Why is the myth of a great flood/civilisation destruction central to so many diverse cultures and religions?
Because there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that relatively advanced civilisations existed around the time of the melting of the last ice age (around 12 – 10,500 BC) The melting of the ice caused the sea levels to rise and a change in the worlds climate caused the destruction of these civilisations and the survivors went on to influence many different cultures around the world (look at the evidence of water erosion on the sphinx dated to around 10,500 BC), the oral memories of this cataclysmic destruction survived down the centuries and made their way into different myths and legends of numerous cultures.
