Quote:
Originally Posted by jambutty
Much obliged for clarifying the pedantic finer points. No mention of insects though, which are VITAL in pollinating plants and cleaning up carcases.
According to the Biblical literalists the Ark had a total floor space of some 100,000 square feet. Large animals like elephants, rhinos etc would need some 400 sq ft each and at least ten times that for their feed. That would be about 28,000 sq ft for 7 elephants alone.
Then there were the carnivores to cater for, not forgetting drinking water for all.
Even if it were ‘kinds’ of animals, like felines, bovines, equines etc, as some theological historians claim where did the various species come from after the flood?
Which were the unclean animals, apart from man and woman?
This whole God, Adam and Eve and Noah thing is just a story concocted by some very clever people to grab power for themselves. And of course these events were only written about well after the event.
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Indeed the last part of your post is probably accurate. The medieval church, at least from the time of Pope Gelasius, used the ark thing as part of their argument that the Apostolic See had both religious and temporal power. The ark story was interpreted as a metaphor for the inclusiveness of the church. The ark argument is used as late as 1302, I think, in Pope Boniface Vlll's Bull, Unam Sanctam, which was part of the propaganda war between Boniface and Phillip lV.