There could be many interpretations depending on the beliefs of who answers. For me, it represents God's love and protection for human and animalkind and new beginnings. Here is an article by a woman named Jeanne Heiburg on symbolism on the Ark. It contains a lot of interesting perspectives that could answer your question. http://www.peterli.com/archive/cat/633.shtm

jesus

For me, it illustrates how many animals there will be in Heaven as compared to humans.

The effluvian mythology predates the old testament. It goes back at least to Sumerian times and the stories of Gilgamesh. I'd guess that it is an oral tradition started during the last ice age when the sea levels rose. Most biblical stories were lifted from older mythology.

I would be interested to know how you came up with this. The animals were put on the ark so they would survive as well. The fact that there were more than 2 of each "clean" animal is so Noah and his family had food to eat while the ark was afloat.

It isn't a symbol at all. It is the story of what happened when God was not happy with the people on the earth. The rainbow is a symbol of God's promise that He would never again flood the entire earth.

There is a folk story in Fredricksburg, Texas, about the Easter fires. At one point in its history the town was surrounded by hostile indians who were going to attack at dawn on Easter. When the town's children asked about the ring of campfires surrounding the town, the adults told them that the Easter bunny and his helpers were boiling eggs for the next day's celebrations. It's funny how stories get started.

The gullibility of a huge percentage of this planet's population!

Pure faith in God's promise. Noah was truly a faithful man. Almighty God told him to construct 'something' that had never been done before. Apart from the fact it was so big, Noah did not know its purpose. According to the bible, he spent something like 60 to 80 years building it. Also, at the time, the world had not experience rain. (Genesis 2:5-6) Now there was as yet no bush of the field found in the earth and no vegetation of the field was as yet sprouting, because Jehovah God had not made it rain upon the earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6 But a mist would go up from the earth and it watered the entire surface of the ground. Between the time of this scripture and the building of the Ark, the Bible says nothing about rain on the earth. But AFTER the flood, rain is part of our system. All this time, people laughed at him. Noah warned them that catastrophe was coming. Even Noah did not know WHAT. Noah's sons married three local girls. Their parents must have been "good" people for Noah to allow it. But when the flood finally came, they died. Why? because they "took no note". Even Jesus knew the story of Noah was true, because he mentioned it. (Matthew 24:37-39) For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

It is a symbol that represents man and the world he lives on. There was no flood as depicted in the Bible, science can find no evidence of any such flood as described therein in history. I am sure to be countered by anti-science, so keep an open mind to others responses and don't be afraid to use your critical mind. Noah's Ark is more of an esoteric symbolism, it was a story invented to stimulate and educate the minds of people, and to referance man's faith in a God. The Ark of Noah, symbolizes the Earth, and all the living creatures on the Earth, it also symbolizes how fragile Man's existence is on the Earth (The Ark) as it travels at the whim of the great sea of the universe... it also symbolizes how we are at the mercy of God's influence as he is the all powerful weatherman. Now I know I will catch fire for this, but that is the theology of the symbolism in the bible. Most fundamentalist take everything they read quite literally without critical thought applied to the symbolism in the bible. For them to admit it's just a "childrens story" would turn the entire christian religion and others on their ear. Im sorry but it's not a true story, mainstream science has yet to prove or find any of these claims. Please omit anti-science and your religious viewpoint from your comments. --- I would be willing to look over any evidence you have sleepro, let me know when you got something scientifically evident.

Don't forget to carry an umbrella on rainy days?

I think it means that no matter how badly we mess up God will give the human race a chance to start over.

life

Gullibility and a lack of intelligence.

New beginnings and how god will never abandon us ever again You shouldn't take this story literally because a man cannot live to be 600 years old, let alone buld and ark all by himself and rain for 40 days and 40 nights can't flood the entire world it's a MYTH the only truth it contains is religous, it's not meant to be taken as a historical fact so all you atheists, don't criticize it for what it's not

Many interpretations can be made about this biblical story, but i want to make my first point the most important! Khufu, of Egypt was a story based on a representation of god, and based on the same principles as Noah. A gathering of animals and species for an upcoming catastrophe. i don't know the full details of the Egyptian version, but i am 100% positive the story was stolen by the Christians at the same time the christian church began to discredit the Egyptian religion, further destabilizing the religion and faith of Egypt. So like much of christian religion, noah's ark was a stolen concept and changed to adhere to christian values or rather just made to be a christian story. The story of both can be interpreted as a massive new beginning, when your god brings a flood or a catastrophic event, few are chosen to replant the seed if life. this marginaly is for animals and life on earth to flourish once again in a setting with much less sin. its pretty basic story and meaning, but i want to further say that the Egyption religion, one that has been around for hundreds of years before christianity or jesus was swept under the rug to appease european power and establish a new system of religion in the region. Much of the Egyption religion was stolen by early Christians and remade with Christian names. its truly pathetic that people worship such lies, but if you'd rather believe in a god and not yourself thats not my business. Just remember, religion for the most part has one source, many interpretations throughout history are made to adhere to certain values and cultures. its a fable, one ive never enjoyed.

Nothing Feb.01

Genesis chapter 6 verse 14 is where you can find the beginning of God's instructions to Noah regarding the construction of the Ark. The Bible explains that Noah preached to the people, warning them of the coming threat of a flood, however, people disregarded his warnings. The only ones who had faith in the message survived the flood. 8 people. There is more information on how the ark was built and how the animals were lead inside on the website jw.org.

Well, it could be a symbol of obedience and alertness for our day. The apostle Paul explained that the destruction of the wicked will come when most people don