The Rapidly Growing Population of Predatory Animals
Why did the people remain in the Araxes Valley instead of immediately setting out to other regions? Well, for one thing, the population had to grow. Then, we must remember that there were no maps- the entire world was unknown to them. Oh, perhaps sometimes a group would scout around in the immediate vicinity looking for natural resources, etc. But there were other things which had to be considered- one of which we will now discuss. To fully comprehend the situation of those who lived just after the flood, we can only try to put ourselves in their situation. The problem is that we cannot even imagine what the world around the ark was like when the animal kingdom was reintroduced to their home, planet earth. It must have been terrifying at times, especially after a period of time, after the animals had grown in numbers.
After the flood, Noah and his family faced a world completely destroyed. In this "new, ragged and barren world" they had the task of breeding the animals from the ark and raising the first crops. As their families grew, they would have needed to establish their separate homes in communities where they could protect themselves and their domesticated flocks and herds from the rapidly increasing numbers of predatory animals. These predators, such as lions and tigers, reproduce in litters, having 6 or more young at a time, with very short gestation periods as opposed to people and domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep and goats who generally produce only one or 2 offspring at a time with much longer gestation periods.
With such a diversity of animals breeding freely in the
region, many of which were predatory and quite dangerous to man and
other animals, it would be
extremely important for families and communities to
remain together in order to provide protection for each
other as well as for their flocks and herds. Ancient sites
in Turkey have revealed large stone walls which, in the
absence of any evidence of invaders, could only have
only been for protection from the wild animals. Also,
many ancient homes have been found which had no
doorway but were entered through the roof by ladders
which also could have been for this same purpose.
Some were built side by side almost as one single unit,
with doors entering a central courtyard with a single
exit to the outside. (See PH, NN, EC and the numerous
AS journals.) Also, many buried their dead below a
stone slab under the floor of their houses which could
very well have been to protect them from being dug up
and eaten by animals. Man has long recognized the
necessity of preventing animals from acquiring a taste
for human flesh. A good example of this is the
"man-eating tigers" we hear of occasionally.
The rapid growth of the predators must have made life
very dangerous for Noah's family. The situation was still
the same during the time the children of Israel were
entering the promised land: Exo 23:29 I will not drive them
[the Hivite, the Hittite and the Canaanite] out from before
the in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the
beasts of the field multiply against thee. Sadly, this
situation set the stage for Nimrod's claim to fame and great power as a result of his prowess as a
hunter. There is a great deal of evidence of animals in the region which are no longer found there,
such as an ostrich seen on a Hittite stele from Turkey. (IS, p. 100.) They have also found "...teeth
and other fragments from the skeletons of hippopotamus, elephas antiquus [an extinct type of
elephant], horse, cave bear and hyaena." (MA, p. 14). These were not fossils- they were
post-flood animals. They had much more to contend with than we can imagine.
Nimrod's Influence Felt Even in This Century
Some things make such a monumental impression on people that they tend to be passed down through many, many generations. One such thing was the time when mankind and the vast array of rapidly reproducing animals began repopulating this earth again in close association with one another after the flood. We may have never given this a second thought as we read the story of Babel, but the evidences tell a story we need to think about. In the figurines and pottery forms of the earliest people, animals always were a major subject. On the one hand, people were very dependent upon cattle, goats and sheep for so many of their necessities. But on the other hand, they must have lived in great fear and danger with all the predators now competing for food. Nimrod, the great hunter, is the first person mentioned after the flood other than names given in the genealogies. We know he was a great man and that he built Babel, along with 3 other cities (and presumably more, since this was said to be the beginning of his kingdom). But what made him great, I believe, was his famed reputation as the "great hunter".
