Before the Flood: The Biblical Flood as a Real Event and How It Changed the Course of Civilization: Wilson, Ian: 9780312304003: Amazon.com: Books (original) (raw)
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Customers find the book provides scientific explanations of flood myths. They find it a great and enjoyable read, with reliable information. The book explores the fascinating history of peoples in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas through an engaging true story.
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4 customers mention "Knowledge"4 positive0 negative
Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They appreciate its scientific explanations of flood myths held by many civilizations. The book provides new, reliable information and is more than just about the Flood. Readers mention that the book contains archeological evidence to support the flooding of the Black Sea.
"...and filled with facts developed from years of research, this book has the ring of truth and scientifically explains the plethora of flood myths held..." Read more
"...and Pittman, presents more recently developed, largely archeological evidence to support the flooding of the Black Sea as the basis of not only the..." Read more
"...Although much remains speculation and inference, there is much new reliable information. The book is far more than just about The Flood...." Read more
4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative
Customers find the book easy to read and a good reference for anyone interested in the region. They say it's an enjoyable read, though some have issues with the thesis and conclusion.
"...on history, the mythology and geology, and is a must read for anyone interested in the region, including Anatolia. A really good reference book." Read more
"...as Ryan and Pittman, Wilson is a far easier, and arguably a more enjoyable read. Ken Hodosy, B.A.(Classics), MLS" Read more
"...Good book, flawed thesis, good argument, flawed conclusion...." Read more
"This was a great book and I enjoyed immensely." Read more
4 customers mention "Storytelling"4 positive0 negative
Customers enjoy the engaging storytelling in the book. They find it a wonderful glimpse into the history of the peoples in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas. The book is also strong on history, mythology, and geology.
"...Its scope is beyond the Black Sea, of course, and it's strong on history, the mythology and geology, and is a must read for anyone interested in the..." Read more
"A wonderful glimpse into the fascinating history of the peoples in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas in the nine millennia B.C.E. Although much..." Read more
"Engaging true story of the Biblical Noah's flood...." Read more
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Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2016
This book is written with the hypothesis that the world's sea levels rose due to a melting of the great ice sheets that covered the world at the end of the last great ice age, a time that coincided with human habitation upon the earth. Clearly written and filled with facts developed from years of research, this book has the ring of truth and scientifically explains the plethora of flood myths held by so many civilizations the world over. I bought it used and liked it so well that I repurchased a 'new' copy to add to my permanent personal library. Carbon dating dates aside, this book marries up with the book by Ryan and Pittman, "Noah's Flood", which showed the found remains of human habitation beneath the Black Sea and how they got to be there. These two books are probably best read with "Noah's Flood" followed by "Before the Flood", but I wouldn't have had difficulty reading them reversed; that being said, they will be best read together. This telling of the biblical story of the flood that destroyed mankind, from a scientific standpoint, won't convert Creationists to the scientific viewpoint, but in my opinion these two ways of seeing this seminal event are compatible, not mutually exclusive. I enjoyed both immensely and recommend them both, to people of faith and also people of science as a point of engagement.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013
There are not many recent books on the Flood, and this one tops my rating list. Anyone interested in the Black Sea and wants to expand on Neal Ascherson's earlier history need this on the shelf. Its scope is beyond the Black Sea, of course, and it's strong on history, the mythology and geology, and is a must read for anyone interested in the region, including Anatolia. A really good reference book.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2009
Wilson, building on the earlier work of Ryan and Pittman, presents more recently developed, largely archeological evidence to support the flooding of the Black Sea as the basis of not only the Old Testament flood, but the other, pervasive, flood myths of our culture. While not, perhaps, as scholarly as Ryan and Pittman, Wilson is a far easier, and arguably a more enjoyable read.
Ken Hodosy, B.A.(Classics), MLS
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2007
Before the Flood is a well-written elaboration on a theory put forth by William Ryan and Walter Pitman entitled Noah's Flood. In it, the author supports the idea that the Biblical Flood of Noah has its historical roots in a real event...the innundation of the Black Sea around 5600 BC. Prior to this event, the Black Sea was a smaller, freshwater lake supporting numerous advanced cultural communities along its periphery. As a result of the melting ice waters from the previous Ice Age, a third great flood occured rising sea levels substantially...including the salt-water Mediterranean. This eventually led to the salty sea water breaking through the Bosphorous and flooding out the freshwater Black Sea. People long making their living along these shores were forced elsewhere...an event recorded for posterity throughout much of the Eurasian continent as Noah's Flood.
While the historical accuracy of such an event appears quite real, marrying it directly to the flood of Noah is not so easy a task. The evidence is circumstantial at best but nonetheless intriguing. A freshwater lake the size of the one near the Black Sea would clearly have been inviting to early peoples, we see advanced cultures like Catal Huyuk teeming on the edge of civilization in the area, and the sudden appearance of the mysterious Sumerians could all be rationalized by just such an event. Yet there are problems that are in need of explanation.
One argument made by Wilson is that the wide geographic distribution of the flood myth is the fanning out of the people living in and around the Black Sea. Yet many of the details shared in common throughout Eurasia include events that occurred after the flood...i.e. after the people would have dispersed. If their recollection of the flood is similar that's fine but their recollection of sacrifices and birds and alcohol...events after the flood, then we must assume a common source and this then would mean these details emerged after people dispersed...a detail contrary to Wilson's proposal. Secondly, what are we to make of pre-Columbian American flood myths? Especially those that contain these very same details and are recorded in Mayan Codex' that long pre-date Columbus.
It is my belief that the Americas provide the key to answering the origin of these flood myths and that they reside in astronomy. The flood is simply a metaphor for astronomical occurrences put in earthly terms summed up best by the Biblical phrase..."on earth as it is in heaven".
Good book, flawed thesis, good argument, flawed conclusion. The real answer to the flood of Noah (and its worldwide presence) is likely one whose basis can be found in astronomy.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2018
A wonderful glimpse into the fascinating history of the peoples in the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas in the nine millennia B.C.E. Although much remains speculation and inference, there is much new reliable information. The book is far more than just about The Flood. Although the author’s writing style is, shall we say, a little different from what I am used to, it still gets the job done. I learned a lot. Recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries
3.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing but a step closer to good divulgation.
Reviewed in Germany on January 22, 2018
After a good and captivating beginning the book tends to grow repetitive. The hypothesis of a highly developed culture far before the Sumerians and the ancient Egyptians is yet convincingly to be proved although the implications might be a real upheaval in the archaeological academical world that is by definition slow-moving and keen to protect its prerogatives. The book is not terribly well written either, anyway, and I found some syntactical inconsistencies as well, denoting a hasty composition. It is better than all the plethora of “ancient aliens hypothesis” emissions broadcast in Italy by National Geographic Channel. Reading it wasn’t all In all a waste of time, but there surely must be a way to do some good divulgative historical prose without being so repetitive and without coming to the point prior to the recapitulation in the last two-three pages: a little disappointing in this respect. Three stars is all I can bring myself to bestow