This article was originally authored by Dr. Hugh Ross and is republished here with permission from Reasons to Believe, a ministry dedicated to integrating science and faith. All rights reserved by the original publisher. To explore more resources, visit their website Reasons to Believe.
Reassessing Genesis 1–11 in light of science
In his book In Quest of the Historical Adam, Christian apologist William Lane Craig labels the Genesis accounts of Noah’s Flood, the Table of Nations, and the Tower of Babel as “fantastic elements.”[1] By this, he means these accounts cannot be interpreted as literal history but as “mytho-history,” a mix of myth and reality. Concerning Genesis 6–9, Craig writes, “In the flood story we are dealing not just with exaggeration but with the genre of myth.”[2] He adds that this “mytho-history” separates Genesis 1–11 from Genesis 12–50.[3]
In The Lost World of the Flood, theologians Tremper Longman III and John Walton claim the author of Genesis 6–8 used hyperbole to describe the Flood’s extent, those destroyed, and the dimensions of the ark.[4] Others agree, assuming the human population had already spread across Earth, which would rule out a global flood. However, recent scientific findings tell a different story—one that supports a literal reading of Genesis 1–11 rather than undermining it.
Dispersal of humanity after the flood
Genesis 9–11 records that after the Flood, humanity refused God’s command to “spread out over the earth and multiply upon it” (Genesis 9:1, 7). Instead, people said, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower... otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.” (Genesis 11:4). God responded by confusing their language and scattering them across continents (Genesis 11:7–9).
Scientific evidence for early human migration
Scientific data confirms a sudden dispersal of humanity from the Near and Middle East, and parts of Africa. Researchers use four key methods to date human migration: fossilized remains, archaeological artifacts, evidence of food preparation, and genetic analysis. Fossil and genetic evidence indicate modern humans began colonizing Europe around 44,000–39,000 years ago.[5] Archaeological artifacts and food remains align with these findings.[6]
Expansion across Asia and Australia
The same methods reveal humans colonized Asia between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago and reached Australia around 47,000–40,000 years ago.[10] During this Ice Age period, lower sea levels formed land bridges between regions like Indonesia and mainland Asia (Sunda), and connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania into one landmass (Sahul). These narrow water gaps made migration feasible (see figure).
Credit: Kanguole, Creative Commons Attribution–Share Alike
Timing of Noah’s flood
Scientific evidence for human migration aligns with Genesis 10–11, suggesting Noah’s Flood occurred before these dispersals, likely prior to 45,000 years ago. This timing supports a literal interpretation of Genesis and shows that Scripture’s account of human history fits with archaeological and genetic data.
Conclusion: faith and scientific harmony
These findings affirm that the Genesis record of humanity’s dispersal is consistent with science, not opposed to it. The evidence gives no reason to abandon the historical interpretation of Genesis or the doctrine of biblical inerrancy.[14] Scripture and creation, rightly understood, tell a unified story of humanity’s origins under God’s design.
Endnotes
- William Lane Craig, In Quest of the Historical Adam (Eerdmans, 2021), 104–129.
- Tremper Longman III and John H. Walton, The Lost World of the Flood (IVP Academic, 2018), 36–41.
- For related analysis, see Hugh Ross’s Errors in Human Origins Dates on Reasons to Believe.
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