Noah's Ark Found? Company Claims Commercial Satellite Has Picture Proof

Space.com ^ | 4/26/04 | Space.com

[Brett66]

April 26

Noah's Ark Found? Company Claims Commercial Satellite Has Picture Proof

Satellite photos of Mount Aratat, Turkey taken by commercial imaging satellite company Digital Globe released today are said to contain proof of the existence of the biblical Noah's Ark.

The images, revealed at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (see right), are said to reveal a man-made structure at the site where the Bible states the vessel came to rest.

The claim was made by Daniel P. McGivern, president of Shamrock -- The Trinity Corporation, who according to a press release has been searching for the Ark for several years.

The first pictures of the site were taken by the U.S. Air Force in 1949. The images allegedly revealed what seemed to be a structure covered by ice, but were held in a confidential file labeled “Ararat Anomaly” for years. In 1997, the government released several of these images, but experts deemed them inconclusive.

McGovern's is not the first satellite search for the Ark. In 2002, Porcher Taylor, a senior associate (nonresident) at the prominent think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., also requested satellite imagery of the area to see if the mythical vessel truly existed.

The summer of 2003 provided a great opportunity to take a new series of photographs, according to the release, because it was the hottest summer in Europe since 1500. This caused a massive meltdown on Mount Ararat. McGivern used DigitalGlobe’s Quick Bird satellite to collect a new set of satellite images.

Click to view close-up of alleged proof of Noah's Ark

According to the press release, McGivern has put together a team of scientists, archaeologists and forensic experts to excavate the object and collect samples beginning in August of this year.

“These new photos unequivocally show a man made object,” McGivern is quoted as saying. “I am convinced that the excavation of the object and the results of tests run on any collected samples will prove that it is Noah’s Ark.”

The field manager for the excavation will be Dr. Ahmet Ali Arslan, a native of Turkey who has traveled up Mount Ararat 50 times in 40 years and formerly worked in the Turkey Prime Minister’s office. According to the release, Arslan plans to discuss the details of the excavation with the Prime Minister next week.

[camle]

aw geez not this @#! again!

[cripplecreek]

same ole pictures of the same ole rocks.

[Izzy Dunne]

Satellite photos of Mount Aratat, Turkey

Lost me right there....

[Behind Liberal Lines]

This story has been resurfacing once in a while for over thirty years:

NOAH'S ARK GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
- IMPACT No. 47 May 1977
by John D. Morris*
© Copyright 2004 Institute for Creation Research. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-047.htm

The search for Noah's Ark has many years been a source of fascination and intrigue for millions. The story has such appeal that the news media had always been anxious to report any news dealing with the Ark. These accounts have not always been factual or favorable, but they have been well circulated.

The first major splash was in 1883 when Turkish avalanche investigators claimed a discovery of the Ark. The world press so twisted and turned this story, however, and made such a sport of it, that those inclined to accept it were intimidated.

In 1940 the second major story hit the American public. The fictional account of Vladimar Roskovitsky was printed and reprinted in newspapers, magazines, books, tracts, etc. in spite of the fact that the author of the story claimed it was mostly false, built on only the barest of details supplied by the families of two of the deceased members of the reported Russian expedition.

During the '40s, the Ark continued to be in the news, with Air Force personnel claiming sightings from the air, a Kurdish peasant finding it by accident, and several expeditions raising support and making plans.

Fernand Navarra, the French climber, had his day in the spotlight when he displayed to the world an ancient piece of hand-tooled wood that he removed from a crevasse in the ice cap of Mt. Ararat. Later, in 1969, he returned with a team from SEARCH INC. and discovered other small pieces of wood in a nearby location.

In this decade, the publicity has been of a different sort. There have been numerous expeditions with many participants, most of whom consistently lecture and write on the subject, and few in this country are not aware to some degree that the search is current. Since 1972 ten books have been written on the subject, all of which have been good sellers. These books have varied in viewpoint, content and accuracy, but are all reasonably factual.

