that the mountains were heated by magma is unsubstantiated, as no signs of heat can be detected. Further evidence pointing to the rapid formation of geological layers consists of sandstone pillars that cut through multiple layers simultaneously. These were driven upward through the layers from below with tremendous force; however, for this to occur, the layers must have been soft. Conversely, had the layers been millions of years old, they would have shattered during this process—or, indeed, it would have been impossible to drive a pillar through such hard rock layers without an immense amount of pressure.
Paleocurrents
A unique phenomenon in geology involves so-called paleocurrents. These indicate the flow direction of an ancient current—whether of wind or water—that deposited a particular sediment. This means that, by examining any geological stratum, one can discern the direction in which water flowed in the past. These paleocurrents can be identified in sedimentary rocks across every continent on Earth. Today, nearly one million such measurements are recorded in various databases. The continents of North America, South America, Australia, and Great Britain—as well as parts of Western Europe—are particularly well-documented. A striking observation is that the discernible trends do not align with the standard model for geological basins. For while, under natural circumstances, water typically flows into a basin from all sides, the very same geological strata across all continents reveal a unidirectional water flow that traverses the entire continent. This same phenomenon can be observed in South America, Europe, and Australia. Consequently, these trends align with the global catastrophe model and simultaneously provide evidence of a worldwide deluge.
Petrified Forests
Another phenomenon found in the Americas, Asia, and Africa consists of petrified forests. These comprise many thousands of petrified trees—including numerous conifers—which stand or lie in layers, sometimes stacked several deep. According to scientific accounts, these are said to have gradually petrified over the course of millions of years. A striking feature is that all the trees lack roots, bark, and branches; this indicates that the trees cannot have grown in the locations where they are now found. Instead, it points to an unnatural set of circumstances. Such a phenomenon occurs when trees are churned about in vast bodies of water by immense forces. As the trees collide with one another, their bark and branches are broken off. The fact that multiple layers of petrified trees are stacked atop one another can be explained by a massive underwater volcanic eruption involving a series of explosive events. During this process, trees—which had been uprooted by the Great Flood—were hurled through the air with tremendous force and ultimately buried in an upright position. This interpretation is further supported by indications of water-borne deposits in the form of volcanic rock (breccia), which are found in these regions and which form exclusively underwater. Other trees—those not caught up in an eruption—either drifted upright in the water or righted themselves after a short time. Studies of these eruptive events have shown that the petrified forests formed within a span of just a few months. This evidence contradicts the scientific theory positing a timescale of millions of years.
coal
Massive layers of brown and black coal are found all over the Earth. These point to vast forests that once existed in the past. Within all of these coal layers, distinct traces of sedimentary rock can be found, indicating the occurrence of floods. In some of the upper layers, brown coal is intermixed with chalk—composed of shells and other marine organisms. This suggests that all these layers must at one time have been submerged underwater. Some layers of brown coal contain wood that remains partially usable. This, in turn, can only mean that these layers formed relatively recently. Had they, conversely, been millions of years old, the wood would long since have decayed and become unusable. Furthermore, some of these coal layers are up to 30 meters thick. The sheer volume of trees and plants that must have been swept together to form them can only be plausibly explained by a massive deluge.
Curved Layers
In North America's Bighorn Basin, several geological layers are deposited between two mountains. What makes them remarkable is that they are uplifted at the edges, whereas no such uplift can be observed in the uppermost layers. This indicates that these layers must still have been soft when the mountains were uplifted. Had the layers been several million years old, they would long since have hardened to stone. Consequently, during the mountain-building process, they would have fractured at the edges—an event that would have left visible traces in the topography.
Arguments Against a Local Flood
Some claim that the Great Flood was merely a regional inundation. However, the following objections speak against this: 1. Had the flood been locally confined, Noah would not have needed to devote several years of his life to constructing such a massive vessel for himself and his family; instead, he could have escaped the flood by other means. 2. Had the flood been locally confined, other people who were outside the Ark at the time of the catastrophe could also have survived. Yet the Bible testifies that ALL souls who were not on board the ship at the time of the flood perished. Jesus, too, confirms in the New Testament that the Great Flood swept away all people except for Noah and his family. 3. In the New Testament, the Great Flood is compared to the final judgment that awaits humanity. In this last great judgment, all ungodly people on earth will be destroyed, leaving behind only those destined for eternal life. If there had been people capable of surviving the Great Flood without the Ark, this parallel would be meaningless. 4. Had the flood been locally confined, the water—according to the biblical flood account—could not have risen 6 meters above the mountains of that time. After all, water always seeks the lowest point and spreads horizontally across the surface. Consequently, everything situated lower than the water level must simultaneously be submerged by the water.
Conclusion
Worldwide, there is abundant evidence that can only be explained by a global flood catastrophe—such as the one attested to in the Bible and various ancient accounts. The Great Flood was GOD’s judgment upon the godless people of the former world. It serves to demonstrate to us that GOD’s patience with the godless will eventually come to an end, and that GOD will hold every individual accountable for their sins. At the same time, we can learn from this that GOD will grant grace to all who turn away from their sins and turn to Him, preserving them from judgment. Thus, the Ark also serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ, whom GOD has appointed as the Savior for all mankind. If we accept Jesus as our Savior and are willing to obey His commandments, we receive forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. If, however, we spurn GOD’s grace, then we too—just like the people of Noah’s time—will perish along with the world.