Yes, it really happened, when properly understood. Obviously it did not include the "whole world" as we understand that term today. There isn't the much water in existence. To understand something written several thousands years ago, we first have to ask what various terms meant to someone of that time and place, not what they mean to us today. When someone in the Mediterranean/Red Sea area 5,000 years ago wrote "the whole world", they obviously were not thinking of North or South America, Australia, or Asia, since they didn't have a clue that such places existed. They were referring to THEIR "whole world", the "whole world they knew to exist, which was the Mediterranean/Red Sea area. There is evidence visible today, of that great flood. The inland, elevated Black Sea was formed at that time.
From the waste lands of Australia to the mountain ranges of Iran, there is a story of a great flood. Most if not all of those stories can be pin pointed as first being authored some 3000 years ago.
So yes, I believe it happened and that the most accurate account is the one found in the Bible.
People are still talking about a hurricane that happened roughly a decade ago where I live.
Areas with water and heat had more people, still do. More water and heat more chance of flooding. More people higher chance of literacy. More literacy more records. Almost all the religions that came about in illiterate cultures died off. It shouldn't be too shocking that we are left with flood narratives.
I'm sure mankind experienced many such events throughout our evolution. We know for instance that there was a large freshwater lake on the American icecap during the last ice age, that would have suddenly broken through and emptied at some point during the melt. Also, the Mediterranean has dried out at least once, and flooded again at the strait of Gibraltar.
Early humans settled river valleys and coastlines - so just about every early culture had floods in their folk history. There has never been a worldwide flood while humans have existed.
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I think when the last Ice Age ended, continental shelves were flooded and this was recorded in folklore.
There is evidence that nearly every part of the world was under water at some point. The cause cannot be traced to any supernatural events though.
Yes, it really happened, when properly understood. Obviously it did not include the "whole world" as we understand that term today. There isn't the much water in existence. To understand something written several thousands years ago, we first have to ask what various terms meant to someone of that time and place, not what they mean to us today. When someone in the Mediterranean/Red Sea area 5,000 years ago wrote "the whole world", they obviously were not thinking of North or South America, Australia, or Asia, since they didn't have a clue that such places existed. They were referring to THEIR "whole world", the "whole world they knew to exist, which was the Mediterranean/Red Sea area. There is evidence visible today, of that great flood. The inland, elevated Black Sea was formed at that time.
A common myth dictates a common fact!
From the waste lands of Australia to the mountain ranges of Iran, there is a story of a great flood. Most if not all of those stories can be pin pointed as first being authored some 3000 years ago.
So yes, I believe it happened and that the most accurate account is the one found in the Bible.
People are still talking about a hurricane that happened roughly a decade ago where I live.
Areas with water and heat had more people, still do. More water and heat more chance of flooding. More people higher chance of literacy. More literacy more records. Almost all the religions that came about in illiterate cultures died off. It shouldn't be too shocking that we are left with flood narratives.
I sure do, friend.
I'm sure mankind experienced many such events throughout our evolution. We know for instance that there was a large freshwater lake on the American icecap during the last ice age, that would have suddenly broken through and emptied at some point during the melt. Also, the Mediterranean has dried out at least once, and flooded again at the strait of Gibraltar.
The story is meant to communicate a message and was never intended to be technically correct.
Early humans settled river valleys and coastlines - so just about every early culture had floods in their folk history. There has never been a worldwide flood while humans have existed.
No.
The god stories are found in most ancient religions.
They copied each other's insanity.