Before the Flood: Dramatic New Evidence That the Biblical Flood Was a Real-life Event by Ian Wilson (1-Aug-2002) Paperback

by Ian Wilson

1st edition hardcover , Book fine & fine (as new) dw (dust jacket) as new

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Anthropology, World History, Ancient History, Theology

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Author of historical and religious books. He was born in Clapham, south London, but now lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife, Judith and their two sons, Adrian and Noel.

Wilson is most well known for his research on the Shroud of Turin.

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author says that a massive Flood event within the time that humankind has been building boats is no longer a matter of myth, but one of firm scientific and historical fact. But it was not a worldwide flood, but one centered in the middle east - the Black Sea area, Turkey, Syria, Northern Africa.
Some interesting facts: One of the first things Noah after alighting on Mount Ararat was to become the first to plant the vine for winemaking. The first known vine cultivation took place very shortly after the Black Sea Flood and in the broad vicinity of of Ararat.
Cities were found under the Seas, the Black Sea once didn't have an exit into the Mediterranean.
The book contains a lot of information that doesn't seem connected to the flood stories. Religion was one with the seemingly connections between Goddess Worship over many areas before the Flood. So the book could have been shorter. Dragged at times with all the archeology finds and the connections the author attempted to make showing how the various cultures seem to move away from where the flood was taking place. A lot of guesswork.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, Ian Wilson has a delightfully nuanced brain. You know it's a good time when you want to hold the book up afterwards and say 'I think he's on to something.' The archeological evidence and his hypothesis mesh so seamlessly it would be a shame to disprove his conclusions. What an intriguing book, and he-he, not dry at all.

[Roger Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fascinating book. The only reason I give it four rather than five stars is that the author is a bit prone to jumping to conclusions. He establishes very well that the Black Sea came into existence about 7600 years ago when the Mediterranean Sea broke through the Bosporus and catastrophically inundated a freshwater lake and a very large territory around it. He also establishes that people were living there at the time who, if not quite civilized, had many of the trappings of civilization such as domesticated livestock, cultivated crops and houses instead of huts. All of this is pretty undeniable, but was this catastrophe the genesis of the Noah's flood story? Well, the problem with legends is that they are just that, legends. They do not have to be based on any real events and can be just made up stories. Even when they are based on actual events, over many generations and thousands of years of oral transmission by preliterate peoples, they can mutate into something so distorted that they almost may as well be made up stories. I think the author is jumping to conclusions to be so sure that he has explained the origin of the Noah story. On the other hand, these very similar flood stories are found so frequently among cultures emenating from the Black Sea region that I think he is probably right anyway. He takes a bigger leap with the ark. It is undoubtedly true that late stone age people were capable of building boats, probably made of reed, that could have transported livestock. There is too much evidence of such animals turning up on far flung islands from that time to deny it even though no such boats survive. But does that mean that a stone age resident of the Black Sea area loaded up his livestock and family and escaped the flood that way spawning the story of the ark? Well, there is absolutely no evidence of an event that specific and could have happened does not mean did happen. I will agree, though, that it could have happened. Throughout the book there are other examples of this jumping to conclusions, but I will say that in setting up the factual premises for these jumps he did cause me to learn a lot about archaeological discoveries and the many solid inferences that have been made from them. Despite my criticisms I assure you that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Beth Knoll-Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written and interesting, but not what I was expecting. The author makes some interesting arguments, but much of them them are grounded in hypothesis. Also, he leans heavily on the research of only a couple of archaeologists when making his points. I enjoyed the book. It was interesting, but it just didn't meet my expectations for content.

[the Skrauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is the flood story found all around the globe in civilizations that had never met? This book whet my appetite for explorations into ancient advanced civilizations, our prehistory.

[Alex Telander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone is pretty much familiar with the flood story from Genesis with Noah and his ark, but did you know the Bible isn’t the only text to have a flood myth within its pages? There are flood myths from ancient Greece, Persia, India, even as far as Scandinavia and South America. How do I know this? Because I have read Before the Flood.

Ian Wilson takes a step into the ancient and prehistoric with this book, delving into the past no one is quite sure about; where historical fact begins to blur and fictional theory sharpens. Wilson has done plenty of research (the lengthy bibliography vouches for this) into the many different flood myths scattered across the world to write this unique book, where they all come together. He presents it in a logical manner, also revealing some contemporary flood myths that were perpetuated by ignorant scientists.

What is important is that Wilson treats the flood as a real event that happened, which is not surprising, since there are all these stories about it. But he backs all his ideas and premises with scientific research that make them more believable. Back when Genesis was written, there was no technology to validate the flood, but now Wilson has proven we are at a time to accept that a catastrophic flood of some sort did occur some ten thousand years ago.

