As I mentioned, I don't feel the need to understand what Creation looked like as if I were a spectator watching it happen from the bleachers. In Christianity I have noticed that people will make a particular point the focus of their entire ministry. I used to listen to Hank Hanagraff who's ministry was all about rightly dividing the Scriptures. After months I figured out that to him, rightly dividing the Scriptures was a lot about criticizing what other people were saying. And other Christian teachers who's ministries were primarily focused on a certain aspect of scripture, like the health and wealth bunch, gave him plenty to talk about! Ken Hamm's ministry is primarily focused on Creationism, because to him, if the Genesis account didn't happen exactly the way he pictures it in his mind, it casts doubt on the rest of Scripture and he thinks, like you, that this is an excuse for non-believers to cast God's Word aside. In fact, that's all it is, an excuse! The Bible says "The Heavens declare the glory of the living God", and Paul said, "The truth of the law of God is written in the hearts of ALL men". Anyone casting God's word aside has to first cast aside those two simple truths. In that case I'd guess that they had already made up their minds to do so. So folks like Ken Hamm try to speculate on exactly what Creation or the Flood looked like - the mechanics of it. This is a futile thing to try with non-believers with questions like "If the Earth was formless and void, and was not a sphere rotating at 24,000 mph at the equator like it is now, what is a day?" or "If men and dinosaurs inhabited the earth at the same time and were killed in the Flood, why don't we find their bones together in fossil beds? All those corpses would find their way to the low spots as the water receded" My own faith is not predicated on whether or not the Genesis account lines up with the picture in my mind and I don't have any problem with believing Genesis and also believing that no matter what I think, the moment of Creation, the subsequent events and the pictures in my mind may not jive. That's where my faith steps in. Paul said, "We see as if through a mirror, darkly" (think of a polished bronze mirror! ). Even though the image in the mirror is true, my perception is limited. So I'm fine with not having answers to questions like the one's I mentioned, and I don't need a teacher who tries to force an answer where there isn't one.

In defense of Zemirah there are to many churches out there especially the mega churches like Willow Creek and Saddle Back in California as well as a lot of smaller churches trying to become larger that are preaching "seeker" messages from their pulpits. These seeker messages are nothing more than feel good messages and barely preach enough gospel as to get one saved let alone becoming mature as a Christian. That is why whenever a question is raised the average christian has no answer and in fact can barely tell you what you must do to become saved. We had a pastor one time and he said that if a band of men or a small army were to come into the church on a Sunday morning and demand that all those that are Christians were to line up against the wall and be executed for their belief there would only be a smattering of people against the wall. In fact I do believe that I read of such an experiment being done in a church somewhere in the US. The revelation was quite revealing as in this case they were told to go out into the parking lot if they rejected Christ. Well over three fourths of the church was in the parking lot as the fake gunmen fired rounds of blanks inside the building. Next big question, would you be inside as a Christ follower or would you be in the parking lot with the others. After one becomes saved they are to be fed meat. That leaves all of the vegans out. Just a joke on the last line.

The church of Laodicea (did I spell that right? ) Not only is it important to study scripture so that when the counterfeit is presented you know it, it's also good to keep two things in mind: Whenever something is translated from one language to another difficulties present themselves, like the meanings of words change over the centuries and sometimes there is no corresponding word between languages. Therefore, it doesn't hurt to do word studies from a concordance or a language dictionary. Secondly, in the final analysis, Scripture interprets Scripture. An idea expressed in Scripture needs to be interpreted by what the rest of Scripture says. Ideologies are created when a verse is taken out of the context of the whole of Scripture. All you "King James only" folks need to keep in mind that if you aren't reading in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, you're reading a translation, or a translation of a translation. To all those who pooh pooh Scripture, we have a thing in AA called "contempt prior to investigation". This is the reason a lot of folks never find answers. As alcoholics and addicts we are fortunate in that we have a vehicle whereby we may see these things in ourselves. Our affliction forces us to seek help, and for many we find that help in the 12 Steps. The 12 Steps work for the people who work them with an open mind and so does Scripture. Jesus says "Seek and ye shall find". Scripture is a journey of serendipitous discovery. If you're looking there's much to find. If you aren't looking you won't find anything.

