In Genesis, how many people were inside Noah’s Ark during the Flood?
Answer
Eight people
In Genesis, eight people were inside Noah’s Ark during the Flood.
The eight were Noah, his wife, Noah’s three sons, and the three wives of those sons. Genesis 7:13 describes this household entering the Ark, while later biblical writing also refers to Noah and seven others being saved through the Flood.
The three sons are named Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis does not give the names of Noah’s wife or the wives of his sons, so the total can be stated confidently even though several individual names remain unknown in the biblical text.
This number is sometimes confused with the number of animals aboard the Ark. The passage distinguishes the human passengers from the animals brought in to preserve life. It also differs from later traditions, which may add names or details not supplied by Genesis itself.