Contracycle,
There is simply no basis for thinking that the Isaelites were an exception to that process - there is no evidence even in their own histories for any siginificant naval technology or experience at all. The idea that Noah could build a vessel so sophisticiated from a standing start is totally implausible.
According to the Bible, Noah is the patriarch of all post-Flood races, including the Romans and Greeks as well as the Israelites. You, perhaps, are confusing Abraham with Noah. Noah is the ancestor of Abraham (the patriarch of the Israelites), but Noah predates Abraham by several centuries. The Israelites did not become a nation until several centuries after Abraham.
As far as Noah building a sophisticated sea vessel, consider these three things:
- Noah was a pre-Flood human (pre-Flood humans have an unknown level of technological knowledge)
- Noah was about 500 years old (a person could probably assimilate quite a bit of knowledge in 500 years)
- Noah was recieving instructions from God, who designed the universe (so, actually, Noah's ship-building knowledge is almost, if not completely, irrelevant).
I am not, of course, expecting you to accept this view. But I thought you might like input concerning these issues from one who does believe the Bible.
{Added by edit}
I guess I mean a non-technical line of thinking (plus there were just some plain misunderstandings of biblical chronology). I see you're getting plenty of technical input from Hmmm, who appears also to believe the Bible.
This is what I get for jumping in without reading all 200+ messages (I just didn't feel like it, can you blame me?)
This message has been edited by TheLiteralist, 12-20-2004 01:07 PM
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