Bible Questions & Answers Archive 

 How Could Noah's Ark Hold All of Those Animals?
Dr. Max D. Younce
0012

 Question 

How could Noah's Ark hold all the species of animals?

 Answer 

In answering this question, there are several facts that need to be recognized. Let me list them for you:

1. The ark was not shaped like a ship, but was shaped as a rectangle, like a three-story barge. It was never built to sail, only to float.

2. Size of the ark: The length was 450 ft., the width was 75 ft., and heighth was 45 ft. (Genesis 6:15). The cubit was approximately 18 in., which was the measurement taken forearm the elbow to the end of the middle finger.

3. Capacity. There was 33,750 sq. ft. on each of the 3 floors, making a total floor space of 101,250 sq. ft. This is equivalent to 1,518,750 cubic ft.

4. Capacity equivalence. The area of the ark is equal to approximately 522 standard stock cars or 8 freight trains of 65 cars each.

Note: one stock car can hold about 25 cattle. A double deck car can haul about 250 pigs or sheep. With this carrying capacity there would be no problem transporting the original species. Two trains hauling 73 cars each could carry about 35,000 animals, to give some idea of the ark's carrying capacity.

5. Worms, insects, and similar small creatures, averaging 2 in. on the side, would only require 21 more cars for over 1,000,000 individuals.

Of the clean beasts they were to take by sevens, male and female, to be used for an offering (8:20) and for food (9:2,3). The unclean, male and female by two, this was just to replenish the earth.

Today we have over 500 varieties of the sweet pea, developed from a single type since the year 1700. Also, there are 200 distinct varieties of dogs that have developed from a very few wild dogs. Only the male and female of the original species was taken, not all of the varieties.

Note: The flood took place approximately 1656 years from the Creation. Approximately 2400 years after the flood, Christ was born. We are living approximately 2,000 years since Christ was here, thus totaling approximately 4,400 years since the flood. It is not difficult to realize that, over a period of 4,400 years, why we have all the varieties of animals, insects and plants that have developed from the original species.