Local flood theory
{{Short description|Theory concerning Genesis flood narrative}}
File:Le_déluge_-_musée_de_beaux_arts_de_Nantes_20091017.jpg. Musée d'Arts de Nantes.]]
The local flood theory (also known as the limited flood theory) is an interpretation of the Genesis flood narrative where the flood of Noah is interpreted as a local event, generally located in Mesopotamia, instead of a global event.{{Cite web |last1=Instone-Brewer |first1=David |last2=scholar2021-11-26T09:28:00+00:00 |first2=Resident Bible |title=Why Noah's flood may not have been global |url=https://www.premierchristianity.com/regular-columnists/why-noahs-flood-may-not-have-been-global/5770.article |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Premier Christianity |language=en |archive-date=2021-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220120643/https://www.premierchristianity.com/regular-columnists/why-noahs-flood-may-not-have-been-global/5770.article |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=GSA Today - The evolution of creationism |url=https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/11/article/i1052-5173-22-11-4.htm |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=www.geosociety.org |archive-date=2019-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031212812/http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/11/article/i1052-5173-22-11-4.htm |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Ross |first=Hugh Norman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5z2uoAEACAAJ |title=Navigating Genesis: A Scientist's Journey Through Genesis 1-11 |date=2014 |publisher=Reasons to Believe |isbn=978-1-886653-86-3 |language=en |access-date=2022-06-06 |archive-date=2022-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606211058/https://books.google.fi/books/about/Navigating_Genesis.html?id=5z2uoAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Davidson |first=Richard |date=2004 |title=The Genesis Flood Narrative: Crucial Issues in the Current Debate |journal=Viewcontent |url=https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=old-testament-pubs |access-date=2022-06-06 |archive-date=2021-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928140444/https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=old-testament-pubs |url-status=live }}
Background and history
=19th century=
The local flood interpretation of Noah's flood became accepted by many Christians after 19th century scientific findings.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} The view was defended by 19th century Scottish geologist Charles Lyell, in his book Principles of Geology (1833), where he concluded that the Genesis flood must have been a regional affair and not a global deluge.
=Creationist views=
Young Earth Creationist organizations such as Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research have criticized a local flood theory as faulty exegesis; they state that the Genesis flood covered the whole of the earth.{{Cite web |title=Local Flood Theory: Why It Doesn't Work |url=https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/local-flood-theory-why-it-doesnt-work/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Answers in Genesis |language=en |archive-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112005923/https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/local-flood-theory-why-it-doesnt-work/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Another Local Flood Theory |url=https://www.icr.org/article/4322/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=www.icr.org |language=en |archive-date=2021-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427151902/https://www.icr.org/article/4322/ |url-status=live }}
Some Old Earth creationists reject flood geology,[http://www.asa3.org/aSA/PSCF/1950/JASA3-50Kulp.html Deluge Geology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607014037/http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1950/JASA3-50Kulp.html|date=2011-06-07}}, J. Laurence Kulp, Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 2, 1(1950): 1-15.[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/geocolumn/ The Geologic Column and its Implications for the Flood], Copyright © 2001 by Glenn Morton, TalkOrigins website, Last Update: February 17, 2001 a position which leaves them open to accusations that they thereby reject the inerrancy of Scripture.[http://creation.com/did-noahs-flood-cover-the-whole-earth Did Noah’s Flood cover the whole earth?], John D. Morris, Creation 12(2):48–50, March 1990 In response, Old Earth creationists cite verses in the Bible where the words "whole" and "all" clearly require a contextual interpretation.[http://www.asa3.org/asa/PSCF/2002/PSCF9-02Hill.pdf The Noachian Flood: Universal or Local?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015093040/https://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2002/PSCF9-02Hill.pdf |date=2019-10-15 }}, Carol A. Hill, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, p. 170-183, Volume 54, Number 3, September 2002 For example, Old Earth creationist Hugh Ross has defended the local flood theory; he promotes the view in his book, Navigating Genesis.{{Cite web |date=2012-10-30 |title=Does the Bible Say Noah's Flood Was Global or Universal? |url=https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-believe/does-the-bible-say-noah-s-flood-was-global-or-universal |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Reasons to Believe |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314042802/https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-believe/does-the-bible-say-noah-s-flood-was-global-or-universal |url-status=live }}
Academic views
{{further|Genesis flood narrative#Historicity}}
There exists geological evidence that a large local flood happened in ancient Mesopotamia; additionally, extra-biblical writings from ancient Mesopotamia like Atra-Hasis and the Epic of Gilgamesh also feature catastrophic flooding, substantiating the claim that such a flood could have been the event that inspired these narratives.{{Cite web |title=Yes, Noah's Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth {{!}} National Center for Science Education |url=https://ncse.ngo/yes-noahs-flood-may-have-happened-not-over-whole-earth |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=National Center for Science Education|language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Flood: Mesopotamian Archaeological Evidence {{!}} National Center for Science Education |url=https://ncse.ngo/flood-mesopotamian-archaeological-evidence |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=National Center for Science Education |language=en}}