The size of the ark was overwhelming. Thinking about all the animals that were to go inside the ark is also overwhelming. We have all seen the pictures in children’s books with animals on the ark. The ark was fully enclosed to withstand the power of the water. As we toured the ark, I realized how many things I had never considered. The one thing I had not considered was the probability of very young animals going into the ark. If Noah had taken young animals, they would have taken up less space. They also would have had a longer life after the flood.
Genesis 6:19-22, “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.”
Animals went to the ark in pairs—male and female. There is much discussion about animal “kinds”. Did every animal on the earth go into the ark or just part of them. Touring the Ark Encounter, they seem to think that there is a difference between “kind” and “species”. I’ve read these verses but gave almost no thought to the meaning of “kind”. The Ark Encounter estimates 1,398 animal kinds. For example, not every specific dog would have been on the ark. However, other experts estimate that number as much higher. I will let the experts debate that topic.
“According to www.gotquestions.org, The ark had three levels (Genesis 6:16) and a lot of rooms (Genesis 6:14), the walls of which would have taken up space. Nevertheless, it has been calculated that a little more than half (54.75%) of the 2,773,925 cubic feet could store 125,000 sheep-sized animals, leaving over 1.5 million cubic feet of free space (see – http://www.icr.org/article/how-could-all-animals-get-board-noahs-ark/).”
“John Woodmorappe, author of the definitive Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study, estimated that only about 15 percent of the animals on the ark would have been larger than a sheep. This figure does not take into account the possibility that God may have brought Noah “infant” animals, which can be significantly smaller than adult animals.”
“How many animals were on the ark? Woodmorappe estimates 8,000 “kinds.” What is a “kind”? The designation of “kind” is thought to be much broader than the designation “species.” Even as there are over 400 dog breeds all belonging to one species (Canis familiaris), so many species can belong to one kind. Some think that the designation “genus” may be somewhat close to the biblical “kind.”
“Nevertheless, even if we presume that “kind” is synonymous with “species,” “there are not very many species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. The leading systematic biologist, Ernst Mayr, gives the number as 17,600. Allowing for two of each species on the ark, plus seven of the few so-called “clean” kinds of animals, plus a reasonable increment for known extinct species, it is obvious that not more than, say, 50,000 animals were on the ark” (Morris, 1987).”
“Some have estimated that there were as many as 25,000 kinds of animals represented on the ark. This is a high-end estimation. With two of each kind and seven of some, the number of animals would exceed 50,000, though not by very much, relatively speaking. Regardless, whether there were 16,000 or 25,000 kinds of animals, even with two of each and seven of some, scholars agree that there was plenty of room for all of the animals on the ark, plus food and water with room to spare.” You can read the full article here. https://www.gotquestions.org/Noahs-ark-animals.html
The specific number of animals is not at the top of my list of things to debate. The one thing that is at the top of my list is that the flood actually happened. Noah and his family took care of the animals during the flood and waiting for the water to recede. The animals all left the ark with Noah and have repopulated the earth just as God planned. We serve an awesome God who meticulously planned the event and used just the right person to execute His plan.
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