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Was the Flood Universal?

Most people are familiar with the story of Noah
and the ark, having learnt it in childhood. We
took it for granted that the flood was universal
-- covering the highest mountains on earth. We
also took for granted that the only survivors
were Noah, his family and a host of animals
they took into the ark.

This basic story is known by billions of people
and is included in the sacred writings of Chris-
tians, Jews and Muslims. However, what we
have generally believed about the Flood may
not be what really happened!
Hope of Israel Ministries (Church of Was the Flood universal -- covering the entire
YEHOVAH) planet? Or was it regional, involving human
The Berean Voice Magazine and animal life in one specific land or country?
P.O. Box 6772 Naturally, there are dedicated Christians on
Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-6772, U.S.A. both sides of this question, and each side has its

enthusiastic defenders, arguments, strengths and
Website (West Coast): weaknesses. But when all the evidence is in, the
http://hope-of-israel.org bulk of the evidence favors Noah's Flood as be-
Website (East Coast): ing REGIONAL -- not universal.
http://hope-of-isreal.net
A correct understanding of Noah's Flood boils
E-mail: kiwihope@netscape.net down to a correct understanding of the original
Hebrew of the Old Testament. There are key
Editor and Director: John D. Keyser words that have been mistranslated by the Bi-
ble translators -- and these key words can pro-
Contributing Writers: foundly alter the truth about the Flood, the ark
James D. Dwyer and the early civilizations that were flourishing
Ernest Martin shortly after the Flood waters abated.
Jonathan David Brown
Fausset's Expository Bible Encyclopedia com-
Technical Advisor: ments that the difficulties that surround a
Sean Keyser universal flood "make a partial one probable;"
while the scholarly and detailed Hasting's En-
cyclopedia of Religion and Ethics clearly
Hope of Israel Ministries -- notes that "the belief in a universal Deluge has
Preparing the Way for the long been abandoned by well-informed writ-

Return of YEHOVAH God ers." Will you be well-informed -- both Bibli-
cally and scientifically?
and His Messiah!
-- John D. Keyser

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