[Winstonm]

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Genesis 6:20
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive

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Genesis 7:2
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

[Fluffy]

I don't understand this english very well, but anyway it is just a translation of a translation so anythign goes.

[Winstonm]

I wasn't aware of this discrepancy, but my brother, who has read this book in its original language, pointed out to me that this book was a compilation of legends from different tribes. He also said the original makes it clear that the first chapter of Genesis is a poem, and had a different author than the other parts.

In other words, the Old Testament is a collection of mostly moral myths passed on verbally until later compiled - which explains the inconsistencies.

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Genesis 6:19-22 says that Noah took two of each sort of animal into the Ark - cattle, fowl and every living thing. Genesis 7:1-5 says that Noah took seven of each clean animal, but only two of each unclean animal into the Ark. The reason for this difference is that there are actualy two different Flood accounts woven together, so that unless read carefully they seem to be just one account. The verses attributed to the Priestly author are: Genesis 6:9-22, 7:6, 7:8-9, 7:11, 7:13-16a, 7:18-21, 7:24, 8:1-2a, 8:3b-5, 8:7, 8:13a, 8:14-19, 9:1-17. The verses attributed to the Yahwist are: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 7:7, 7:10, 7:12, 7:16b-17, 7:22-23, 8:2b-3a, 8:6, 8:8-12, 8:13b, 8:20-22.

You can still believe the legends and moral teachings to be inspired - but the one thing it is not is a literal transcription and was never meant as literal.

[PassedOut]

Winstonm, on Jun 10 2010, 08:26 AM, said:

You can still believe the legends and moral teachings to be inspired - but the one thing it is not is a literal transcription and was never meant as literal.

I think all but the real droolers accept that.

[gwnn]

What people generally say is that God gave Noah approximate instructions first and then in the detailed explanations, he specified that some animals are to be taken by the sevens. Noah needed more of some animals than of some other animals because he was to make living sacrifices on the ship.

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend you going into Bible contradictions, there are many, all of them have explanations, some of them are quite simple and common-sense, others are preposterous and logical rape. There is ample malice on both sides and there is no shortage of words and debates.

[jjbrr]

malice... malum... malum...