>The date of 4780 years ago (2780 BC) was from the web.
Did you know that Isaac Newton studied the chronologies of ancient nations extensively, and concluded that they routinely exaggerated their antiquity strictly for reasons of national vanity?
I would include the Egyptians in the list of suspects unless I knew otherwise.
I would include the Egyptians in the list of suspects unless I knew otherwise.
There are lots of other cultures with continuity across the date given for the flood. Egyptians were one culture with writing, but they weren't the only one.
As for the date of the global flood, this is what I base my estimate of 2350 BC/4350 years ago upon:
2252 BC -- layevangelism.com
2304 BC -- Answers in Genesis (+/- 11 years).
2350 BC -- Morris, H. Biblical Creationism. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993.
2370 BC -- TalkOrigins.com
2500 BC -- http://www.nwcreation.net/biblechrono.html
2522 BC -- Dr. Gerhard Hasel
2978-3128 BC -- http://www.asa3.org/archive/ASA/199605/0162.html
3300 BC -- http://www.biblediscoveries.com/flood1.html
3537 BC -- Setterfield (1999)
We also have DNA continuity in most areas of the world from before to after this date for the flood. North America, for example, has a number of skeletons radiocarbon dated to before the flood with DNA matching individuals after the flood or living today.
One specimen (On Your Knees Cave, southern Alaska) has a date of 10,300 years and living descendants with that same DNA lineage along the coasts of North and South America.
Another specimen dates nearly 5,300 years ago and there are archaeological specimens matching that DNA at 1860 years ago 200-1000 years ago, as well as living individuals.
This suggests no discontinuity/replacement at the date given for the flood.