# What did the animals eat on Noahs Ark? What did they eat after they landed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 22, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478 "2006-11-22T22:47:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lou\_Stool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47774/32.png) [@Lou\_Stool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lou_Stool)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/1 "2006-11-22T22:47:09Z")
If there were only two of each animal, what did the carnivores eat after the boat landed. How big would the boat have to be to load every animal species on the planet? Two times. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/2 "2006-11-22T22:52:34Z")
They ate Unicorn. In seriousness, what the animals ate on the ark isn’t specified. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/3 "2006-11-22T23:01:28Z")
There weren’t only two of each animal. There were seven of each “clean” animal and two each of every “unclean” animal. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/4 "2006-11-22T23:02:00Z")
I suppose for the first few days they could have collected the floating bodies of the sinful. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/5 "2006-11-22T23:08:33Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] There weren’t only two of each animal. There were seven of each “clean” animal and two each of every “unclean” anim [/QUOTE] My understanding is that there was 2 of each carnivore and 7 of each herbivore. It doesn’t say how many exited, but I would assume 2 of each. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/6 "2006-11-22T23:11:06Z")
Food was teleported down from the Federation starship Voyager, , on detached duty from Starfleet for the occasion. For the most part the mission was successful; unfortunately Neelix was put in charge of the dinosaurs’ rations, which is why they went extinct so quickly. ---
**Author:** ![spazattak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@spazattak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazattak)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/7 "2006-11-22T23:13:28Z")
You’re missing the meaning! The point of the story is to demonstrate God’s mercy by sparing only known good people in all the world. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/8 "2006-11-22T23:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] Food was teleported down from the Federation starship Voyager, , on detached duty from Starfleet for the occasion. For the most part the mission was successful; unfortunately Neelix was put in charge of the dinosaurs’ rations, which is why they went extinct so quickly. [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t that be in violation of the Prime Dir… Oh wait. Voyager. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/9 "2006-11-22T23:16:54Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] Wouldn’t that be in violation of the Prime Dir… Oh wait. Voyager. Never mind. [/QUOTE] Goddamn it, you’re SUCH a joke-tease, Revenant. First you take the bait I dangle, then you tromp on my punch line. I’m tempted to rescind my offer to make you grand vizier of Earth when I am god-king. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/10 "2006-11-22T23:21:32Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] My understanding is that there was 2 of each carnivore and 7 of each herbivore. It doesn’t say how many exited, but I would assume 2 of each. [/QUOTE] Here’s the relevant passage: > [@King James Version](#): > > 2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. > > 3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/11 "2006-11-22T23:25:35Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] Goddamn it, you’re SUCH a joke-tease, Revenant. First you take the bait I dangle, then you tromp on my punch line. I’m tempted to rescind my offer to make you grand vizier of Earth when I am god-king. [/QUOTE] Sorry, your Excellence. What was your punchline? **Lissa** , that’s interesting. The phrasing of that seems to suggest the taking of pairs, but specifically says seven. Could it be it meant seven males and seven females? And then two males and two females of the unclean animals and birds with flight? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/12 "2006-11-22T23:28:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lou Stool] If there were only two of each animal, what did the carnivores eat after the boat landed. How big would the boat have to be to load every animal species on the planet? Two times. [/QUOTE] You are aware that the story is total fiction and could never have happened, for a large number of reasons, aren’t you? So you are merely asking for hypothetical purposes, right? Let’s clear this up at the start. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Reginald\_Bumwipe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@Sir\_Reginald\_Bumwipe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Reginald_Bumwipe)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/13 "2006-11-22T23:29:39Z")
Well based on the assumption that God can perform any kind of magic at will, maybe he made it so no one needed to eat. Then promptly changed everything back when they landed. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/14 "2006-11-22T23:31:57Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Reginald Bumwipe] Well based on the assumption that God can perform any kind of magic at will, maybe he made it so no one needed to eat. Then promptly changed everything back when they landed. [/QUOTE] And has been doing so every thirty seconds since then. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/15 "2006-11-22T23:32:41Z")
[QUOTE=spazattak] You’re missing the meaning! The point of the story is to demonstrate God’s mercy by sparing only known good people in all the world. [/QUOTE] That’s funny. I thought the point was to show how mean and spiteful God can get when he is pissed and gets drunk. Mercy, mercy, me! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/16 "2006-11-22T23:39:07Z")
How many termites were taken aboard? Two doesn’t seem like enough. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/17 "2006-11-22T23:41:14Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] How many termites were taken aboard? Two doesn’t seem like enough. [/QUOTE] HEY! Who are you to question God’s wisdom? The Father Knows Best! If he said you take two, that’s what you need! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/18 "2006-11-22T23:59:16Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Reginald Bumwipe] Well based on the assumption that God can perform any kind of magic at will, maybe he made it so no one needed to eat. Then promptly changed everything back when they landed. [/QUOTE] If God was going to wave around his magic wand, he really should have just made all the wicked people drop dead, so the animals wouldn’t even need to be saved. If the OP is serious, the answer is that the writers of the Noah story didn’t really intend it to be analyzed by their audience beyond “Hey! We better obey the priesthood and not piss off God!”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/19 "2006-11-22T23:59:31Z")
OK, so there were two termites, and also a pair of Aardvarks. the Aardvarks were really hungry (they had been aboard longer than nearly everyone else because of that whole ‘boarding will be conducted in strict alphabetical order’ thing) - The worried Termites looked anxiously at the hungry Aardvarks. The ravenous Aardvarks gazed longingly at the juicy, frightened Termites… Meanwhile, the short-lived fig-wasps were looking for a place to lay their eggs… ---
**Author:** ![Lou\_Stool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47774/32.png) [@Lou\_Stool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lou_Stool)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478/20 "2006-11-23T00:21:26Z")
But if there were now 7 of each clean animal then the boat would have to have been bigger. What did they drink? How did the Kangaroos hop from Australia to the middle east then back again after the trip? How did the two Gazzelles survive that first year on land? What did the Lions, Jaguars, Cougers, Hyenas, Cheetas, etc…eat for the first year? Or even years? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-the-animals-eat-on-noahs-ark-what-did-they-eat-after-they-landed/381478.md?page=2)