Did Noah Plant Trees for the Ark?

The story of Noah and the Ark is one of the most well-known in the Bible. According to the story, God saw that the earth had become corrupt and filled with violence, and decided to flood it and start over. He told Noah, a righteous man, to build an ark and fill it with two of every kind of animal, along with his family.

While the story of the Ark is fascinating, it raises some interesting questions. One of the most common questions is: did Noah plant trees for the Ark? After all, he needed wood to build it.

The Bible Doesn't Say

Surprisingly, the Bible doesn't say whether or not Noah planted trees for the Ark. However, there are a few hints that suggest he did.

Firstly, Genesis 6:14-16 describes God's instructions for the Ark's construction: "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits." This suggests that Noah was meant to build the Ark out of a specific type of wood, which would have required growing and harvesting trees.

Additionally, it seems unlikely that Noah would have been able to gather enough wood for the Ark without planting some himself. According to some estimates, the Ark would have required around 2.2 million cubic feet of wood. This is equivalent to around 522 railroad cars filled with timber. It's difficult to imagine that Noah would have been able to gather this much wood from the surrounding area.

Other Possibilities

Of course, it's also possible that Noah didn't plant trees specifically for the Ark, but instead used wood from the surrounding area. This would have been more difficult, as the area was likely still recovering from the destruction of the Garden of Eden. However, it's not impossible.

Another possibility is that Noah received help from God. This is supported by Genesis 6:22, which states: "Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him." It's possible that God provided the wood for the Ark, or perhaps helped Noah gather it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's impossible to know for certain whether or not Noah planted trees for the Ark. However, the fact that the Bible specifies the use of a specific type of wood suggests that he did, and the sheer amount of wood required makes it difficult to imagine that he gathered it all from the surrounding area. Regardless of how he procured the wood, Noah's obedience to God's commands allowed him and his family to survive the flood and begin a new world.