Well, Giff, the flood myth appears in almost every culture from the Maya to the Pacific Islanders and everyone in between. Although Noah (who appears in almost all of these flood myths in some form or another) may be fantasy, the flood certianly was not. At the end of the last Ice Age the sea level rose. Although it is an exaguration to state that the entire world was flooded, a good portion of the habitated world (around the coast, up rivers etc) was.
Recent exploration in the North Sea has shown that many habitated areas where submerged and this has lead to most geographers, historians and scientists admiting that the ancient flood myths have more than a grain of truth in them (although they tend to rap it up in symbolism, which is what all peoples tend to do with tragity stories).
The flood myths are not alone in sheding light on forgotten areas of our past. The Minoan civilisation, Troy and the Hittites all owe thier discovery to old ledgends and, as more work is carried out, the Exodus account is slowly becoming more likley (although God is yet to make an appearance!). Now, if we can accept one ledgend in the bible as having some truth (even if exagurated) then why not another?
Recent exploration in the North Sea has shown that many habitated areas where submerged and this has lead to most geographers, historians and scientists admiting that the ancient flood myths have more than a grain of truth in them (although they tend to rap it up in symbolism, which is what all peoples tend to do with tragity stories).
The flood myths are not alone in sheding light on forgotten areas of our past. The Minoan civilisation, Troy and the Hittites all owe thier discovery to old ledgends and, as more work is carried out, the Exodus account is slowly becoming more likley (although God is yet to make an appearance!). Now, if we can accept one ledgend in the bible as having some truth (even if exagurated) then why not another?