Proof of Noah’s Flood at the Black Sea?
What has Robert Ballard Really Found?
Information Department
In an article from the Washington Post dated 13 September 2000, explorer
Robert Ballard (discoverer of the Titanic) led a team to the Black Sea in search
of evidence for Noah’s Flood. About 550 feet below the surface, they found evidence
of a ‘sudden, catastrophic flood around 7,500 years ago—the possible
source of the Old Testament story of Noah.’
They captured sonar images of a ‘gentle berm and a sandbar submerged undisturbed
for thousands of years on the sea floor.’ Then using radiocarbon dating, they
determined that the remains of the freshwater mollusks found on this submerged beach
were 7,500 years old and that the saltwater species were only 6,900 years old. (By
the way, radiocarbon is not reliable in giving accurate dates going back thousands
of years. CMI believes that Noah’s Flood should be dated to about 4,300 years ago.)
In an interview, Ballard said, ‘What we wanted to do is prove to ourselves
that it was the biblical flood.’
According to Columbia University geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman, who
had predicted where this shoreline would be found in the Black Sea, describe the
flood as such: ‘The Black Sea was created when melting glaciers raised the
sea level until the sea breached a natural dam at what is now the Bosporus, the
strait that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Black Sea. An apocalyptic deluge
followed, inundating the freshwater lake below the dam, submerging thousands of
square miles of dry land, flipping the ecosystem from fresh water to salt practically
overnight, and probably killing thousands of people and billions of land and sea
creatures.’
Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review, replied to Ballard, Ryan,
and Pitman’s claim with, ‘All modern critical Bible scholars regard the tale
of Noah as legendary. There are other flood stories, but if you want to see the
Black Sea flood in Noah’s flood, who’s to say no?’
We agree that they indeed have found evidence for a huge flood in the Black Sea
area. But we do not support their claim that this was Noah’s Flood. You see, in
order to justify their assertion, they declare that the record of Noah’s Flood in
the Bible is legendary and just a myth. They say the ‘myth’ originated
from a real event (their Black Sea flood), but that it has been grossly distorted
and exaggerated as it was relayed by word of mouth before eventually being written
down. By using the term ‘myth’ they can disregard all the details of
the biblical account that do not fit their Black Sea claim.
Pitman recently spoke about this idea during an Australian lecture tour. Now in
his mid 70s, Pitman has an interesting talk. He has conducted some excellent geological
work in the Black Sea area. He presented good geological evidence that the Black
Sea suddenly rose in level when a land barrier with the Mediterranean Sea failed,
allowing water to flow in suddenly.
Unfortunately, he handles the biblical record carelessly. Noah’s Flood was not a
local flood in the Black Sea area, but a world-wide flood that has left its mark
on every continent on this planet.
Pitman knows that his link between the Black Sea flood and Noah’s Flood does not
fit with the Bible. For example, his Black Sea flood does not have 40 days and nights
of rain (He says the ‘whole event probably lasted about 40 years’),
does not have a 140-meter ark as described in the Bible, does not cover the highest
mountains, does not recede off the Earth etc, etc. Pitman knows it does not fit,
shrugs his shoulders and when questioned about it he simply said he does not read
the Bible literally. Therefore, his link with Noah’s Flood is totally arbitrary.
He wants a flood, so plucks Noah’s Flood out of the air. It is a good flood to pick
because it sells lots of books. Furthermore, the geologists love him. They think
by saying that Noah’s Flood was a local flood then they can dismiss the implications
of the real global Flood described in the Bible.
This is just another attempt to undermine the integrity of the biblical account
of Noah’s Flood. However, the Bible claims to be the Word of God and ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God,’
(2 Tim. 3:16). To say that Noah’s Flood was anything other than what Scripture says
it was (i.e., a global flood) is tantamount to declaring that God is a liar. If
God is lying, then we cannot trust any part of the Bible, including the Gospel message
of the Cross, which means there is no hope for salvation and eternal life. The implications
of Ballard’s claims are far more serious than many realize.
There is no reason to believe that Ballard’s Black Sea Flood was Noah’s Flood.
For more information on Noah’s Flood see the following books and videos available
at our online bookstore:
And visit the following articles on our Web site:
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