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Local flood theory

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The Flood of Noah and Companions (c. 1911) by Léon Comerre. Musée d'Arts de Nantes.

The local flood theory (also known as the limited flood theory) is an interpretation of the Genesis flood narrative where the flood of Noah is interpreted as a local event, generally located in Mesopotamia, instead of a global event.[1][2][3][4][5]

Background and history

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19th century

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The local flood interpretation of Noah's flood became accepted by many Christians after 19th century scientific findings.[citation needed] The view was defended by 19th century Scottish geologist Charles Lyell, in his book Principles of Geology (1833), where he concluded that the Genesis flood must have been a regional affair and not a global deluge.[2]

Creationist views

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Young Earth Creationist organizations such as Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research have criticized a local flood theory as faulty exegesis; they state that the Genesis flood covered the whole of the earth.[4][6]

Some Old Earth creationists reject flood geology,[7][8] a position which leaves them open to accusations that they thereby reject the inerrancy of Scripture.[9] In response, Old Earth creationists cite verses in the Bible where the words "whole" and "all" clearly require a contextual interpretation.[10] For example, Old Earth creationist Hugh Ross has defended the local flood theory; he promotes the view in his book, Navigating Genesis.[3][11]

Academic views

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There exists geological evidence that a large local flood happened in ancient Mesopotamia; additionally, extra-biblical writings from ancient Mesopotamia like Atra-Hasis and the Epic of Gilgamesh also feature catastrophic flooding, substantiating the claim that such a flood could have been the event that inspired these narratives.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ Instone-Brewer, David; scholar2021-11-26T09:28:00 00:00, Resident Bible. "Why Noah's flood may not have been global". Premier Christianity. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2022-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b "GSA Today - The evolution of creationism". www.geosociety.org. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  3. ^ a b Ross, Hugh Norman (2014). Navigating Genesis: A Scientist's Journey Through Genesis 1-11. Reasons to Believe. ISBN 978-1-886653-86-3. Archived from the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  4. ^ a b "Local Flood Theory: Why It Doesn't Work". Answers in Genesis. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  5. ^ Davidson, Richard (2004). "The Genesis Flood Narrative: Crucial Issues in the Current Debate". Viewcontent. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  6. ^ "Another Local Flood Theory". www.icr.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  7. ^ Deluge Geology Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine, J. Laurence Kulp, Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 2, 1(1950): 1-15.
  8. ^ The Geologic Column and its Implications for the Flood, Copyright © 2001 by Glenn Morton, TalkOrigins website, Last Update: February 17, 2001
  9. ^ Did Noah’s Flood cover the whole earth?, John D. Morris, Creation 12(2):48–50, March 1990
  10. ^ The Noachian Flood: Universal or Local? Archived 2019-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Carol A. Hill, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, p. 170-183, Volume 54, Number 3, September 2002
  11. ^ "Does the Bible Say Noah's Flood Was Global or Universal?". Reasons to Believe. 2012-10-30. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  12. ^ "Yes, Noah's Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth | National Center for Science Education". National Center for Science Education. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  13. ^ "The Flood: Mesopotamian Archaeological Evidence | National Center for Science Education". National Center for Science Education. Retrieved 2022-06-07.