Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>]

Walter Mattfeld wrote,



>Dear Dave,
>
>As per your suggestion, let's begin a new thread on the Flood. Tell me about
>the "gaps" in Genesis' presentation of the Chronology of the world from its
>beginning in 6 days and Adam's creation on the 6th day, down to Abraham's
>days. Please provide me a chronological chart in BCE terminology for
>Genesis' various events, the Creation, the ten generations before the Flood,
>the ten generations after the Flood to Abraham's time.
>
>When was Noah's Flood according to your understanding ? Do you understand it
>to be truly a World covering flood, 15 cubits over the mountain tops, or
>something of a more local nature ? What are your scholarly sources for your
>understandings ?  What is the nature of the "hard evidence," flood deposits,
>like debris, such as the remains of bodies of humans and animals to be found
>in this Flood layer ?  What scientific methods are being used to date the
>Flood ?





Dear Walter,


While Dave is working out his answers, I would like to ask you a question.
The first step we have to take when we are going to evaluate the flood
information of the Bible, is to find out what the Bible really says and
what is does not say. It seems to me that the information given in Genesis
5:1-29;7:6; 11:10-12:4 is quite unambiguous. It gives a little more than
1650 years from Adam to the flood and a little more than 350 years from the
flood and to Abraham. I am not able to see there is any room for "gaps"
here, so my question is: Do you agree that these verses do not allow  for
any gaps? In that case, are you aware of any other Biblical expressions
which suggest or directly say there were such gaps? I am only speaking
about the biblical expressions, and am not comparing them with the accounts
of other old nations or with the view of the natural sciences.



Regards

Rolf


Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo