Craigbythesea,
You are trying to colour my words to fit your evolutionary viewpoint and argument. I didn't mention Neanderthals. I am referring to biblical descriptions - descriptions by people who were actually there at the time. Such eyewitness reports are far more reliable than the suppositions of people who dig bones out of the ground and theorize about them. Before you get onto your "Even Creationists use science in their homes etc." speech, I am not saying there is no place for such things, just that actual eyewitness reports are of more use. Of course, you will not accept that because your evolutionary beliefs have coloured your interpretation of the Bible, and, sadly, you will not accept that these things are meant to be understood in as plain a manner as they are written. Nevertheless, let me show you some scripture:
Numbers 13:23-28,
"And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak [lit giants] there."
It would seem that it wasn't only people who were big. Not only were there giants here, but even a single cluster of grapes needed to be carried by two people.
Numbers 13:33 "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
Genesis 6:4 "There were giants in the earth in those days..." Note that this was the time of Noah and the Ark
Deuteronomy 2:10-11 "The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims."
Deuteronomy 2:19-21 "And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead..."
There is more I could quote, much, much more, but this will do to show what I mean. These giants weren't few and far between, there were whole races of them - you can call these by any scientific name you want to but the fact is that these were very big humans. I could of course be wrong about the size of the cubit in those times, but as the scriptural record of giants in the land in those times shows, the idea is not altogether without merit, except to those who refuse to accept such scripture as a plain account of actual events.
Even using an 18 inch cubit (for convenience), Genesis 6:15 tells us that the Ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Someone else has mentioned the opinion that many crossbeams would have been required in the Ark. I accept that, but the Bible tells us that the Ark was built on three levels (Genesis 6:16) which would have provided horizontal bracing. We have very little information on the Ark's construction. Noah would have had a full blueprint to work from no doubt. All we have is a brief overview. I would think that it would have been necessary to compartmentalize the interior to keep the animals separated and under control, and to provide somewhere for Adam and his family to live, somewhere for food to be stored etc. Such compartmentalization would also provide vertical bracing.
I hope you can now see, that when the Bible is taken as a plain and straightforward account of actual events, what I said earlier was by no means stupid or ridiculous, as least I don't consider them to be so.
UTEOTW, I hope to be able to reply to your post regarding the Ark later, I have to go and do other things now.
Yours, in Christ,
PlainSense
