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devout men, from EVERY nation under heaven." It should be quite evident this did not include
people from China, India or the far reaches of the Amazon!

Many who realize that the Flood was regional, not universal and covering the highest
mountains, still seem to feel it was universal in the sense that all men on the face of the earth were
drowned. They have the idea that the world's population was limited at that time to the Mesopota-
mian valley. But, in disagreement with this, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
states, "An insuperable objection to this theory is that the later discoveries have brought to light
remains of prehistoric man from all over the northern hemisphere, showing that long before the
time of the Flood he had become widely scattered."

At first glance the writings of the first-century Jewish scholar Josephus would have us be-
lieve the flood destroyed all human beings in the world. But if you delve further into his works you
will find statements that indicate otherwise. We find, in a quote from Nicolaus of Damascus, the
following: "There is a great mountain in Armenia...upon which it is reported that many who fled at
the time of the Deluge were saved; and that one who was carried in an ark came on shore upon the
top of it; and that the remains of the timber were a great while preserved. This might be the man
about whom Moses the legislator of the Jews wrote."

Later, Josephus goes on to say:

Now the sons of Noah were three...these first of all descended from the mountains into the plains, and
fixed their habitation there; and persuaded others who were greatly afraid of the lower grounds on account
of the flood, and so were very loth to come down from the higher places, to venture to follow their exam-
ples. Now the plain in which they first dwelt was called Shinar (Antiquities of the Jews, 1, 4:1).

This, of course, begs the question -- since there were supposedly only eight people in the
ark who survived the Flood, who were these "others" they persuaded to come down from the
mountains or hills to establish homes?

There are some more passages in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews that most people read
right over -- verses that unmistakably show there were MANY survivors of the Flood. Notice!

But as for Noah, he was afraid, since God had determined to destroy mankind, lest He should drown the
earth every year; so he [Noah] offered burnt-offerings, and besought God that Nature might hereafter go
on its former orderly course, and that He would not bring on so great a judgment ANY MORE, by which
the whole race of creatures MIGHT BE IN DANGER OF DESTRUCTION; but that, HAVING NOW PUN-
ISHED THE WICKED, he would of his goodness SPARE THE REMAINDER, and SUCH AS HE HAD
HITHERTO JUDGED FIT TO BE DELIVERED from so severe a calamity; for that otherwise these last
must be more miserable than the first, and that they must be condemned to a worse condition than the oth-
ers, unless they be suffered to ESCAPE ENTIRELY; that is, IF THEY BE RESERVED FOR ANOTHER
DELUGE, while they must be afflicted with the terror and sight OF THE FIRST DELUGE, and must also
BE DESTROYED BY A SECOND (book I, chapter III, verse 7).

Josephus goes on to say, "He [Noah] also entreated God to accept of his sacrifice, and to
grant that the earth might never again undergo the like effects of His wrath; that men might be per-
mitted to go on cheerfully in cultivating the same -- to build cities, and live happily in them; and

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