In Genesis, on what date did the Flood begin for Noah?

In Genesis, the Flood began for Noah on the 17th day of the second month. Genesis 7:11 dates the onset to Noah’s 600th year, specifically the seventeenth day of the second month, when the fountains of the deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

This date is part of the narrative’s unusually precise chronology. Genesis also records Noah’s age, the duration of the rain, the period when the waters prevailed, and later dates connected with the Ark’s resting and Noah’s departure.

Readers sometimes confuse this starting date with other dates in the account, including the seventeenth day of the seventh month, when the Ark came to rest according to Genesis 8:4. The two dates are distinct and occur at different stages of the story.