My apologies to you, because I didn't know about this thread, so I'm not really sure who said what.
It is my understanding that the Flood covered all the earth except for 'Eretz Yisra'el, which was exempted in order to preserve the Land's unique sanctity by allowing its dead to be buried quickly afterwards.
Oh, in addition to the eight human beings in the Ark there was a ninth survivor, who clung to the outside and was fed by Noah through an aperture of some kind after he swore an oath to serve Noah's descendants. This was King `Og, the last of the Nefilim, who was killed by the Israelites under Moses. The service he performed was to tell Abraham that his nephew Lot had been taken captive (in Genesis 14). He is called in that chapter HaPalit (the escapee), referring to his escape from the battle but eluding to his escape from the Flood as well. Because of this good deed performed for Abraham Moses was afraid that King `Og would be protected by his merit (he had no such fear of facing King Sichon). G-d assured him otherwise.
It's amazing what the Torah teaches, as it were, by outlining rather than by drawing the complete picture (`Og was a Nafil, all the Nefilim were killed in the Flood, but somehow `Og survived to be killed by Moses). Then the Oral Tradition fills in the details to give a perfect picture (the connection between the giving of the Torah and the feast of Shavu`ot is similarly hinted at without ever stating it outright).
"Bible critics" are so clueless!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your insights on this subject! I am somewhat a sponge for ancient manuscripts, so a lot of what you say is familiar to me.
Well we have a problem for the NT says
1Pe 3:20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
"Oh, in addition to the eight human beings in the Ark there was a ninth survivor, who clung to the outside and was fed by Noah through an aperture of some kind after he swore an oath to serve Noah's descendants. This was King `Og,"
Do you do any writing for "24"?