The Institute for Creation Research has always maintained a strictly ethical, legal and moral stand in its expeditions and its publications have strived for precise accuracy even though truth may not make such exciting reading. It is in that light that some of the more recent well known and circulated items must be discussed.

Satellite Photos
The first of the major news stories of this decade was the report on February 21, 1974, that a NASA satellite known as the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS, now known as LANDSAT) had photographed Noah's Ark from an altitude of 450 miles. The news was repeated in virtually every newspaper, and on every radio and television station.

Unfortunately, when examined by photographic experts, the object in question turned out not to be the Ark. It was many times too large and not at all in the area under consideration as the possible resting place of the Ark. NASA experts agree that the Ark, even if fully exposed, and under optimal conditions, would likely not be visible. In any case, they are certain that this object, located at about 6,000 elevation, is not the Ark.

[2banana]

Call Geraldo!

[Lunatic Fringe]

Looks like a bunch of ice and a rock to me.

[chance33_98]

They should have found this years ago what with all the arrows and red circle god left them. Sheesh, our scientists are slacking.

[Sister_T]

Excavate. Then we'll know for sure if it is just "ice and rocks".

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Maybe we'll find out what gopherwood really is.

And exactally how log a cubit is.

[American_Centurion]

Is there some kind of explanation for the annotations on the picture.

I think I get the gist of what they're trying to show, but it is not even close to self explanatory.

[Lunatic Fringe]

"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."

"But," says Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED."

"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.

"Oh, that was easy," says Man, and for an encore goes on to prove that black is white and gets himself killed at the next zebra crossing.

Most leading theologians claim that this argument is a load of dingo's kidneys, but that didn't stop Oolon Colluphid making a small fortune when he used it as the central theme of his best-selling book, 'Well That About Wraps It Up for God.'

[per loin]

"These new photos unequivocally show a man made object," McGivern is quoted as saying.

New levels of sublety added to the word "unequivocally".

[chance33_98]

gopherwood

The animal kingdom version of gore, previously know as gooberwood.

[Blzbba]

That looks more like the Loch Ness Monster than any Ark...

[Quilla]

They should have found this years ago what with all the arrows and red circle god left them. Sheesh, our scientists are slacking.

FOFL!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Is that picture Mars or Earth?

He must have a better picture than this one.

[ASA Vet]

The news was repeated in virtually every newspaper, and on every radio and television station.

Was the fact that it wasn't a big boat also reported in virtually every news outlet?

[bondjamesbond]

How about we just paint it pink and slap a Somebody Else's Problem Field on it...

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Thank you - that one made me laugh out loud!

[hosepipe]

[ Noah's Ark Found? Company Claims Commercial Satellite Has Picture Proof ]

I doubt it.. The Green Party will find OZ, first.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Maybe we'll find out what gopherwood really is.

[Killing Time]

How come those giant blue arrows and that red circle went unnoticed for so long?

[judywillow]

What's the hangup with getting a predator drone up there for closeups?

[AgThorn]

I like the photo's on this site and the story better ... anyone refuting that the ark has been found?

http://www.arkdiscovery.com/index2.htm

[CougarGA7]

I dont know. They need to put a scale on the photo......in cubits.

[tdadams]

reveal a man-made structure at the site where the Bible states the vessel came to rest.

Did the Bible give the GPS coordinates? I must have missed that.

[zeugma]

And exactally how log a cubit is.

According to my "units" program, a "biblicalcubit" is 21.8 inches, and a "hebrewcubit" is 17.58 inches. That's a great deal of variance.

