Did it take Noah 120 years to build it?
Did it take Noah 120 years to build it?
It's commonly assumed that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark and the logic goes that if it were only a regional flood Noah would'nt need so long to construct an ark. The 120 yr period is mentioned in Gen 6.3 "My spirit shall not always strive with man, yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." Yes a judment was coming but nothing was said about a flood or ark. At this time Noah was 480 years old since he was 600 yrs old at the flood (Gen 7.11). Noah's sons were not born until he was 500 (Gen 5.32). It was'nt until after his sons were grown and married that God commanded Noah to build the ark. "Make thee an ark, I do bring a flood of waters and you shall come into the ark , and your sons and your wife and your sons wives with you." (Gen 6.14-18). Therefore it is clear Noah did not take 120 years to build the ark and the bible does not give us any length of time. There is a jewish tradition that it took Noah 5 years.