Shape of Noahs ark?

[mikekle]

I came across a story about the dead sea scrolls and apparently they are saying the ark was shaped like a pyramid…??

**The new reading of the fragments has changed our understanding about Noah’s Ark. Thanks to the high-resolution imagery, a word following the phrase “the ark’s tallness” had previously been illegible. However, the new scans showed that the correct words is ne’esefet, meaning “gathered,” which according to researcher Dr. Alexey Yuditsky, means that the ark’s ribs were gathered together at the top in the shape of a pyramid. Dr Yuditsky said that the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Bible dating to the third century BC, used a Greek verb with a similar meaning to describe the Ark. Moreover, medieval authors like Maimonides suggested that the ark’s roof was pointed. **

 

[thephilosopher6]

I came across a story about the dead sea scrolls and apparently they are saying the ark was shaped like a pyramid…??

**The new reading of the fragments has changed our understanding about Noah’s Ark. Thanks to the high-resolution imagery, a word following the phrase “the ark’s tallness” had previously been illegible. However, the new scans showed that the correct words is ne’esefet, meaning “gathered,” which according to researcher Dr. Alexey Yuditsky, means that the ark’s ribs were gathered together at the top in the shape of a pyramid. Dr Yuditsky said that the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Bible dating to the third century BC, used a Greek verb with a similar meaning to describe the Ark. Moreover, medieval authors like Maimonides suggested that the ark’s roof was pointed. **

Interesting. I guess the new Noah’s Ark museum in Kentucky got is wrong.

 

[Strydersroom]

Noahs ark is a metaphor, not meant to be taken literally. It’s physically impossible to get they many species of every animal in one place.

 

[GEddie]

More to the point, where would all the water have gone?

Plants need air as much as animal life does. What did everybody and all the animals eat after the Flood if the whole land surface was drowned?

It’s telling that in an alleged world flood, the ark came to rest only a few hundred miles from its starting point. It seems more likely that this was a regional, ice-age event involving only the life of the Upper Mideast (and so only a relative handful of critters).

OTOH, since dozens of cultures have a flood narrative, including ones oceanically remote from the Western axis; it would seem there was **something **there.

As to the shape of the ark, this has been in question since 1944.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Lion_IRC]

Noahs ark is a metaphor, not meant to be taken literally. It’s physically impossible to get they many species of every animal in one place.

How many ‘species’ did Noah take on the ark. I don’t recall seeing a count in the bible.
And who is to say there weren’t fewer ‘species’ back then.

 

[Lion_IRC]

I find it hard to understand why someone would say it’s not meant to be taken literally, it’s just symbolic allegory, the ark wasn’t real, etc. - and then proceed to explain in fine detail how the logistics are physically impossible.

Who cares if it is or isn’t physically possible when it’s just symbolic?

 

[Lion_IRC]

I think God can do anything and if He wants a real flood He can make a REAL Flood.

Imaginary flood? Meh. Our God is an awesome God. He doesn’t need to trick us into thinking He made an ‘imaginary’ flood which destroyed ‘allegorical’ sinners.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Interesting. I guess the new Noah’s Ark museum in Kentucky got is wrong.

I was thinking the same thing!

I saw a picture of this new museum and it looked strange like it was upside down.

 

[Harry123]

…the ark’s ribs were gathered together at the top

This probably means the “ribs”, which were the timber beams on the sides of the boat, were joined together at the top to form rafters for the roof of the boat. So, the “ribs” of the boat were going all the way around from the bottom of the boat, to the sides of the boat and to the top of the boat. This would be the most structurally sound way to build the boat. Its not a pyramid.

“scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing …They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.”

2 PETER 3:3-6

Remember that Peter spent more time with Jesus than you or I. So we should probably listen to him before denying the flood.

 

[johnnyc176]

Well being that the ark is a type of the Catholic Church perhaps it was a steeple.

 

[Redd_Jackal]

Every depiction of Noah’s Ark that I’ve seen is of a massive bathtub-like shape with a large cabin atop the deck.

 

[Jesus_123]

:compcoff: Shape of Noahs ark?

. . . :bible1: . . . The Holy Bible (Douay Rhiems (DRV) Bishop Challoner Version)
Genesis 6:11-22
And the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with iniquity. [12] And when God had seen that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth,) [13] He said to Noe:

The end of all flesh is come before Me, the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and **I **will destroy them with the earth. [14] **Make thee an ark **of timber planks: thou shalt make **little rooms **in the ark, and thou shalt pitch it within and without. [15] And thus shalt thou make it:

The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits: the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

**DRV Commentary Note: ***[15] Three hundred cubits: The ark, according to the dimensions here set down, contained four hundred and fifty thousand square cubits; which was more than enough to contain all the kinds of living creatures, with all necessary provisions: even supposing the cubits here spoken of to have been only a foot and a half each, which was the least kind of cubits. *

[16] Thou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it: and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the side: with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it.

[17] Behold** I** will bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, under heaven. All things that are in the earth shall be consumed.

[18] And** I **will establish My covenant with thee, and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee. [19] And of every living creature of all flesh, thou shalt bring two of a sort into the ark, that they may live with thee: of the male sex, and the female. [20] Of fowls according to their kind, and of beasts in their kind, and of every thing that creepeth on the earth according to its kind; two of every sort shall go in with thee, that they may live.

[21] Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them.​

[22] And Noe did all things which God commanded him.

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank you Blessed St. Jerome+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Church+​

​

 

[mikekle]

More to the point, where would all the water have gone?

Plants need air as much as animal life does. What did everybody and all the animals eat after the Flood if the whole land surface was drowned?

