“The Universal Legends of a Flood”

In their book Target: Earth Allan Kelly and Frank Dachille discuss the significance of what they call “the universal legends of a flood of titanic proportions.” They write: “In the ordinary experience of man floods are not of such great or of such widespread occurrence that he would generate a story of an overwhelming, all-exterminating flood. Except for some parts of the world such as Japan, where tidal waves are quite destructive, floods are, and were, of little consequence to the security of man compared to the danger from wild animals, drought, famine, pestilential diseases or even the intense winter storms in northern regions. Why then should practically all races of men have this legend of a great deluge? Why should people who lived far from the ocean in dry highland country such as central Mexico or central Asia have a legend of a flood? . . . It is difficult to explain why the universal deluge was chosen as the method of exterminating man unless it had been an actual experience. If universal deluge had not been an actuality, then some races would have had their wicked ancestors being eliminated by awesome volcanic eruptions, great blizzards, drought, wild animals, giants or demons. Thus the universality of the deluge story is one of the best arguments for its truth.”