Originally published on March 17th, 2003 ©Alex C. Telander.

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[Janet Zehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author presents the evidence for a civilization millennia before the Egyptian and Mesopotamian ones we all learned were the cradles of civilization. His account of stone-age cities that have been excavated is heavily foot-noted and believable. The catastrophic flood caused by the melting of glaciers, the disastrous rise in sea level, including the Mediterranean, and the probable massive earthquake that split the land bridge that had separated the sea from the pre-existing fresh water lake, causing an enormous rush of water into what is now the Black Sea seems very plausible. He provides much data about the unusual composition of the Black Sea, which has an anoxic layer in its depth and a more biological zone in the upper levels.
There is a lot of information that has been gathered by William Ryan and Walter Pitman in their research that resulted in a previous book called "Noah's Flood", and the exploration of Robert Ballard, who used a submersible to observe the well preserved remains of ancient settlements under the Black Sea.
I was impressed by the very detailed description of the artifacts recovered and the religion practiced by these inhabitants. As has been revealed by archeologists, legends and myths often prove to be based on actual events.
The reason I did not give this fascinating book 4 stars is that there are so many obscure name of places, individuals and deities that it is hard to keep track of all of it.

[Elentarri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approximately 5600 BC the Mediterranean Sea burst through the Bosporus and inundated the Black Sea, turning a fresh water lake into a salt water lake and drowning any existing coastal dwellings. Ian Wilson describes the underwater, submersible-aided, Black Sea archaeological discoveries of William Ryan, Walter Pitman and Robert Ballard. Wilson hypothesizes that the Black Sea food and the Biblical flood may be connected and that the center of the civilized world was located around the Black Sea in Turkey.

The author has a clear, elegant writing style that avoids overly-technical jargon and repetitive waffling. Ideas are presented logically and there is a clear differentiation between archaeological evidence, specialist interpretation and author interpretation. There is no religion bashing and no religion preaching in this book. All in all, a very nice archaeological detective story.

NOTE: This edition of the book has the photographs and illustrations printed very darkly, making it hard to determine some of the details. So if purchasing this book, see if you can find another edition or look up the pictures on the internet.

[Rick Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilson reviews the findings of Ballard's research on the floor of the Black Sea regarding a cataclysmic flood c. 5600 BCE, and from there goes on to examine archeological findings of nearby cultures predating it. He finds evidence pointing to the migration of peoples away from the Black Sea's environs, and especially a common thread among them of the cult of the Great Mother Goddess. His review touches on the warrior women (Amazons) of ancient lore, matrilineal social orders, Atlantis, and much, much more. He concludes with recommendations regarding future research that might confirm or refute his hypotheses.

[Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great read with all sorts of interesting information about cultures stretching from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Really neat stuff. I loved it and learned so much. Also really kicking myself now for opting not to check out a copy of Gilgamesh at the same time. Am eager to learn more about this Black Sea flooding business.

Not ultimately sold on his argument, however, especially as the Mother Goddess's turf and variations stretch. Concurrent online searches have suggested that some of the info is now dated and may have derailed parts of Wilson's case.

[Thomas Sauder · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first few chapters are about how, of you believe in the bible and the biblical flood, you are an idiot. Then he points out an important archaeological finding that was almost missed because scholars with minds closed to the idea of the biblical flood refused to look at it. Then he talks about how surprised they all are to discover many things that are to be found in the biblical record, like farming or domestication of sheep and cattle before the flood. It was not really intellectually honest in my opinion.

[Hema · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much like 1421 - a lot is speculation and no one really know where the ark came to rest, where the flood happenend, and where the people went afterward. so spend hours reading for a result without serious scientific answer.

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting hypothesis. Rather readable and interestingly enjoyable.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to the theory forwarded by Walter Pittman and William Ryan, thousands of years ago either due to the building pressure from a Mediterranean Sea experiencing a sea-level rise from the melting and collapse of the Laurentine Ice Sheet or tectonic activity but the geological barrier of the Bosporus cracked open and salt water invaded the fresh-water Black Sea, filling the depression and causing those settled on its shores to flee to higher ground. This was basically before any type of writing, when history was still oral and it could very possibly be the origins of the cultural memory of Noah's Flood from Genesis as well as the other flood myths.

And this is what the author is working from - that sea-level rose by about 120-130 meters (400 feet) which sunk land and opened straits and channels across the world. But he is focusing on Turkey, the Mediterranean as well the Black Sea and pre-history societies that are known to have existed and left only questions for present day archaeologists and historians.

