How could water cover mountains to a depth of fifteen cubits in Genesis 7:20? Context of Genesis 7:20 Genesis 7:19–20 records: “Finally, the waters completely inundated the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of fifteen cubits.” The text describes a global judgment, not a regional event (“all the high mountains under all the heavens”). The addition of a precise depth—fifteen cubits (≈ 22–23 ft / 6.6–7 m)—is an observational detail confirming that the Ark was safely afloat well above any summit. Meaning of “Fifteen Cubits” A cubit in the Hebrew Scriptures averaged ~18 in. The Ark’s draft—the portion submerged—would have been roughly half its 30-cubit height (Genesis 6:15). Fifteen cubits of additional water ensured that the Ark, drawing about 15 cubits, could clear every peak without grounding. The figure is therefore both a navigational data point and an indicator of complete topographical coverage. Pre-Flood Topography: Lower Mountains, Shallower Ocean Basins Present‐day peaks such as Everest (29,032 ft) and ocean trenches like the Mariana (-36,000 ft) are products of tectonic forces that intensified during and after the Flood. Pre-Flood mountains were likely far lower; Scripture hints at later upheaval (Psalm 104:8, literal Hebrew: “the mountains rose; the valleys sank”). Catastrophic Plate Tectonics modeling (based on rapid subduction and crustal recycling) shows that compressional rise of today’s great ranges could occur within the yearlong cataclysm. Consequently, less total water was required to cover the then-existing elevations. Sources of the Floodwaters Genesis 7:11: “On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Two primary reservoirs supplied the water: 1. Fountains of the great deep – massive subterranean aquifers and super-heated water held within crustal rock. Modern seismic tomography confirms vast water at mantle depths (ringwoodite hydration) equivalent to multiple oceans. 2. Floodgates of the heavens – a water-vapor canopy or hyper-humid atmosphere that, once destabilized, condensed as torrential rainfall. Even a relatively thin global shell of vapor could yield meters of precipitation daily. Coupled with rapid tectonic motion, these mechanisms redistributed oceanic water over the continents. Hydrodynamic Feasibility Computer simulations (e.g., hydroplate and CPT models) demonstrate that if mid-ocean ridges rose and pre-Flood basins lifted, ocean water would surge landward. With continents temporarily leveled, a water layer only 2–3 mi (≈ 3.2–4.8 km) deep above a flattened crust could inundate the entire globe. Today’s oceans contain over 70 % of Earth’s surface water at an average depth of 2.3 mi—more than enough. Geological Evidence of Global Inundation • Marine fossils on the peaks of the Himalayas, Andes, and Rockies contain identical ammonite and trilobite assemblages found in present-day seabeds. • Vast, flat, continent-wide sedimentary strata (e.g., the Tapeats Sandstone, U.S.; the Transcontinental Arch) link regions separated by thousands of miles and require watery deposition at high energy over a short period. • Polystrate tree trunks penetrating multiple coal seams (Nova Scotia, Tennessee) necessitate rapid burial in water-laid sediments, preventing decay. • Global megasequences—six continent-spanning sediment packages with sharp basal erosional surfaces—correlate with the six main stages of the biblical Flood chronology (Genesis 7–8). • Widespread conglomerates containing mixed terrestrial and marine fossils testify to catastrophic transport. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration Hundreds of cultures—from Mesopotamia’s Atrahasis to China’s Hih-King—preserve a memory of a world-destroying deluge, eight or so survivors, and an animal-filled vessel. These independent traditions align closely with the Genesis narrative, implying a single historical root rather than disparate local floods. Historical Reliability of the Text The Masoretic, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Septuagint witnesses of Genesis 6–9 display minute textual variants yet an unbroken consensus on global coverage and the fifteen-cubit detail. Early Hebrew scribes reproduced these passages with vigilance shown by statistical fidelity (₵ 99.95 % agreement across the consonantal text in extant Codices). Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QGenb (ca. 150 BC) matches the Masoretic wording of Genesis 7:19–20 exactly, underscoring the stability of the tradition. Answering Common Objections 1. “There is not enough water on Earth today.” – The present oceans already hold over 4.5 billion km³ of water; evenly distributed, that column would stand ≈ 8,800 ft (2.7 km) high—submerging pre-Flood mountains well in excess of fifteen cubits. 2. “Local flood language could be hyperbole.” – The text repeatedly employs universals (“all,” “every,” “under all the heavens,” “everything on dry land”). In Hebrew narrative these terms convey literal totality unless context clearly restrains them, which it does not. 3. “Why fifteen cubits instead of a round figure?” – The measurement is precise because it relates directly to the Ark’s draft; an invented myth would more likely employ symbolic multiples of seven or forty. 4. “Marine fossils at high elevation result from slow uplift, not a Flood.” – Slow uplift cannot account for mixed fossil sorting, lack of erosion between strata, or the high-energy sedimentary signatures that blanket continents. Theological Implications The Flood displays God’s righteous judgment and preserving grace. The fifteen-cubit depth confirms both the totality of judgment and the sufficiency of salvation: the Ark, a type of Christ, secures all who enter (1 Peter 3:20–21). As the waters once covered the highest peaks, so the resurrection power of Christ now surpasses every human barrier (Ephesians 1:19–21). Conclusion Genesis 7:20’s fifteen-cubit figure is a historical datum embedded in an eyewitness narrative. With lower antediluvian mountains, ample hydrological sources, geologic signatures of rapid global inundation, and a consistent manuscript tradition, the claim that water covered every mountain peak stands both textually and scientifically credible. The Flood thus functions as a solemn reminder of judgment past and a foreshadowing of the comprehensive redemption offered through the risen Christ. |
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