It’s telling that in an alleged world flood, the ark came to rest only a few hundred miles from its starting point. It seems more likely that this was a regional, ice-age event involving only the life of the Upper Mideast (and so only a relative handful of critters).

OTOH, since dozens of cultures have a flood narrative, including ones oceanically remote from the Western axis; it would seem there was **something **there.

As to the shape of the ark, this has been in question since 1944.

ICXC NIKA

God can do anything he likes, if he wants the sun to ‘dance’ around in the sky, like the people saw, he CAN do this, if wants the earth to be suddenly flooded with water, he CAN do this, Im sure he has no problem in finding a place for the water to go after the event.

I always wonder why when discussing Noahs ark, some people seem to limit God like a human, they ask things like “how could 2 of every species be in one place at one time and all be agreeable to get on this ark”…well DUH, Its an act of God, if he wants them there, Im sure he can get them where they need to be and ensure they comply.

Likewise, if God intended for Noahs ark to survive the flood, no matter what any human engineer or scientist claims, Im sure God can ensure the ark remains intact and survives. Its almost like these people do not believe God had any part in this, like Noah just did it all on his own…??

 

[Jesus_123]

+Not only is the reality of the **truth **of the **very real tangible ark ** and the flood spoken of in great detail in **Sacred :bible1: Scripture **in the **Old Testament **. . . it is also spoken and referenced as very real truth in the **New Testament Scripture . . .

. . . :coffeeread: . . .
:bible1: 1 Matthew 24:38
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noe entered into the ark,
**
:bible1: 2 Luke 17:27​

They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.

:bible1: 4 Hebrews 11:7
By **faith **Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world; and was instituted heir of the justice which is by faith.

:bible1: 5 1 Peter 3:20
Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.​

*, , , all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
*:clapping:​

 

[Harry123]

Its because of people trying to interpret the Ark as a metaphor that people begin doubting Abraham and Moses ever existed (as per recent threads on this forum). While we’re at it, maybe Jesus never existed and we should just interpret his crucifixion as a metaphor. Maybe the whole bible is just one big metaphor. Maybe God doesn’t exist either, but God is just a metaphor for something else. Maybe I or this thread doesn’t exist. This is all a metaphor for something else. Maybe “something else” is a metaphor for something else too while we’re at it.

 

[cfauster]

Related recent post in another thread.

 

[cfauster]

Its because of people trying to interpret the Ark as a metaphor that people begin doubting Abraham and Moses ever existed (as per recent threads on this forum). While we’re at it, maybe Jesus never existed and we should just interpret his crucifixion as a metaphor. Maybe the whole bible is just one big metaphor. Maybe God doesn’t exist either, but God is just a metaphor for something else. Maybe I or this thread doesn’t exist. This is all a metaphor for something else. Maybe “something else” is a metaphor for something else too while we’re at it.

I like how the USCCB puts it:

How should modern readers interpret the creation-flood story in Gn 2–11? The stories are neither history nor myth. “Myth” is an unsuitable term, for it has several different meanings and connotes untruth in popular English. “History” is equally misleading, for it suggests that the events actually took place. The best term is creation-flood story. Ancient Near Eastern thinkers did not have our methods of exploring serious questions. Instead, they used narratives for issues that we would call philosophical and theological. They added and subtracted narrative details and varied the plot as they sought meaning in the ancient stories. Their stories reveal a privileged time, when divine decisions were made that determined the future of the human race. The origin of something was thought to explain its present meaning, e.g., how God acts with justice and generosity, why human beings are rebellious, the nature of sexual attraction and marriage, why there are many peoples and languages. Though the stories may initially strike us as primitive and naive, they are in fact told with skill, compression, and subtlety. They provide profound answers to perennial questions about God and human beings.

 

[twf]

Its because of people trying to interpret the Ark as a metaphor that people begin doubting Abraham and Moses ever existed (as per recent threads on this forum). While we’re at it, maybe Jesus never existed and we should just interpret his crucifixion as a metaphor. Maybe the whole bible is just one big metaphor. Maybe God doesn’t exist either, but God is just a metaphor for something else. Maybe I or this thread doesn’t exist. This is all a metaphor for something else. Maybe “something else” is a metaphor for something else too while we’re at it.

This is a very Protestant take to the Bible. We have the Church so our foundation is secure (as scripture says the Church is the pillar of truth 1 Tim 3:14). The Church has always known that Sacred Scripture is a collection of texts written in various genres. No one disputes that elements are allegorical: Our Lord spoke in parables throughout the Gospels for example. As Catholics we believe that Scripture is inerrant if properly understood. That doesn’t mean all Scripture is literal history, but it conveys exactly what the Spirit through the Sacred Writer wished to convey. We know Abraham, Moses, etc existed because the Church honours them as saints. We know Christ died on the cross and rose again because that is a fundamental dogma of our faith- the Church knew and affirmed this long before there was a Bible as we know it today. A literal global flood? The world only 6000 years old? God gave us reason. Modern science, based on observation and reason, tells us these things cannot be true… And the Church tells us that there is no contradiction with our faith. You’d be hard pressed to find a Bishop who rejects modern geology (which demonstrates that the world is much older than 6000 years old and that there never a global flood).

 

[mikekle]

You’d be hard pressed to find a Bishop who rejects modern geology

And why do you think its like this in our times? Has there ever been a time like this in history when the church pretty much agreed with the secular ‘experts’ on everything they call science fact?

 

[Kotton]

I was thinking the same thing!

I saw a picture of this new museum and it looked strange like it was upside down.

Upside down? Don’t see how the picture gave that impression. I just went through the ARK last week and it is very much a large boat and very logical in its construction. There was no contradiction in my understanding as a youth of a large boat and what I viewed in Kentucky.