Flood Legend Supports Bible Account
THE global Deluge of Noah’s day is a historical fact. Versions of the account are found in the oral history of many different civilizations around the world. In the African country of Chad, the Moussaye tribe explains the Flood like this:
‘Once upon a time, in a faraway place, there lived a family. One day, the mother of this family wanted to prepare a sumptuous meal for her loved ones. So she took her mortar and pestle to pound the grain into flour. At that time the sky was much closer than it is now. In fact, if you reached up with your hand, you could touch it. She pounded the grain with all her strength, and the millet she pounded quickly turned to flour. But as she pounded, the woman carelessly lifted the pestle too high, and she poked a hole in the sky! Immediately, a great quantity of water started falling to the earth. This was no ordinary rain. It rained for seven days and seven nights until the whole earth was covered with water. As the rain fell, the sky began to rise until it ended up where it is now—unreachably high. What a catastrophe for humanity! Since then, we have lost the privilege of touching the sky with our hands.’
Interestingly, ancient accounts telling of a global flood can be found all around the world. Native civilizations of the Americas as well as Aborigines of Australia all have stories about it. The details may differ, but most accounts contain the thought that the earth was covered by water and only a few people survived in a man-made vessel. The widespread presence of this theme adds support to the fact that a worldwide Deluge did occur, as reported in the Bible.—Genesis 7:11-20.