$ grep -i cubit /usr/share/units.dat
pied                    frenchfoot        #   Half of the hashimicubit,
irishcubit      18 irishinch
romancubit   18 romaninch    #   units.
egyptianroyalcubit      20.63 in    # plus or minus .2 in
egyptianpalm            1|7 egyptianroyalcubit
egyptianshortcubit      6 egyptianpalm
remendigit       1|40 doubleremen # side length of 1 royal egyptian cubit.
                                  # the royal cubit.
greekfeet               greekfoot     # Egyptian Royal cubit in [11].  It is
greekcubit              1.5 greekfoot # said to be 3|5 of a 20.75 in cubit.
homericcubit            20 greekfingers  # Elbow to end of knuckles.
shortgreekcubit         18 greekfingers  # Elbow to start of fingers.
olympiccubit            25 remendigit    # These olympic measures were not as
olympicfoot             2|3 olympiccubit # common as the other greek measures.
# "Northern" cubit and foot.  This was used by the pre-Aryan civilization in
northerncubit           26.6 in           # plus/minus .2 in
northernfoot            1|2 northerncubit
sumeriancubit           495 mm
kus                     sumeriancubit
sumerianfoot            2|3 sumeriancubit
assyriancubit           21.6 in
assyrianfoot            1|2 assyriancubit
persianroyalcubit       7 assyrianpalm
hashimicubit            25.56 in          # Standard of linear measure used
blackcubit              21.28 in
arabicfeet              1|2 blackcubit
arabicmile              4000 blackcubit
biblicalcubit           21.8 in
hebrewcubit             17.58 in

That didn't really format well, but it is interesting nonethelss.

[zeugma]

Ark found?

Didn't you hear, it was found a few years ago .............


on Mars!

I saw that in one of those scandal rags once while at the checkout counter. I almost died laughing. Looking back, I really should have bought a copy and kept the cover. It was classic.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

According to my "units" program, a "biblicalcubit" is 21.8 inches, and a "hebrewcubit" is 17.58 inches. That's a great deal of variance.

OK, so which is it?

[Cronos]

gotta love dougie adams!

[Psalm 73]

Ahhh, that's OK - "We walk by faith and not by sight...."

[Rhetorical pi2]

Re: Noah's Ark Discovered

Well, one thing's for certain:

You'll find your green alligators, and long neck geese,some humpty back camels and some chimpanzees...your cats and rats and elephants - but sure as you're born - you're never gonna find no Unicorns.

[tang-soo]

You'll find your green alligators, and long neck geese,some humpty back camels and some chimpanzees...your cats and rats and elephants - but sure as you're born - you're never gonna find no Unicorns.

Boy that brings back memories. Thanks.

[zeugma]

OK, so which is it?

I don't know. Even the "biblicalcubit" is an estimate from what I understand. I say we split the difference and call it 19.69 inches. :-)

[Jonah Hex]

I say we split the difference and call it 19.69 inches.

"19.69, or 1969? Could it be just coincidence that the biblical measure used in building the Ark is also the date Man first landed on the moon? Could it be that ancient astronauts, or even time travelers, provided Noah the blueprints and technology to build the Ark? Could Eric Van Daniken be correct?

Tune in next week as 'In Search Of... My Dignity' examines this and other fascinating questions and theories. This... is Leonard Nimoy."

[ZULU]

It looks like a large wooden turlte to me.

Obviously, there is SOMETHING up there. But to assume its a boat, and Noah's Ark, no less, is stretching it.

But, I'll keep an open mind, and wait until they can actually check it out. Who knows?

[Quilla]

Looks like the next plot for Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt.

[Geritol]

My favorite that I wish I had, just to show my personal weirdness, is:
"Woman with Four Legs Opens Dance Studio"

[smonk]

odd that on a website dedicated to conservative discussion,
that creationism and a simple story about the ark should
consistently provoke such a flood (no pun intended) of
dismissive derision.

[zeugma]

LOL

[VaBthang4]

http://www.wyattmuseum.com

[gcruse]

odd that on a website dedicated to conservative discussion,
that creationism and a simple story about the ark should
consistently provoke such a flood (no pun intended) of
dismissive derision.

This might be explained by pointing out that conservativism, unlike creationism, does not entail checking one's brain at the door.

[RightWhale]

getting a predator drone up there

Emphasis on up. 3 miles.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Ping to read later.

[Thinkin' Gal]

More importantly, can they repair it in time?

[george wythe]

More tinfoil news. The 'ark' has been found so many times...

[Dog Gone]

Was the ark made out of rock?

[mitch5501]

Are you trying to rock the boat?

8-)

[Dimensio]

Want to take a stab at this, or will you pass?