Geology of Israel 2.Indd
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Answers Research Journal 3 (2010):267–309. www.answersingenesis.org/arj/v3/geology-israel-flood.pdf The Geology of Israel within the Biblical Creation-Flood Framework of History: 2. The Flood Rocks Andrew A. Snelling, Answers in Genesis, P. O. Box 510, Hebron, Kentucky 41048 Abstract The sedimentary strata that cover most of Israel are an obvious record of the Genesis Flood. A major erosion surface (unconformity) at the base of the sedimentary sequence cut across the Precambrian (pre-Flood) crystalline basement rocks. This resulted from the catastrophic passage of the Flood waters as they rose in enormous tsunami-like surges over the continental land at the initiation of the Flood event. These rising Flood waters transported sediments and marine organisms over the continental land. Many thousands of meters of marine sediments were thus deposited on a vast scale across Israel, rapidly burying myriads of marine organisms in fossil graveyards. Land organisms were similarly overwhelmed by the Flood waters, their remains buried with the marine organisms. The global extent of some of these sedimentary layers in Israel is confirmed by correlations of strata across and between continents, such as the sandstone with pebbles at the base of the Flood sequence, and the massive pure chalk beds at the top. The biblical account of the Flood describes the formation of mountains from halfway through to the end of the year-long Flood event. Thus late in the Flood powerful tectonic upheaval processes overturned and upthrust Flood-deposited sedimentary strata to form these mountains. Simultaneous isostatic adjustments also resulted in restoring continental land surfaces as the Flood waters receded and drained into new deep ocean basins. In Israel this great regression is marked by the end of the widespread “marine” sedimentation and an erosion surface across the country. The subsequent minor local continental sedimentation represents residual post-Flood geologic activity. The end of the Flood also coincided with the commencement of the rifting that opened the Red Sea and the Dead Sea-Jordan River rift valley, as well as the uplifting of the Judean Mountains and the upthrusting of Mt. Hermon. Keywords: Israel, geology, Flood, sedimentary strata, fossils, erosional unconformities, pre-Flood/ Flood boundary, Flood/post-Flood boundary Introduction accompanied by volcanics (basalt flows, some erupted As the land of the Bible, the geology of Israel is under water, and explosively erupted tuffs and other the setting for the unfolding post-Flood account of pryoclastics) (Garfunkel 1980), consistent with the God’s plan for our salvation. When Jesus “went up to breaking up of the pre-Flood crust as waters of the Jerusalem” from the region of Galilee to go to Calvary fountains of the great deep erupted. for us, he had to climb through hills of fossiliferous The initiation of this breaking up of the pre-Flood limestone and chalk deposited by God’s Flood judgment crust triggered the catastrophic plate tectonics that of man’s sin (Snelling 2009a). Thus understanding provides a coherent, all embracing model for the the geology of Israel from a biblical perspective of Flood event and its contribution to the global geologic earth history adds to our appreciation of what we record (Austin et al. 1994; Baumgardner 2003). A read in the Scriptures. Furthermore, because some fuller treatment of the application of that model to post-Flood events recorded in the Scriptures likely the geologic record within the biblical creation-Flood affected the geology of Israel, identifying those effects framework of earth history is provided by Snelling may aid our alignment of the global geologic record (2009b). That treatment also includes presentation within the biblical framework of history. and discussion of the details of the Flood event and The year-long global catastrophic Flood of Genesis the evidences of catastrophic deposition of the Flood 6–9 is the event which divides the global geologic sediments, all of which is relevant to the descriptive record into its three main sections—pre-Flood, Flood, overview here of the Flood rocks of Israel. and post-Flood rocks. Snelling (2010a) identified and discussed the pre-Flood rocks of Israel, found only Flood Rock Units in the Elat area in the far south of the country. The Much of Israel consists of exposed Flood-deposited unconformity across the top of the Precambrian fossiliferous sedimentary strata, from the far north igneous and metamorphic basement rocks was of the country down through the central “spine” of the suggested as marking the onset of the Flood, which Judean Hills to the Negev in the south (Freund 1978; also