Which Came First: The Flood or the Pyramids?

Did the Egyptians build the pyramids before or after the flood, assuming the event of Noah’s flood to be historical? Skeptics often claim the flood is a myth, partly because the pyramids at Giza show no evidence of flood damage. Nonetheless, some propose that the pyramids may have been constructed before such a flood. Where does the truth actually lie?

It is often argued that if a global flood occurred around 2350 BCE, it would have submerged the renowned pyramids of Giza. According to this perspective, the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the other two pyramids would have been built roughly 200 years before the traditional date of the flood. Yet, the pyramids show no signs of flood-induced erosion. Consequently, many proponents of mainstream science dismiss the flood narrative as mythical. However, could a different interpretation offer a new perspective on this ancient event?

The Pyramids of Giza

The Giza pyramid complex consists of four primary monuments: the Great Pyramid of Khufu (also called Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre, the smaller Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Sphinx. Among these, the Great Pyramid of Khufu has captivated the most interest. Egyptologists have long examined its labyrinthine corridors, hidden chambers, and enigmatic shafts. This same intrigue has also attracted researchers from the fringes of conventional science, drawn to the pyramid’s enduring mysteries.

Egyptologists have established that the pyramids at Giza were constructed during Egypt’s Old Kingdom period under the Fourth Dynasty pharaohs. Radiocarbon dating of organic materials left by the builders, discovered throughout the complex, places the construction of the pyramids between 2589 and 2504 BCE.¹ According to biblical chronology, particularly that of the Masoretic text,² Noah’s flood is dated to approximately 2350 BCE.³ However, as the pyramids at Giza exhibit no evidence of flood-related erosion, a clear chronological discrepancy arises. This raises two possibilities: either the biblical account is inaccurate (suggesting that the flood occurred earlier or perhaps not at all), or radiocarbon dating methods are unreliable. Where, then, does the truth lie?

Egypt in the Bible

Let us turn first to the Holy Scriptures. According to Genesis 10:6, ‘The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan’. This passage from Genesis provides a genealogy for those living after Noah’s flood. Ham, one of Noah’s sons, was born before the flood, while his son Mizraim, born afterward, was Noah’s grandson. Among the Israelites, Mizraim is traditionally viewed as the founder of Egyptian civilization. The Hebrew Old Testament refers to Egypt as ‘Mizraim’ 611 times, and to this day, the Hebrew name for Egypt remains Mizraim, or Mitsrayim.⁴

This suggests that, according to the Bible, Egyptian civilisation arose only after the flood. Consequently, the pyramids at Giza would also have to have been built post-flood, rather than prior.

Radiocarbon Dating of the Pyramids

Radiocarbon dating suggests that the pyramids were constructed in the 26th century BCE, based on studies conducted in 1984 as part of David H. Koch’s Pyramids Radiocarbon Project. Eleven years later, these studies were repeated to address potential uncertainties in the initial results. However, the findings remained inconclusive, with discrepancies in dating of up to 400 years. Scientists attributed this variation to the Egyptians’ use of older materials and tools during the construction of the Khufu and Khafre pyramids.⁵

Radiocarbon Dating – Flawed Assumptions

The issue extends beyond the variability of radiocarbon dating results to the dating process itself, which rests on several key assumptions. These include knowing the original quantity of the daughter isotope, assuming no sudden loss of the parent isotope or addition of the daughter isotope, and presuming a constant decay rate for the parent isotope over time. While scientists rely on these assumptions as the foundation of radiocarbon dating, they cannot be absolutely certain of their accuracy.⁶

In radiocarbon dating, the parent isotope (radioactive) is carbon ¹⁴C, and the daughter isotope (stable) is carbon ¹²C. Scientists measure the quantitative ratio between one isotope and the other. Based on this ratio, they can calculate the object’s age: the lower the amount of ¹⁴C relative to ¹²C, the older the object.

The problem lies in determining the initial amount of ¹⁴C. Artifacts containing this isotope are organic objects made from wood. Carbon ¹⁴C is created from nitrogen ¹⁴N in the atmosphere, then oxidizes into carbon dioxide CO₂, which plants absorb through photosynthesis. The amount of ¹⁴C that plants absorbed during their lifetime is the amount they contained at the time of their death.

Carbon-14 vs. Earth’s Magnetic Field and the Flood

The amount of carbon ¹⁴C produced in the atmosphere depends on the amount of solar radiation that enters it. This amount is limited by Earth’s magnetic field. The stronger the field, the less ¹⁴C is produced. Scientists assume that the amount of ¹⁴C in the atmosphere during ancient Egypt was similar to today’s.⁷

It is well known that Earth’s magnetic field is weakening and was likely much stronger in the past. This suggests that during the Old Kingdom, the atmosphere may have contained less ¹⁴C than typically assumed. Consequently, objects dated by radiocarbon may appear older than they actually are. This leads to the conclusion that organic items from ancient Egypt may be several hundred years younger than indicated by ¹⁴C imeasurements.⁸

Additionally, the flood itself was a significant factor. Noah’s flood buried vast amounts of organic matter, disrupting the ¹⁴C-to-¹²C ratio in favour of the latter. Consequently, items dated closer to the flood year appear to have inflated ages when assessed by radiocarbon dating.⁹

The Pyramids Were Built After the Flood

Considering these factors, we can deduce that the pyramids were likely constructed not in the 26th century BCE, but rather in the 22nd or 21st century BCE—a few hundred years after the biblical flood, dated to approximately 2350 BCE. Once again, this suggests an alignment between scientific findings and the narrative of the Holy Scriptures.

By the way, we recommend reading the articles:

• Does the Big Bang Theory Exclude the Existence of God?
• Defining the Human-Animal Divide
• Self-Transcendence – The Forgotten Human Need
• What Happened to the Waters Above the Firmament?
• Secrets of Ancient Civilizations – Part 1: Construction

Footnotes:

1. Dating the Pyramids, Archaeology Archive, vol. 52, no. 5, September/October (1999), https://archive.archaeology.org/9909/abstracts/pyramids.html.
2. Septuagint text containing longer periods of the lives of the antediluvian and later patriarchs, full of contradictions.
3. Rev Usher’s chronology places the creation of the world in 4004 BC, dating Noah’s Flood at approximately 2348 BC.
4. Cox, G. (2020), ‘Time fears the pyramids?’, Creation, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 18-20, https://creation.com/pyramids-of-egypt-age.
5. Dating the Pyramids, op. cit.
6. Snelling, A.A. (2009), ‘Radiometric Dating: Problems with the Assumptions’, Answers in Genesis, 1 October, https://answersingenesis.org/geology/radiometric-dating/radiometric-dating-problems-with-the-assumptions/.
7. Cox, G., op. cit.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.

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