The church of Laodicea (did I spell that right? ) Not only is it important to study scripture so that when the counterfeit is presented you know it, it's also good to keep two things in mind: Whenever something is translated from one language to another difficulties present themselves, like the meanings of words change over the centuries and sometimes there is no corresponding word between languages. Therefore, it doesn't hurt to do word studies from a concordance or a language dictionary. Secondly, in the final analysis, Scripture interprets Scripture. An idea expressed in Scripture needs to be interpreted by what the rest of Scripture says. Ideologies are created when a verse is taken out of the context of the whole of Scripture. All you "King James only" folks need to keep in mind that if you aren't reading in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, you're reading a translation, or a translation of a translation. To all those who pooh pooh Scripture, we have a thing in AA called "contempt prior to investigation". This is the reason a lot of folks never find answers. As alcoholics and addicts we are fortunate in that we have a vehicle whereby we may see these things in ourselves. Our affliction forces us to seek help, and for many we find that help in the 12 Steps. The 12 Steps work for the people who work them with an open mind and so does Scripture. Jesus says "Seek and ye shall find". Scripture is a journey of serendipitous discovery. If you're looking there's much to find. If you aren't looking you won't find anything.

My point was that if a 1st Century Christian walked into a church service today, he or she would probably think it some sort of blasphemous mockery of Christianity. There was no Christmas. There was no Easter. There was no Sunday Sabbath day. There was no "sprinkling" baptism. There was no Apostles' Creed. The list goes on. The Christianity practiced by the early Christians ain't what's happening today. Just because some preacher says it's so, does not make it so. I am sure the same holds true for Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islamists, also.

In defense of Zemirah there are to many churches out there especially the mega churches like Willow Creek and Saddle Back in California as well as a lot of smaller churches trying to become larger that are preaching "seeker" messages from their pulpits. These seeker messages are nothing more than feel good messages and barely preach enough gospel as to get one saved let alone becoming mature as a Christian. That is why whenever a question is raised the average christian has no answer and in fact can barely tell you what you must do to become saved. We had a pastor one time and he said that if a band of men or a small army were to come into the church on a Sunday morning and demand that all those that are Christians were to line up against the wall and be executed for their belief there would only be a smattering of people against the wall. In fact I do believe that I read of such an experiment being done in a church somewhere in the US. The revelation was quite revealing as in this case they were told to go out into the parking lot if they rejected Christ. Well over three fourths of the church was in the parking lot as the fake gunmen fired rounds of blanks inside the building. Next big question, would you be inside as a Christ follower or would you be in the parking lot with the others. After one becomes saved they are to be fed meat. That leaves all of the vegans out. Just a joke on the last line.

The story of the flood is one that is not just from the bible. I drew this information from the following references:
The Epic of Gligamesh. The Academy for Ancient Texts. 18 Sept. 2006
"Flood (mythology)". 17 Sept. 2006. Wikipedia. 18 Sept. 2006
Morford, Mark P.O. and Lenardon, Robert J. Classical Mythology. New York: Oxford Univeristy Press, 2007.
The NIV Study Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995
I hope you do not mind a long read.
Nearly every culture in every region of the world has a myth about a great flood that was sent to earth from a higher being in order to punish humans for their transgressions and cleanse the world of impurity. In Europe, there are Greek, Germanic, and Irish versions of the tale; there are Sumerian, Hebrew, and Babylonian renditions in the Middle East; the Americas are home to Aztec, Hopi, Incan, and Mayan interpretations; there are Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian versions in the East; and Australian Aboriginal and Polynesian adaptations come out of the Pacific region ("Flood (mythology)"). In particular, the Epic of Gilgamesh from Sumeria, the ancient Greek story of Zeus's flood, and the Judeo-Christian story of Noah and the flood are three of the most prominent versions of the myth that we have record of today.
In the Sumerian flood myth, as explained in the eleventh tablet of The Epic of Gligamesh, Enlil, the god of the sky and the air is upset by the cacophony of noise that humans are making on earth and decides to wash them all away with a massive flood. The water god, Ea, or Enki, then indirectly advises Utnapishtim, a righteous king, to build a boat to save his family and a few of each animal. After having drifted on the floodwaters for a week, Utnapishtim sends birds out to search for dry land. When a raven does not return to the ark, Utnapishtim makes a sacrifice to Ea and is granted eternal life at the edge of the earth. (The Epic of Gligamesh; Tablet XI). The idea that it was mankind's excessive noise that caused Enlil to send down his deluge points out that the Sumerians were probably a very peaceful group of people who valued quiet and calm. It is also important that Utnapishtim makes a sacrifice to Ea in that we are shown that he is a thankful, humble man who gives his god, not himself, credit for being saved from the flood.

