Noah Builds the Ark
2348 BC
📂 BIBLICAL
📖 About This Event
God commanded Noah to build an ark of gopher wood, specifying exact dimensions: 300 cubits long (approximately 450 feet), 50 cubits wide (75 feet), and 30 cubits high (45 feet)—making it one of the largest vessels ever described in ancient literature. The ark was to have three decks, a roof with an opening, and a door on the side. God instructed Noah to coat it inside and out with pitch to make it watertight. This enormous project required decades of faithful labor, during which Noah must have faced ridicule and incomprehension from a godless world.
The ark stands as a powerful symbol of salvation in Scripture. Its name (Hebrew: tebah) means 'box' or 'chest,' emphasizing its role as a vessel of preservation. Inside the ark, Noah, his wife, his three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and their wives—eight persons in all—were preserved from the judgment that consumed the rest of humanity. Pairs of every kind of animal were brought into the ark, demonstrating God's care for all creation.
The Catholic Church sees the ark as a type of the Church and of baptism. St. Cyprian of Carthage wrote that 'the ark is a figure of the Church,' and St. Peter explicitly connects the Flood to baptism: 'Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you' (1 Peter 3:21). Just as those in the ark were saved through water, so believers are saved through the waters of baptism. Key Scripture: Genesis 6:14-22; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20-21; CCC 600
📜 Key Facts
Date
2348 BC
Category
Biblical
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