Answers to Questions - The Bible and Science

What are some examples of scientific insights relating to engineering?

The Bible contains a few surprising insights into engineering that were not discovered until hundreds of years later.

The Ark of Noah
The detailed design of the ark is an example of an engineering design far ahead of its' time. Naval engineers now know that the length-to-width ratio specified in the Bible is ideal for the stability of a barge-like ship (non-propelled) designed for rough seas.

"This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish." Genesis 1:15-17

Buildings
Only the temple and tabernacle were based on designs directed by God. The engineering of both buildings is basic, simple and effective. Of greater significance is the architecture which skillfully integrates complex symbology and purpose with good design. The artistic significance and beauty of these structures, admired for centuries, are often viewed as designs that were far ahead of their time. God designed the temple as follows:

"The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. He made narrow clerestory windows in the temple. Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built. The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar." 1Kings 6:2-10

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