In the Greek account of the flood, Zeus, the ruler god, hears rumors of mankind's wickedness. To test this, he becomes a man and comes to earth, where he is treated inhospitably, verifying his belief that the human race should be wiped out. Zeus then settles on an immense flood as means to destroy the world, and calls upon his brother, Poseidon, the god of the sea, to assist him. Only Deucalion and his wife, Pyrrha, who are devoted to Zeus and the gods survive the flood and are responsible for repopulating the planet. They have a son, Hellen (whom the Greeks attributed their lineage to, thus their name, the Hellenes), and they are given the ability to create humans by tossing stones over their shoulders as they walk. The earth, Gaia, then proceeds to recreate animal and plant life. (Morford 98-101). The fact that Zeus sent the flood because he was not treated well by humans illustrates the point that the Greeks valued those who were friendly and who warmly accepted visitors and travelers into their homes. The idea that Deucalion and Pyrrha were not only saved, but given god-like powers after they were saved shows that the Greeks believed that at any moment, a human could get swept up in a god's plan and either be rewarded greatly or punished severely for their past actions.

The Hebrew flood story, as found in Genesis, starts when God sees that humans on earth have become sinful and wicked. He decides to send down a flood to destroy humankind, but saves Noah, a righteous and blameless man, and his family. God then tells Noah to build a great ark so that he and his family, along with seven of every clean animal and two of every unclean animal may escape the floodwaters. After forty days and forty nights of flooding, a wind was sent to stop the rain. Noah then sent birds to find dry land; when a dove came back with a fresh olive leaf, Noah knew that the water had receded and came out to build an altar on which he would make a sacrifice to the Lord. God then proceeded to promise never again to destroy the earth with a flood. (NIV Study Bible, Genesis 6-9). Since it is man's wickedness and sin, in this story, that causes the flood to be sent, it is clear that the Hebrew culture valued religious law above all else and saw disobeying God as the ultimate evil. As in the Sumerian myth, it is significant that Noah builds an altar to make a sacrifice to God because it shows us not only that the Hebrews greatly valued the worship of God, but also that Noah is thankful for his life being saved rather than angry with God for his race being saved. This attitude implies that the Hebrews trusted God and had confidence in that anything he did was ultimately right.

Despite the obvious discrepancies of each of the stories, each culture's account of the great flood is similar in structure: a god perceives humans to be highly flawed and sends a flood to destroy the entire race, but one person or group of people manage to survive and repopulate the earth. These acute similarities in the versions of this story imply that there are universal meanings to the idea of the flood. First, human beings in all cultures view themselves as lesser beings than the gods and understand themselves to be at the mercy of the gods. This is shown by the reiterated idea that the flood is a punishment for mankind's extensive faults. Each of the people who are saved from the flood are people who are devoted to their deities and are righteous people, which emphasizes the idea that all cultures appreciate religious dedication and respect those who have high moral standards. The fact that the stories specifically use a flood for the means of destruction brings in the idea that water is considered worldwide not only as physically cleansing, but also spiritually cleansing. Lastly, the chance of there actually being a historical great flood improves greatly with the idea that the same story is reported in similar fashions over the entire world. Overall, the various flood legends of the world serve to unite intercultural beliefs and prove that what is generally dismissed as a myth may actually have historical basis in reality.

