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Has Noah's Ark been discovered on a Turkish mountain?

By Claire McNeilly
Wednesday, 28 April 2010

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Scientists find fabled giant worm

Seeing definitely is believing for a group of 15 religious explorers who claim to have uncovered a jaw-dropping glimpse into biblical times.

And, following the discovery of seven large wooden compartments on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey, it’s being argued that the quest to find remnants of ancient history’s most famous ship could now be over.

Apparently, the legendary Ark that housed Noah, his family and a menagerie of creatures during a global flood some 4,800 years ago, has finally docked.

“It's not 100% that it is Noah's Ark — but we think it is 99.9% that this is it,” said Yeung Wing-cheung, a filmmaker working with the team of fundamentalist Christians exploring the mountainside.

They claim that wood taken from the site, which is more than 13,000ft above sea level, dates to 2,800BC — around the same time that Noah was believed to have built such a vessel.

And they stressed the structure they located in October on Ararat — the biblical resting place of the Ark — does have areas that would be perfect for housing animals.

If indeed it is the Ark, the discovery would undoubtedly be the greatest coup in the history of archaeology — not to mention an affirmation of one of the most famous stories in the Bible.

In Genesis, the first book in the Old Testament, God tells Noah to build a boat that would be longer than a modern-day football field and more than three stories high.

Animals were subsequently sent in, two by two, to seek shelter in the ship alongside Noah and his family and ride out the flood sent to punish sinners.

The story was widely regarded as fact until the 19th century, when scientists began to question the evidence for a worldwide flood. But during a press conference held yesterday to announce the Ark’s discovery, the team claimed it was the real deal.

A video shown by the explorers — who are keeping the exact location of the find secret — also revealed a structure with compartments, doors, staircases and nails.

Four years ago, after a decade of research, American national security analyst Porcher Taylor claimed a satellite image revealed a baffling ‘anomaly' on the mountain's north-west corner that he believed to be the remains of the Ark.

However, Mike Pitt, a British archaeologist, said the evangelical explorers had yet to produce compelling evidence.

“If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 4km up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world — and there isn't,” he said.

Nicholas Purcell, a lecturer in ancient history at Oxford University, said the claims were the ‘usual nonsense'. He added: “If floodwaters covered Eurasia 12,000ft deep in 2,800BC, how did the complex societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, already many centuries old, keep right on regardless?”

Background

The story of Noah's Ark appears in chapters six to nine of the Book of Genesis.

It tells how God, spurred by the wickedness and corruption of man, vows to send a great cleansing flood. Deeming Noah to be the only righteous man worth saving, God commands him to build a vast ship, the ark - for himself, his family and a representation of the world's animals.

When Noah has completed his task, and God has sent ‘two of every sort' of animal to the Ark, the flood waters rise until all life (except fish) is destroyed. When the flood subsides, God vows to never again send a flood to destroy man.

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92 Comments

Hi Ulysses...am In Samoa right now and don't have a Bible to hand. However your enquiry well deserves a response which will do so over the weekend. We are approx 12 hours behind you and 24 behind NZ. Hang in there.

Philip

Posted by Philip Holdway-Davis | 08.05.10, 03:07 GMT

James,

Best that I now refer you to the scientists and experts at www.answersingenesis.org as they will be able to answer your questions with far greater facts, knowledge and qualifications than I ever can. You will find the answers to all your questions on that site.

As for the questions you pose on the Creator's character you will find the answer by studying the character of Jesus Christ as they are one in mind and character.

Drowning - sounds horrible I know, but these people were warned for over 120 years by watching a huge boat being built by Noah probably nowhere near the sea. Also these people were the worst kind ever...ritual murderers, ritual child-abusers, open worship of demons, disease and violence everywhere. It took him a long, long time to get around to it (far longer than you or I would put up with it) but finally he chose to act and dish out justice after giving fair warning to all.

Posted by Philip Holdway-Davis | 08.05.10, 02:57 GMT

Philip
So drowning millions of people is just?

If god has created everything he also creates the rules so he can state what is just or unjust. I'd prefer to be zapped from existence than drowned!

If this genetic make-up is in us all how come our own children are always the same race as parents. I'm assuming Noah and his family were caucasion jews so we should all be the same race?

Also correct me if I'm wrong but it doesnt mention in the bible about genetic make-up? So you are just surmising?
All your points lead me back to the fact when you are trying to prove a fairy story you can make up any nonsence to fit. Whereas if you are trying to prove scientific theories you need hard evidence.

I'm going to completly disprove this nonsence right here and now. You go and see if you can build and ark and keep lets say 200 different animals (herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, anphibians, marsupials fish and mamals) in a big wooden boat. for 40 days and nights.

