In the Book of Genesis, only 8 humans, Noah and his sons and their four wives, survived the Flood. How many people could a family of 8 procreate in, say, 500 years?

 The question of how many people could descend from a family over a certain period is a complex one and involves a variety of factors, including birth rates, life expectancy, and other demographic variables. However, a rough estimation can be attempted using simplified assumptions.

Assuming that each of Noah's three sons and their wives had a certain number of children, and these children, in turn, had their own offspring, one could use a basic population growth model. The model would involve estimating the average number of children per family and the average age at which individuals have children.

For simplicity, let's make some assumptions:

1. **Average Children per Family:** Let's say each family, on average, has four children. This is just a hypothetical number for the sake of illustration.

  2. **Average Age at Childbearing:** Let's assume an average age at which individuals have children, say 25 years old.

3. **Generation Time:** This is the average time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children. For simplicity, let's use 25 years as a hypothetical generation time.

With these assumptions, a new generation would occur approximately every 25 years. Over a span of 500 years, there would be 20 generations (500 years / 25 years per generation).

Let's calculate the potential descendants:

- Noah and his three sons: 1 (Noah) + 3 (sons) = 4 individuals in the first generation.

- Second generation: 4 individuals * 4 children per family = 16 individuals.

- Third generation: 16 individuals * 4 children per family = 64 individuals.

- ...

- Twentieth generation: The total number of potential descendants would be quite large.

It's important to note that these calculations are highly simplistic and make numerous assumptions. Real-world population dynamics are influenced by a multitude of factors, including mortality rates, fertility rates, external migration, and other demographic variables. Additionally, genetic considerations, such as the potential for inbreeding, would need to be taken into account in a more detailed analysis.

This exercise is a theoretical and simplified exploration based on the assumptions provided, and it is not meant to reflect real historical population growth. Population growth in the real world is influenced by a wide range of factors that can vary significantly across different populations and historical periods.