aa5874

But, how do you know if the author did NOT deliberately make a false claim about a flood?

And the flood story as written conveys no other meaning than the entire world was flooded. Trying to now claim that there is some other meaning to the flood is simply making stuff up.

The church writers did not claim the flood was figurative.

Anat

You don't know that, because you don't know the intention of the author nor how it was received by the intended audience at the time the story was written. Was the story of the flood perceived as literally true? Not true but with moral meaning such as 'The Turtle and the Hare'? Did the author intend the audience to believe the historical truth of the story (despite the fact that s/he knew it was fictional) as a means to change accepted morals and behaviors (ie was it a work of propaganda)?

bacht

This writer seems to take it literally:

[3] First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions
[4] and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation."
[5] They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water,
[6] through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
[7] But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

[2 Peter 3]

Anat

At the time the author of 2 Peter wrote that the story of the flood has been around for a few centuries. The question is what the author and hir audience thought when the story originated (who knows when) and when it was written down in its various editions.

diana

We don't, but the principle of charity (recommended for fair and respectful behavior in argument) states that we avoid accusing them of lying when other explanations are just as likely, unless we have proof.

EDIT: Anat already answered this, and well.

When was the flood story written? And when were the church fathers writing about it?

d