When those who believe that the Noah flood tale is literal truth are informed that total amount of water available make that doubtful (at best), a typical response is, “The mountains were lower back then (a few thousand years ago). Not only does this display lack of knowledge of hydrology and geology but the claim is totally unsubstantiated – just made up to ‘explain’ the ancient tale of a worldwide flood.
There are about 1500 mountains over 1000 feet above sea level, 250 of them exceeding 20,000 feet, and one, Mt. Everest, that reaches 29,029 feet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_m ... _elevation
ALL of those (and all lesser elevation mountains) would have to be covered to meet the conditions specified in Genesis. It should also be noted that people are able to make their homes and communities at elevations over 15,000 feet and to frequent much higher elevations.
The text is very clear – water completely inundated the Earth, covered all high mountains, and wiped out every living thing on the face of the Earth.Genesis 7:19Finally, the waters completely inundated the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered. 20The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits. 21And every creature that had moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind. 22Of all that had been on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah remained, and those with him in the ark.
If someone wants to claim that ‘the mountains were lower’:
1. How much lower?
2. What is the evidence to support that claim?
3. Did the mountains form rapidly in a few thousand years? Evidence?