Everyone has heard the Biblical story: God sent down 40 days of rain, drowning out all living creatures on Earth, as vengeful retribution for the violence and immorality of humanity. Only one ship would survive. Noah, its captain and builder, rounded up two of every animal on Earth to save a scrap of life from the Great Flood. After the flood, Noah landed on a mountain and helped repopulate the Earth.
But is there evidence of Noah's Ark? A number of recent expeditions have claimed that they found physical evidence of the ark in the mountains of Turkey and Iran. And even doubters have to admit that the evidence of the Great Flood is convincing. But just like the recently discovered proof of the crucifixion, there are definitely still some questions. So, was Noah's Ark found? Was Noah's Ark real? The only way to answer those questions is to examine the physical evidence in depth.
But it's also important to remember that the book of Genesis, which tells the story of Noah, was written thousands of years ago, and just like the Bible changes over time, it is important to critically examine the evidence. After all, Jesus wasn't always white. People have been looking for Noah's Ark for thousands of year - will it be found in our lifetime?
The "Boat-Shaped Object" On Mount Judi Might Be The Ark
The search for Noah's Ark is old, but recent expeditions have found startling physical evidence that the ark still exists. For example, in the 1980s, Ron Wyatt found traces of what he believed were Noah's Ark at the Durupınar site in Turkey. It isn't on Mount Ararat, where Genesis says Noah landed, but according to the Qur'an, the ark is actually on Mount Judi.
Wyatt argued that the "boat-shaped object" was Noah's Ark. And from the photographic evidence, it certainly appears that Wyatt is correct to identify the shape with a ship. As for how a massive ship came to rest on the side of a mountain, a Great Flood seems to be a convincing explanation.
It Might Just Be A Natural Land Formation
However, in spite of the resemblance to a ship, many scientists argue that Wyatt's "boat-shaped object" is actually a natural land formation. It was revealed in 1948 after a series of earthquakes pushed up the rocks, creating the impression of a ship.
Geologist Lorence Collins also argues that there is no wood or petrified wood at the Durupinar site. Instead, the interior parts of the "boat" are made from volcanic basalt and andesite, consistent with a geological explanation rather than a Biblical one.
Still, the allure of searching for any boat-shaped object in Turkey has led at least one person to claim that he found Noah's Ark on Google Maps.
Renaissance Scholars Tried To Calculate The Exact Size Of The Ark
Modern efforts to find Noah's Ark are not the first time that the Biblical story has motivated scholars. In the Renaissance, a number of intellectuals devoted their energy to the mystery of the ark. Seventeenth century Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher tried to reconstruct the story of the ark. Because the blueprint of the ark was designed by God, Kircher believed it contained divine laws of symmetry and proportion. He also devoted himself to understanding the interior organization of a ship designed to carry every animal known to man.
Today, scholars use different tools to reconstruct the story. Using the techniques and technology of modern science, there is much more evidence for the ark today than ever before.
Today, Searches For The Ark Focus On Mount Ararat In Turkey
Genesis provides clues about the location of Noah's Ark, even saying exactly where Noah landed. After a flood that sunk the Earth for 150 days, the waters receded. "The water receded steadily from the Earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat."
Ararat, in the far eastern part of Turkey on the border with Iran, has been the focus of dozens of searches for Noah's Ark. In 1876, British historian James Bryce found a 4' long slab of wood on the mountain. Since then, ark hunters have swarmed to Ararat.