Two, right? Well, sort of. As with the creation accounts, there are two different flood accounts. God did instruct Noah to bring two of every living creature onto the ark and keep them alive. In addition, God instructed, “Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mae, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth” (NIV, Genesis 7:2–3). Presumably, these “surplus” clean animals were needed so Noah and his family could make sacrifices to God.