Background
In a previous blog (Noah’s Ark – A Fresh Look), we made a case for the notion that all the creatures on the Ark were in a Biblical “deep sleep.” As we continued our study of the Ark, we came across a very interesting couple of verses:
Genesis 8:5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
Genesis 8:6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
One Closed Window
These above verses 
state that the one window (Genesis 6:16) on the Ark was closed during the voyage and not opened until near disembarkation (10 months + 40 days, i.e., approximately 340 days out of the approximate one-year voyage of the Ark). Imagine tens of thousands of animals and eight humans living on an Ark, each having an active metabolism. And they lived there for nearly a year with the only window closed! Wouldn’t someone open the window? So, knowing that the window was closed brings us to the strong likelihood that the passengers were in a deep sleep in a hermetically-sealed Ark.
Logic
Let us reason together and consider the possibility that the Ark was, in fact, hermetically sealed. Consider:
-
The Bible states that Noah sealed the Ark inside and outside with pitch (Genesis 6:14). Sealing the Ark outside and inside keeps air/gases or liquids from coming in or going out, i.e. hermetically sealed.
-
During the flood, many creatures died outside the Ark causing health hazards such as gastroenteritis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and cholera. These diseases propagate through the air, water, and insects. The passengers on the Ark would be vulnerable to these diseases. Had the Ark not been sealed, it would have been a colossal mess, with possible death to all.
-
Hermetically sealing the Ark would also help soundproof the Ark. This creates a comforting mental image of the Ark in the center of the most significant catastrophic event of all time with the passengers resting in a Biblical “deep sleep” peaceably and quietly. Don’t forget that the name “Noah” in Hebrew (Noach) means “rest” and “quiet.”
-
The obvious question is: how could all of those on the Ark survive without oxygen? The answer is that the Ark had plenty of oxygen, but the deep sleep process recycled it. Recycling oxygen is not a problem for God; even humans can do it in our space station.
Conclusion:
The hermetically sealed Ark provided a safe and peaceful environment for the animals that were in a deep sleep.
Suggested Additional Reading:
Noah’s Wife and the Curse of Canaan
Noah’s Ark a Fresh Look
For more of our papers, please CLICK HERE
If you would like to contact us, please CLICK HERE
If you would like to subscribe, please CLICK HERE