According to Genesis how long did the flood last?

[Zzyzx]

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According to Genesis how long did the flood last?

Simple question. Straight forward answer?

[Divine Insight]

It's my understanding that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and this was the source of the water that supposedly caused the flood.

But after 40 days and nights the rain stopped. However, the waters didn't receded until 150 days had passed. I'm assuming the 40 days of rain are included in the 150 days, but it's not clear. It could have been 150 days after the rains that caused the flood has stopped which would make the whole ordeal 190 days.

It does seem strange that it would take God 40 days to flood the earth and then 150 days to drain it. I wonder if he had plumbing limitations on the draining procedure?

[JehovahsWitness]

How long did the flood last?

Refering to the bible account of the flood of Noah's day Genesis 7:17 states "the flooding continued for 40 days" - NWT


FURTHER DETAILS
According to bible chronology, the rains started late November 2370 BCE. Rains fell 40 days and nights (just over a month). Rains "overwhelmed" the earth, 150 days (five months); ark runs aground on the mountains of Ararat in April 2369 BCE . Since the bible account refers to the progressive rising of the waters during the 40 days and nights it seems unlikely that the waters "overwhelmed" the earth from the falling of the first drop of rain, so it seems reasonable to conclude that the 150 days probably do not include the 40 days of rain as the water level rose.

Further reading
http://wol.jw.org/fr/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2003361#h=9

Simple question. Straight forward answer?

Please note: I have taken this as a request for specific information and that it is not always necessary in this forum to provide a question for debate. If the Question for debate is implicit, ie "Is the bible account of the flood a historical fact?", please ignore my post.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 3 by JehovahsWitness]

According to bible chronology, the rains started late November 2370 BCE. Rains fell 40 days and nights (just over a month). Rains "overwhelmed" the earth, 150 days (five months); ark runs aground on the mountains of Ararat in April 2369 BCE

These are very specific dates, surely a global flood would leave evidence behind similar to the K-pg boundary? Even local floods leave geological evidence behind, see the Missoula floods:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula_Floods

4000 years ago is younger and given the scale and scope should be much easier to pin down right? There should be a consistent sediment deposit in the geological record from 4000 years ago yet no such layer exists.

How therefore can we trust bible chronology as an accurate representation of the timeframe?

Although aside from that I am curious if the arc ran aground on mt. Ararat how long did it take the flood waters to subside to sea level? I presume there was still water right, so did the flood itself persist for much longer?

[JehovahsWitness]

If the arc ran aground on mt. Ararat how long did it take the flood waters to subside to sea level?

The tops of the mountains (probably refering to the Armenian Highlands) became visable (73 days) after the the ark ran aground (Genesis 8:5) Three months (90 days) later— in mid-September the account states that “the surface of the ground had drained dry.� (Genesis 8:13) but it was a further 57 days before the bible account states that "the earth had dried off" and Noah and his family came out of the ark onto dry ground. That would mean, at least in the area concerned, it took a total of 220 days or just over seven lunar months afer the ark ran aground, for the waters to drain enough for the family to leave the ark.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

Given these figures does it make it seem more of a morality tale rather than a literal event?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

Given these figures does it make it seem more of a morality tale rather than a literal event?

Could you clarify how the figures provided make that interpretation more likely?

Thanks

[Zzyzx]

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If the arc ran aground on mt. Ararat how long did it take the flood waters to subside to sea level?

The tops of the mountains (probably refering to the Armenian Highlands) became visable (73 days) after the the ark ran aground (Genesis 8:5)

Does the Earth contain mountain ranges of higher elevation than the Armenian Highlands? If so, they must have been flooded in the Genesis story. Note that the summit Mt. Everest is 29,029 feet (about five and a half miles) above sea level.

Genesis 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

That eliminates a local flood, doesn't it?

Here is a time-line established by Genesis:

47 days, dove discovers land  (v8:10-11)
150 days, waters were abated  (v8:3)
150 days, ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat (v8:4)
253 days, to see tops of mountains (v8:5)
314 days, waters dried up (v8:13)
370 days, earth dried (v8:14)

Three months (90 days) later— in mid-September the account states that “the surface of the ground had drained dry.� (Genesis 8:13) but it was a further 57 days before the bible account states that "the earth had dried off" and Noah and his family came out of the ark onto dry ground. That would mean, at least in the area concerned, it took a total of 220 days or just over seven lunar months afer the ark ran aground, for the waters to drain enough for the family to leave the ark.

To where did the waters drain? Remember that in a worldwide flood the oceans are under the same depth of water as required to flood continents to the tops of mountains.

It takes approximately one Billion cubic miles of water to flood as described – and that water must disappear afterward.


Would it be more rational to consider the proverbial flood as myth, legend, folklore?

[JehovahsWitness]

Does the Earth contain mountain ranges of higher elevation than the Armenian Highlands?

Probably, but I don't see the relevance of that, since the point being made is what could Noah logically see from the point where the Ark ran aground* - I'm pretty certain one cannot see Mount Everest from Turkey.

The bible account doesn't give information as to how long the water took to drain in other areas of the globe (one can reasonably assume that the waters drained from top of Mt Everest before the Armenian Highlands but evidently the boat wasn't anywhere near Tibet so that point while interesting is irrelevant.)


* contextually the previous verse had referred directly to the location of the Ark, so it is logical to conclude that to be from this location that references to visibility be made.

[JehovahsWitness]

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According to Genesis how long did the flood last?

Simple question. Straight forward answer?

May I just request again, what (if anything) is the question for debate.

Thanks

JW