In Genesis, during which year of Noah’s life did the Flood begin?

In Genesis, the Flood began during Noah’s 600th year of life. Genesis 7:6 states that Noah was 600 years old when the waters of the Flood came upon the earth.

The surrounding verses provide an unusually detailed chronology. Genesis 7:11 says the Flood began in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, while Genesis 8:13 records that the ground was dry in Noah’s 601st year.

This age is part of the biblical narrative’s broader genealogy and lifespan framework. Genesis also says Noah had three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—before the Flood, and those sons entered the ark with their wives.

The figure should not be confused with the 120 years mentioned in Genesis 6:3. That number appears in a separate statement before the Flood account and is interpreted differently by readers; it is not Noah’s age when the Flood began.