Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Thursday defended his belief in creationism and the disputed theory that the Egyptian pyramids were built for grain storage because he said both ideas came from the Bible.

A video uncovered by BuzzFeed earlier this week, showed Carson explaining his pyramids theory in a 1998 speech.

“My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain,” he remarked. “Now all the archaeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, it would have to be something awfully big — when you stop and think about it, and I don’t think it’d just disappear over the course of time — to store that much grain.”

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During a book signing in Miami on Thursday, Carson shrugged off critics, scientists and other experts who have dispute his theories.

“Some people believe in the Bible like I do and don’t find that to be silly at all,” the candidate told reporters. “And believe that God created the Earth and don’t find that to be silly at all.”

He added: “The secular progressives try to ridicule it anytime it comes up. And they’re welcome to do that.”

Watch the video below from CNN, broadcast Nov. 5, 2015.