Was the Flood worldwide or local?
Though generally viewed as fictional by the world, the flood story of Genesis is-important, especially to one interested in the archaeology of the scriptures. A study of this story involves understanding of the scriptural account itself, comparison of parallel accounts from other sources and archaeological or physical evidence of such a flood. The location of the flood's beginning is not clear from-scripture, but the geographic terms of Genesis seem to point to Babylonia. The "earth" of the flood is a Hebrew term which didn't necessarily mean the whole planet as we use "earth" today, but probably only the region known to the Genesis people (i.e. "the dry land. Also of Moses 1:28-29) Babylonian accounts found on clay tablets offer remarkable parallels to the Bible. The Epic of Gilgamesh has Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah, leaving ancient Shuruppak in his boat and landing in the Urartu (Zagros) mountains (the "mountains of Ararat" of Genesis?) to the imediate east, not modern Mt. Ararat in Armenia. This epic was known by 2000 B.C. and supposedly happened many generations before. Archaeological or physical evidence of a great flood in Babylonia (one of several such attested) consists of a silt deposit or deposits at Uruk, Shuruppak and Kish. These date to about 3100 B.C. which is not far from present datings of the biblical flood. The silt also separates one type of cultural remains below from a different culture above. Thus archaeology can support a limited flood in Mesopotamia at about the time of the Genesis flood, but has nothing indicating a planetary deluge at that time.
BMAF member, Bob, commented on this article:
Its my opinion we depend upon science far to much in these matters.
Science cannot demonstrate evidences of Noah's great flood, nor
evidence of the great earthquake that shook the world at the death of
our Lord and Savior. Why, because the parameters they use to date
obvious flood sediment is wrong. Moses and Joseph Smith testified of
the great flood, Moses first, and Joseph Smith while correcting the
Bible, he could have declared the flood story as false, not inspired
as he did "The Songs of Salomon," he did not do so!
The flood is also mentioned in the Book of Mormon, the most correct
book on earth. The earthquake mentioned in both the Bible and the
Book of Mormon a date easily obtained, Friday, 1 April 33 AD. The
scripture is correct, science is the problem, correct the dating
parameters!
LDS science is dropping the ball here!