Expert: Rick Jackson - 10/15/2007

Question
I have many questions for you, but one that almost always comes up first for me is Noah's Ark. 2 of every animal, on a boat together with no food for an entire year, then somehow distributed to each unique location on the planet. And what did they eat when they were all released in the unforgiving mountains of Ararat on the first of January? Also, the bible seems to contradict itself in Revelations, with this verse from Genesis:8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
And one person with whom I've had many debates has tried to tell me that dinosaurs were also on the ark. Dinosaurs. If they weren't, could you please also explain where they are in the bible? And all the scientific history we have placing these creatures millions of years into the past, I suppose is erroneous? I've also heard that it was planted there by the devil. I trust you'll have a little better answer than that for me.
Thank you in advance for your response! I look forward to hearing from you.

AJ

Answer
Hi AJ.

Most Christians today (with the exception of strict Fundamentalists and a few others) agree that that it may very well be that the story of Noah (and many other stories, including the genealogy lists) is not a literal explanation of historic events.

Here is some further reading on the issue from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04702a.htm

Coincidentally, I have just finished an AWESOME book about a potential historical event that may have been the basis of the dozens of flood stories.  It's called Before the Flood, by Ian Wilson.  

It's available for pretty cheap; $7 used at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Before-Flood-Biblical-Changed-Civilization/dp/0312319711/r...

Rick.