Why 2 animals you ask. Well, the direction was 2 of every unclean animal and 7 of each clean animal. Where did I get this information. Genisis 9:19. And there were only
280 animals. It is simple math. The popular myth of an ark containing tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or millions of species is not supported by Genesis 7:2-3 which describes the herd as seven pairs (fourteen) of each clean animal (i.e. animals used for temple offerings and food), one pair of each unclean animal and bird and seven pairs of clean birds. How many kinds of clean animals were there? We don't have to guess. Deuteronomy 14:4-5 lists 10 species of clean animals, which implies 140 clean animals in Noah's barge. Assuming a minimum average of 12 square feet per animal (cramped but adequate), 1680 square feet of deck area would be needed. If Noah's workers loaded only the animals that happened to be in Noah's stockyard when the river started rising, the barge may have contained only a few dozen clean animals.

How much deck area was needed for the unclean animals and birds? Leviticus 11:4-19 and Deuteronomy 14:7-18 list about 30 species of unclean animals and birds. Thirty pairs would be 60 animals. These small animals would fit in 2 feet by 2 feet cages. In addition, seven pairs of each of the five species of clean birds is a total of 70 clean birds. Assuming 4 square feet for each caged small animal and bird, only 520 square feet were needed. Thus the total deck area required for the estimated 270 animals was only 2200 square feet, leaving plenty of deck area for walkways and baskets of grain piled several deep.

The broad words of Genesis 6:19: "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark" and a similar phrase in Genesis 7:15 are clearly inconsistent with the sacrifices of Genesis 8:20 and the seven pairs mentioned in Genesis 7:2-3. Since the phrase "two of every kind" is an overgeneralization, the preceding phrase "every living thing" can also be treated as an overgeneralization and be interpreted narrowly to mean every living thing of importance that Noah owned or had custody of. If Noah was asked years later how many animals he took on the barge, Noah may have replied, "Every one; I took them all." In such a remark, the words "every" and "all" would mean only that he did not leave any of his animals behind, not that he took every species on the planet. As with the proverbial fish story, the scope of "every" grew with the retelling.

Noah's clean animals included cattle, sheep and goats. His unclean animals included raven, swine and eagles. They were his inventory, his stock in trade. But most of the world's animals were not included. Exotic zoo animals such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, apes and kangaroos are not mentioned in Genesis or Deuteronomy and were not included in Noah's inventory. Since it would be impossible for Noah to attract millions of animals from all over the planet, he did not do so. The animals came to the ark because local herdsmen brought them to the ark. According to Gilgamesh XI,82 "All the living beings I had, I loaded aboard." Yes, all he had, and only those he had.

Would it be practical for 9 people (Noah, his 3 sons and their wives plus the boatman Puzur-Amurri) to feed and water 270 animals and haul out the manure each day? Assuming 10 hour work days (not including rest and dinner breaks) each person would have 20 minutes per animal each day. Entirely practical.

Would there be enough deck area for the hay, beer, and wine for the 382 days the barge was occupied? Assuming each clean animal consumed half of a cubic foot of hay per day, 140 animals would consume 70 cubic feet per day or 26,700 cubic feet in 382 days. In a hayloft 6 feet high about 4460 square feet of deck area would be required for the hay.

Assuming each person and large animal consumed three quarts of water (as beer or wine) per day, 152 large animals and people would consume about 44,000 gallons in 382 days. Four gallons in a clay jar occupy about one square foot. If the jars were stacked two deep, about 5500 square feet of deck area would be required to store the beer and wine, leaving enough deck area for structural members, walkways, and jars of other commodities. This is assuming three quarts of water/beer/wine per day. Small animals would require less than half of that amount. The adult people may have consumed eight quarts of beer per day. Only a small amount of well water would have been stowed in the barge for the animals during the expected few days of travel. Water would not have been hauled as cargo because nobody would want to buy well water, but jars of beer and wine would have provided the necessary drinking water on the barge. After the barge grounded in an estuary, Noah could have used brackish river water.

Since Noah loaded only the animals that he had, if he had fewer than ten species of clean animals, the total number of animals may have been much smaller than estimated here. This means the amount of beer, hay, and grain that were used to keep those animals alive would also have been smaller than estimated.

I hope that I addressed the original question of the thread. I thank you Ve'Hoe for allowing me to attached this to your response.