In Genesis, on what date did Noah enter the Ark before the Flood?

In Genesis, Noah entered the Ark on the 17th day of the second month before the Flood began.

Genesis 7:11-13 supplies a detailed date for the beginning of the Flood. It says that, in Noah’s 600th year, the fountains of the deep burst open and the windows of heaven were opened on the 17th day of the second month; Noah and his family then entered the Ark.

This date is distinct from later dates in the story. Genesis says the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on the 17th day of the seventh month, five months after the Flood began. It also gives a separate date for the drying of the earth.

Readers sometimes merge these calendar references because the narrative moves through several stages: entry, rising waters, the Ark’s resting, and eventual departure. The date in this question marks the Flood’s opening.