Antediluvian world: Difference between revisions

'''Antediluvian civilizations''' are civilizations believed to have existed before the [[Great flood]] of [[Noah]]. Assuming the Biblical account is accurate, then humans lived on Earth for close to 1500 years before God sent the flood.  If the [[fossil record]] is indeed the result of this event, then one might reasonably expect evidence of antediluvian civilizations to be found deep in the [[strata]], although some creationists argue that when God said that He would ''"wipe mankind ... from the face of the earth"'' ({{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=6|verses=7}}), He meant that He would leave no trace.

It is believed by many [[creationists]] that humans originated at a high and noble state, and [[decline of humanity|later declined]]. Many believe advanced stages of technological development were reached before the [[great flood]]. Such presuppositions are usually based on the [[Biblical genealogy]], which states that ancient people lived to approximately 10 times our current life span. Also it is frequently mentioned that [[Adam]] and Eve would likely possess higher than normal intelligence since they were created as adults, with knowledge that subsequent humans obtain from their parents. Another theory states that the antediluvian race called the [[Nephilim]] was superior to other humans in this respect.

All [http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html accounts of the Great flood] from civilizations around the world indicate that there were civilizations before the flood. However, as a result of the destruction during the flood and the passage of time, the remaining evidence is scanty. As a result of the flood, the surface of the Earth ripped up and redeposited as hundreds of feet of [[geological column| sediment]], and very little of the antediluvian horizon has been exposed. It is also problematic that much of the scientific community is quick to dismiss any artifacts that dispute their presupposed interpretation of the [[fossil record]]. Nevertheless, any truly advanced civilization would have left durable traces or constructions that would likely surface during excavations or by erosion. Relatively insightful accounts can be drawn from the [[Bible]], apocrypha, and ancient Babylonian and Greek accounts of antediluvian civilizations.

Genesis provides only a skeletal description of antediluvian civilization. It reports that people routinely lived what is by today's standards extraordinary lengths of time, from 800-900 years each. It reports the founding of cities such as the founding of [[Enoch (Cainite)|Enoch]] by [[Cain]]. It reports that people at that time became extremely corrupt and violent, and ultimately were destroyed by God for their wickedness and violence.

:"Now the city in those days was arranged on this wise. In the first place the [[Acropolis]] was not as now. For the fact is that a single night of excessive rain washed away the earth and laid bare the rock; at the same time there were earthquakes, and then occurred the extraordinary inundation, which was the third before the great destruction of Deucalion. But in primitive times the hill of the Acropolis extended to the Eridanus and Ilissus, and included the Pnyx on one side, and the Lycabettus as a boundary on the opposite side to the Pnyx, and was all well covered with soil, and level at the top, except in one or two places. Outside the Acropolis and under the sides of the hill there dwelt artisans, and such of the husbandmen as were tilling the ground near; the warrior class dwelt by themselves around the temples of Athene and Hephaestus at the summit, which moreover they had enclosed with a single fence like the garden of a single house. On the north side they had dwellings in common and had erected halls for dining in winter, and had all the buildings which they needed for their common life, besides temples, but there was no adorning of them with gold and silver, for they made no use of these for any purpose; they took a middle course between meanness and ostentation, and built modest houses in which they and their children's children grew old, and they handed them down to others who were like themselves, always the same. But in summer-time they left their gardens and gymnasia and dining halls, and then the southern side of the hill was made use of by them for the same purpose. Where the Acropolis now is there was a fountain, which was choked by the earthquake, and has left only the few small streams which still exist in the vicinity, but in those days the fountain gave an abundant supply of water for all and of suitable temperature in summer and in winter. This is how they dwelt, being the guardians of their own citizens and the leaders of the Hellenes, who were their willing followers. And they took care to preserve the same number of men and women through all time, being so many as were required for warlike purposes, then as now-that is to say, about twenty thousand. Such were the ancient Athenians, and after this manner they righteously administered their own land and the rest of Hellas; they were renowned all over Europe and Asia for the beauty of their persons and for the many virtues of their souls, and of all men who lived in those days they were the most illustrious."

:"It was he [Gilgamesh] who reached by his own sheer strength Utanapishtim, the Faraway, who restored the sanctuaries (or: cities) that the Flood had destroyed!

 

'''Longevity and the Written Word'''

 

Is it really logical to expect monuments such as the pyramids or better from the civilizations that lived before the flood? Our technological development has occurred largely as a result of an ability to store and access large quantities of preexisting data. The knowledge possessed by any one person or even a hundred is insignificant in comparison to the libraries of previous learning that have now been obtained, and without which advancement to our level would not have happened. These libraries of knowledge did not begin to develop until the written word was invented, and no archaeological evidence of even the most primitive forms of writing have been discovered earlier than ancient Babylon which followed the [[tower of Babel]]. Even several hundred years later, during the time of the Egyptians, only hieroglyphics were in use. [http://whyfiles.org/079writing/]

'''Implications of the Tower of Babel'''

 

We can not dispute the existence of atypical knowledge possessed by [[Adam]] and Eve, however, we should also consider the [[tower of Babel]] curse as it relates to human accomplishments to that date. Monumental constructions are a great source of pride for humans.  It was most likely this type of technological development that God attempted to retard by creating the language barriers at the tower of Babel.  

'''Why do Men Construct Buildings?'''

 

:{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=4|verses=17}}  ''And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.''

The construction of dwelling space is driven almost exclusively by our need to shelter ourselves from the weather. Prior to the flood, the atmosphere is thought to have been much more stable than it is today, providing an almost globally uniform temperature. It is believed that there were no dramatic seasonal temperature fluctuations, or even significant differences in temperature between the polar and equatorial regions. This is evident by the discovery of fossilized ferns and amphibians on Antarctica. It is also believed that it had not rained prior to the flood, but the earth was instead watered by free-flowing springs and mist. Given that this type of perfect environment likely existed before the flood, it might be better to ask why people would build houses if they needed no shelter from the elements? One answer would be: to protect ourselves from wild animals and other humans. The earth was a violent place before the flood.  

:{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=6|verses=5}}  ''And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.''

Nevertheless, any constructions during this period were likely made of wood or dried mud. These materials are simply not expected to stand up well under catastrophic flood conditions. Even baked clay will dissolve if saturated for prolonged periods. This type of material has historically only been used to extremely arid regions for this reason. If they did not need to build shelters from the weather, and had never built a monument before the tower of Babel, what would we expect to find? Perhaps some protective fencing or walls might still remain if they could have survived a raging onslaught greater than the dam breech that hollowed-out the Grand Canyon. There may also be some clothing made of animal skins or stone tools, but no reason to expect anything more significant. Given the presuppositions of [[evolutionists]] and the certainty of their belief, any trace evidence of a antediluvian civilizations would likely be dismissed outright and we would never hear about it.

 

=== Discoveries of preflood civilizations ===

 

* '''The Koonalda Cave beneath the Nullarbor plain:'''

 

The Aboriginal name for the [http://www.tep.com.au/region/nullarbor.htm Nullarbor Plain] was 'Oondiri' meaning 'the waterless', for the average rainfall of the area is about 8 inches per annum. Ironically, this 'waterless' plain has 50 - 200 feet of marine sediments.