Hi Bluejay,
I was told by a marine biology professor that there is actually plenty of evidence to support the existence of a local flood (he didn't provide this evidence, though).
I've heard that the region of Mesopotamia is notorious for flooding. Noah's flood, even at a local level would be the flood of all floods.
The fact that it's qualified here in Leviticus indicates that a qualifier is necessary to distinguish which specific kind of creeping thing.
I agree. Insects are a creeping thing, so if we are not talking about insects but other creeping things (such as reptiles) the qualifier is needed. In Leviticus, we are talking specifically about various types of locust.
In Genesis 6 (quoted below), "creeping thing" is not qualified as "creeping things that creep" (therefore, not restricted to reptiles by this line of reasoning):
Well it has a slightly different qualifier: "of the earth". You can't say that the 90% of insects that fly are of the earth. All things that fly are always described as of the air, or heavens. I'll give you the 10%.
quote:
23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. (emphasis added)
In verse 23, it is already clear what is being talked about from the previous verses, so it is not required that the author repeat himself with the same amount of detail.
This is untrue: grasshoppers "creep" with all six legs
OK, but can we say that grasshoppers have four legs who's primary purpose is creeping, while the other two legs are designed for leaping with creeping as a secondary use. I think this is what the author is trying to convey, and is useful as a description specific to various locusts as opposed to other six legged insects.
"beetle" I have no idea why this was translated as beetle. I looked this one up, and it actually refers to yet another type of locust. So, no four legged beetle.
The "mats of vegetation" hypothesis is bad, because it suggests that things could have survived without the Ark, which means the Ark was essentially superfluous.
No, I don't see elephants or dinosaurs surviving on mats of vegetation - insects maybe.