Black Sea and Noah's Flood
Theory
The Black Sea is an inland sea, lying between
southeastern Europe and Asia Minor.
It is connected with the Aegean Sea
by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. Romania,
Bulgaria, and the European portion of Turkey bound it on the west. The
Northern and Eastern shores are bordered by Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.
The entire southern shore is Turkish territory.
The Black Sea has a length of about 750 miles
from east to west, a maximum width of 380 miles and an area (excluding its
northern arm, the Sea of Azov) of about 168,500 square miles.
The Black Sea,
one part of this beautiful paradise known as Crimea.
The Crimean
Peninsula projects into the Black Sea from the north forming the shallow
Sea of Azov on the east and the Karkinitskiy Gulf on the West. The former
is almost entirely cut off from the Black Sea.
The sea receives in large part, drainage from
central and eastern Europe through the Dnepr, Dnestr, Southern Bug, and
Danube rivers.
It also receives waters from a considerable
section of eastern
European Russia, through the Don River (which flows
into the sea of Azov) and from the western Caucasus region through the
Kuban (which also flows into the Sea of Azov) and a number of smaller
rivers.
Present. The Black Sea is abundantly stocked with
valuable sturgeon and other fish. As an outlet for the products of Ukraine
and adjoining republics, it is of special importance in regional
commerce.
The principal ports are Odessa, Kherson, Yalta,
and Sevastopol in Ukraine.
As travel has become more reliable, the Crimean
Beaches of the Black Sea have become a major tourist attraction. A welcome
addition to the many wonderful sights of the Crimea.
The beaches are pristine, and the waters a deep
blue but very clear with a low salt content, making diving very
popular.
The Black Sea is also noted for the lack of
sharks and jellyfish, making it one of the safest bodies of water to enjoy
swimming and diving in the world.
Boat tours are also available to sights such as
"Swallows Nest", a fairy tale castle built upon a rock base.
Also by boat, is a wonderful trip to "Bear
Mountain" of volcanic formation.
The "Dolphin Shows" round out just a few of the
many attractions associated with this beautiful sea.
Past and
Future In 1999, the Crimea has become the center of attention in
the controversial "Noah's Flood" theory.
Columbia University geologists William Ryan and
Walter Pitman created a storm of controversy with the publication of their
book on Noah's Flood.
Ryan and Pitman's
theory: During the Ice Age, the Black Sea was an isolated fresh
water lake surrounded by farmland.
About 12,000 years ago, toward the end of the
Ice Age, that sprawled over the Northern Hemisphere began to melt.
Oceans and seas grew deeper as a result. About
7,000 years ago the Mediterranean Sea swelled.
Sea water rushed northward, slicing through
what is now Turkey. Funneled through the narrow Bosporus Strait, the water
hit the Black Sea with 200 times the force of Niagara Falls. Each day the
Black Sea rose about six inches, and coastal farms were flooded. Seared
into the memories of terrified survivors, the tale of the flood was passed
down through the generations and eventually became the Noah
story.
Explorer Robert Ballard headed an expedition in
1999, in which he retrieved mud samples from the sea bed containing sea
shells.
These shells are being tested at Woods Hole
Institute to determine if they are of fresh or saltwater origin. Ballard
also reported finding sonar images on the ocean bed, he believes to be the
ruins of buildings as theorized by Ryan and Pitman. He will lead another
expedition to the Black Sea in the summer of 2,000 by which time the
results of the Woods Hole testing will be known.
Will the Black Sea prove to be a "link" to
"Noah's Flood"? Perhaps, only time will tell.
One thing is certain, all civilizations that
sailed these magical waters and laid claim to this valuable seaport
through the ages, have left it as they themselves found it, unspoiled and
beautiful.