included the rapid deposition of coarse clastic Garfunkel 1978). Fig. 1 (in two parts) is a detailed sediments (arkose and arkosic conglomerate) geologic map of the whole country (Sneh et al. 1998). ISSN: 1937-9056 Copyright © 2010, 2017 Answers in Genesis, Inc. All content is owned by Answers in Genesis (“AiG”) unless otherwise indicated. AiG consents to unlimited copying and distribution of print copies of Answers Research Journal articles for non-commercial, non-sale purposes only, provided the following conditions are met: the author of the article is clearly identified; Answers in Genesis is acknowledged as the copyright owner; Answers Research Journal and its website, www.answersresearchjournal.org, are acknowledged as the publication source; and the integrity of the work is not compromised in any way. For website and other electronic distribution and publication, AiG consents to republication of article abstracts with direct links to the full papers on the ARJ website. All rights reserved. For more information write to: Answers in Genesis, PO Box 510, Hebron, KY 41048, Attn: Editor, Answers Research Journal. The views expressed are those of the writer(s) and not necessarily those of the Answers Research Journal Editor or of Answers in Genesis. 268 A. A. Snelling 175 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 305 305 300 300 295 295 290 290 285 285 220220 280 280 275 275 270 270 265 265 260 260 255 255 250 250 245 245 240 240 235 235 230 230 225 225 220 220 215 215 210 210 205 205 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 200 200 200 205 210 215 220 195 195 190 190 185 185 180 180 175 175 170 170 165 165 160 160 155 155 150 150 145 145 140 140 135 135 130 130 125 125 120 120 115 115 110 110 105 105 100 100 95 95 90 90 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 The Geology of Israel within the Biblical Creation-Flood Framework of History: 2. The Flood Rocks 269 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 90 90 85 85 80 80 75 75 70 70 65 65 60 60 55 55 50 50 45 45 40 40 35 35 30 30 25 25 20 20 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 0 995 995 990 990 200 205 210 215 220 985 985 980 980 975 975 970 970 965 965 966 185 190 195 197 960 960 955 955 950 950 945 945 940 940 935 935 Fault 930 930 Stream 925 925 Road 920 920 +++++++ International boundary 915 915 910 910 905 905 900 900 895 895 890 890 885 885 880 880 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 270 A. A. Snelling Symbol Area Geology q North Alluvium (Gravel, sand, clay) Quaternary q Central Alluvium (Gravel, sand, clay, loess) Quaternary q Northern Negev Alluvium (Gravel, sand, silt, loess) Quaternary q Negev Alluvium (Gravel, sand, silt) Quaternary qs General Sand dunes (Gravel, sand, silt) Quaternary ls General Landslide (Gravel, sand, silt) Quaternary qt General Travertine (Gravel, sand, silt) Quaternary qp General Playa deposits (Clay, silt, sand) Quaternary qh General Red sand and loam (”hamra”) (Clay, silt, sand) Quaternary qk General Calcareous sandstone (”kurkar”) (Clay, silt, sand) Quaternary ql North Lisan Formation (Aragonite varves, sandstone, gravel, conglomerate, mudstone 25 m) Quaternary ql Central Lisan Formation (Aragonite varves, sandstone, gravel, conglomerate, mudstone, gypsum 32 m) Quaternary ql Northern Negev Lisan Formation (Aragonite varves, sandstone, gravel, conglomerate, mudstone, gypsum 45 m) Quaternary qsa General Samra Formation (Sandstone, conglomerate, mudstone, oolitic limestone 35 m) Pliocene-Pleistocene nql General Zchiha Formation Lacustrine deposits (Jordan) (Marl, sandstone, gravel) Neogene-Quaternary qb General Benot Ya’akov Formation (Sand, gravel, clay 5 m) Quaternary qu General Gadot and Mishamar Ha’Yarden Formations Erk el Ahmar and Ebediye FormationsYa’akov Formation (Conglomerate, sandstone, mudstone, chalk +238 m) Pliocene-Pleistocene v General Volcanic cone (Basalt, basanite/flows and volcaniclastics) Quaternary �qw General Wa’ara Basalt (Basalt, basanite/flows and volcaniclastics) Quaternary �qg General Golan Basalt Raqqad Basalt (Basalt, basanite/flows and volcaniclastics) Quaternary �qy General Yarmouk Basalt Naharyim Basalt (Basalt, basanite/flows) Quaternary �qyr General Yarda Basalt (Basalt, basanite/flows) Quaternary �qh General Hasbani Basalt (Basalt, basanite/flows) Quaternary nqc General Conglomerate units, undifferentiated (Basalt, basanite/flows) Neogene-Quaternary nqr General Ar Risha Gravel (Jordan) (Conglomerate, sandy conglomerate) Miocene �n General Volcanic rock units, undifferentiated (Conglomerate, sandy conglomerate) Neogene-Plicoene �pd General Dalton Basalt (Basalt/flows and pyroclastics) Pliocene �c General Cover Basalt and Dalwe Basalt (Basalt, basinite/flows, intrusions and volcaniclastics)