Admittedly, explorations by Robert Ballard along the ancient shoreline have yielded artifacts that are 6-7,000 years old. We are talking about wooden constructs that have managed to survive due to the anoxic or oxygen deprived waters in the depths of the Black Sea. But he has not been able to get back to extensively re-examine the sites before the publication of Wilson's book.

The author is attempting to weave those two happenstances along with theories that the actual cradle of civilization was not Egypt or Mesopotamia but Turkey, namely Catal Hüyük. Excavations have yielded - not only in Catal Hüyük but other nearby sites from a similar time period - evidence of woodworking, the weaving of baskets and textiles in the form of wall and floor accessories, writing or at least, an 'written' accounting of commodities (various animals used different tokens), boat construction which resulted in the colonization of Cyprus and metallurgy of lead and copper.

He connects cultures from Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa including Egypt along with islands between Tunisia to the Levant and possibly to the western coastal regions of Spain, France and the British Isles. Societies that seemed further advanced than their neighbors in various techniques and skills with languages that can not be connected to any known proto-language. The Etruscans, the Phoenicians, the Cretans and Minoans, the Phrygians, the Hyksos and more that were connected via their Great Mother Goddess.

Does he convince me? Not necessarily. It's a tremendous amount of research that Wilson has done. He does not try to prove that the Noah of Genesis existed or not - just that there were other mythos with similar stories across the region. That all the flood myths from Europe through Asia are all tied together in a collective memory of a traumatic disaster which occurred thousands of years ago.

2021-075

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Grounded in solid archaeology and scientific research- it then looks further afield to myths and legends (Jason and the Argonauts, Atlantis). Do his inferences and hypotheses race ahead of his evidence and clues? Maybe, but the clues are so tantalizing (again with the myths...)

[Shane Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected hence the low rating.

[Tintinrulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Wilson's "Before the Flood", is a fascinating, if (in my opinion) flawed book. It's well-written and researched but begins with a faulty premise - that the world is a few billion years old and that the flood was local, not worldwide. What is interesting, is that the book confirms the reality that a massive flood did take place in the Black Sea region. Also, the book entertains the belief that the cradle of civilization lies in, and around, what is present-day Turkey. I didn't agree with everything in this book but I believe that it's wise to sometimes read contrary materials. In that way, you can contrast what you believe with what you read and confirm your reasons for believing, all the while recognising that other people have different beliefs. Included were some sketches and photographs, but of the latter many were poorly reproduced, making it difficult to determine the subject of the image. Finally, while the book clearly took a stance against there being a worldwide flood, other parts of the book confirmed what we already know about early cultures etc. from reading the Bible. Overall, "Before the Flood" proved to be a dense but enjoyable book and I learned much from reading it.

7.5/10

[Eric Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the book. It wasn't what I expected just from reading the title. It was surprising in a good way. Ian Wilson attempts to describe the Neolithic world in the region of the Black Sea around the 4th, 5th & 6th millenea BCE. He relies heavily on the work of two researchers and several archaeologists to build a case that this specific region was the seed of human civilization, contrary to popular belief. The book was written 1 1/2 decades ago and there is still an ongoing debate amongst those in the know as to the severity of an event which Mr Wilson attributes to the origin of the biblical Noah's Flood account. He suggests that with the world coming out of the last Ice Age and sea levels rising, a very thin land barrier between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea suddenly burst and caused the catastrophic flood.

Overall I enjoyed the book and feel a bit smarter because of it. I was given a glimpse the world of archaeology and it's inner workings from debate to exploration. Here is a very large caveat, however, after looking over some other books he's written I'm afraid I may have been duped into thinking this work was one of academic excellence.

[John Keahey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly through this book and enjoying every minute. The reality behind the myth explained from a geologic, archaeological perspective. So well written: logical progression of information, building to remarkable conclusions.

[M]

I haven't gotten very far, but it appears that this book takes the stand that there was a catastrophic flood, but that it was not world-wide. Hmm...

[exxcentrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to reading Before the Flood I thought the story of Noah and the flood was just a story. Before the Flood explores not just the Bible, but flood stories from all over the world.

[Melanie Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts are interesting, some are long winded and boring.

[John Tarttelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book - extremely interesting and fascinating. Just finished for the third time.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. Loved seeing the compilation of evidence (up to publication in 2001) for a pre-Mesopotamian/pre-Egyptian advanced stone-age civilization. Was a fascinating read and reminds me how much I loved archaeology and historical studies as a teen.

Looking forward to more books by this author, or on this subject.