Posted by James | 05.05.10, 14:10 GMT

You are mad, aren't you Philip?
Can you cite the text from the Bible that correspond with your assertions or do you commune with your God directly?

Posted by Ulysses32 | 05.05.10, 11:48 GMT

James, the Creator could not make the "naughty people disappear" because that would have been unjust. He fairly and squarely gave control of the kingdom of earth to Adam who faily and squarely gave it over to Lucifer who wanted to be god instead of the Creator....and he got it as the Bilble names him the god of this world. Lucifer immediately sub-created scarcity of food, disease, pestilence, war and death etc all of which has held mankind in horrible bondage until Lucifer is removed...which will happen because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, has defeated Lucifer (aka devil or satan) and will seize control of the earth when the Creator names the day. The different races were programmed in the genetic make-up of mankind by the Creator in the beginning which is not a problem for him to do.

Posted by Philip Holdway-Davis | 05.05.10, 04:00 GMT

Noah's Ark Hadramout Yemen MUST WATCH!!!shipnoah.com

Posted by D.GALAL | 03.05.10, 15:36 GMT

Nobody's asking anybody to believe anythng, least of all the Bible. It's just something that some people have discovered and are questioning "Could it be possible? ..because in our eyes it certainly has some parallel qualities!"

If it is, Yay! It IS! If it isn't...Boom Boom! It isn't. - so we can all go back into our little closets and continue our puny existence till something/someone else comes along - like Jesus Christ Himself!:)

Posted by Browneyedgal | 03.05.10, 02:07 GMT

One question, where did all the water come from? Isn't rain a product of a cycle of existing water?

Posted by Ian | 02.05.10, 16:06 GMT

Does anoyone believe in leprechauns? Were they on they on they ark also?

Posted by Piglet | 02.05.10, 11:48 GMT

old story from the 1970's, but see David Rohl's work on the likely location of Mt. Ararat

Posted by Ralph Tedesco | 02.05.10, 09:08 GMT

Philip
if there is a creator with unlimited powers why did he not just make all the naughty people disappear into thin air? That way the poor dinasaurs would have survived and noah wouldn't have had to build the boat. And another thing if we are all decended from 1 family how do you explain all the different races? I suppose you will have an answer because when you believe in fairy tales anything is possible.
James

Posted by James | 30.04.10, 18:33 GMT

Wasn't this exposed as a fake some 3 years ago? Don't get too excited God botherers!

Posted by Lou | 30.04.10, 08:11 GMT

Noah's sons would have procreated with their wives and the Creator would probably have granted multiple births multiple times throughout the rest of their lives which lasted several hundred years at the time. So the entire human race is descended from Noah. After the flood the water canopy that surrounded the earth came crashing down leading to the extremes of temperatures that made the world short of food and caused extreme temperatues. Propobably most of the dinosaurs died in the new harsh conditions. I say propbably because after the demise of the theory of cross-kind evolution the only reasonable and logical answer now is a super-intelligent Creator with unlimited power and ability who takes action as and when he deems fit. I think www.answersingenesis.org will gain a lot more support in the future.

Posted by Philip Holdway-Davis | 30.04.10, 02:04 GMT

Norman d. How does finding some old wood half way up amountain disprove the big bang theory? Does it disprove the observations that galaxies are accelorating away from eachother which if extrapolated back suggests they have come from a single potint some 11b years ago? All this proves that people who claim to have faith are desperate for evidence and will grasp at any straw thrown their way.

Posted by James | 29.04.10, 23:45 GMT

So what noah was a good weather man expected a bit of rain, put your hands together for noah we need weather men like you these days..

Posted by Phil | 29.04.10, 23:12 GMT

This from a student on the dig: To make a long story short: this is all reported to be a fake. In the late summer of 2008 ten Kurdish workers hired by Parasut, the guide used by the Chinese, are said to have planted large wood beams taken from an old structure in the Black Sea area (where the photos were originally taken) at the Mt. Ararat site. In the winter of 2008 a Chinese climber taken by Parasut’s men to the site saw the wood, but couldn’t get inside because of the severe weather conditions. During the summer of 2009 more wood was planted inside a cave at the site. The Chinese team went in the late summer of 2009 (I was there at the time and knew about the hoax) and was shown the cave with the wood and made their film. As I said, I have the photos of the inside of the so-called Ark (that show cobwebs in the corners of rafters – something just not possible in these conditions.

Posted by Ultraevo | 29.04.10, 17:29 GMT

Billy- I'd hardly call a full size fossilised skeleton over 10 metres long "a few bones that scientists made a dinasour out of".

Its not a question of hating God it about using the brain that he gave you even if it leads to questioning his existence.

Posted by Sam | 29.04.10, 16:32 GMT