Posted on 02/17/2008 5:05:48 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Dogubayazit (Turkey’s Iran-Armenian Border) • For the first time in the seven decade-long history of the search for the legendary Noah’s Ark, a Turkish-Hong Kong exploration team on Tuesday came out with “material evidence”, to prove that the Ark was nestled on Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest mountain peak bordering Iran and Armenia.
A panel of experts, comprising Turkish authorities, veteran mountaineers, archaeologists, geologists and members of Hong Kong-based Noah’s Ark Ministries International, also displayed an almost one-metre-long peice of petrified wood before the media and specially invited international experts.
The experts claimed it to be a part of a long structure they had unearthed during their February-August 2007 exploration. “It is for the first time in the history of the Ark search that an exploration team is getting a material evidence and graphic documentation. This makes it not only a the significant breakthrough in the Ark-search, but one that is supported with the most substantial evidence in recent history,” the panel said.
The revelation is expected to open up a fresh chapter in the ongoing debates in the scientific community on the search for Noah’s Ark.
Narrating the genesis of their exploration on Mount Ararat, the mount which has a direct reference in Holy Quran (Mount Judi) and Bible, the panel said the search team had made several foiled attempts before unearthing the evidence at an altitude of 4,500-metres of the estimated 5,165 metre volcanic mountain.
“The structure was discovered in the interiors of an unusual cave. The 11.5m wide and 2.6m high white wooden texture was revealed after removing thick layers of volcanic ash on the cave wall,” panel members said at a press conference.
One of the underlying issues in the search for the Ark is the proper identification of its wood fragments. A petrographic examination carried out by the Applied Geoscience Centre of the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, identified the object as a petrified wooden structure, the panel said.
“Some of the big holes found on the structure indicate the locations where branches used to grow on tree. In places, original holes are partly or completely replaced by individual minerals and crystalline materials that can be found in rock materials,” said Dr Ahmet Ozbek, a panel member, who is also a faculty of Geology Engineering Kahramanmara Suctcu Imam University.
Dismissing the possibilities of the structure being wood that could appear naturally around the discovery site, Professor Oktay Belli, director, Eurasian Archaeology Institute, University of Istanbul, said researches have proved that there was no vegetation on Mount Ararat ever since 2000BC, because of the asperities of Ararat’s climate.
Talking to The Peninsula, Cemalettin Demircioglu, Dogubayazit City Governor, under whose jurisdiction the mount is located, said the civic body will invite more international experts to conduct further scientific studies on Mount Ararat.
“History has more than one times corroborated the legendary evidence that the ark was nestled on Mount Ararat. We will introduce the latest findings to the world and continue the scientific study. All interested scientists and NGOs can join our missions” he said. However, he said, those who are involved in the project must ensure the findings are not used politically, religiously, or for any vested interest.
Located in the Far Eastern Turkey, Ararat is great prize for mountain collectors. Ark sighting has often been reported from this mountain. The observation of Vessel-shaped features in aerial photograph of Ararat had caused a stir in the late 1950’s. However, this is the first time an exploration team is coming out with “material evidence”.
LOL no scientific questions allowed!
It would be very difficult for me to believe that it could.
So how do we exactly do a gopher wood test?
about 2
Around 2.2 cubits. One cubit is about 18 inches. A meter is 39.37 inches.
Depends how frequently Janet Reno, Hillary Clinton, or Helen Thomas had been in proximity.
Surely any and every ancient piece of wood must be the Ark.. nevermind that a wooden boat of the size of the Ark has never been documented anywhere besides the Bible, much less been found.
Someone smack me!
They didn't just list the Koran first!
I am pretty sure they don’t know what gopher wood was.
susie
This is news? I mean everybody knows that.
Was it covered with lead based paint?
Thanks, I agree. The area where Fossett disapeared is as remote as the N.C. frontier was in the 1750s when my ancestors lived there.
I would think people having searching for more than 70 years.
A little late. I believe the ark has already been found.
Pictures and story of the excavation at:
anchorstone.com
A cubit is about 43 to 56 centimeters.
susie
Actually it’s not the enviroment that’s preventing an archelogical study, but the Turkish goevernment.
They didn't just list the Koran first!"
They're Muslims, so what would you expect?
I recall reading something similar about 20 - 30 years ago in an archaeological review (scientific - not religious) journal.
There were several problems. The govt of Turkey would NOT permit at that time any one to go poking around up there .. no international teams, no scientific research. Period. Glad to see they did do a joint venture
and The pix I can recall were fairly interesting.. aerials with an image in ice. various views. The problem was that this area really never thawed & so all was encased in ice year round ..........just in “summer” less ice..
The warm season MIGHT permit opportunities to investigate if the proper permits could be secured (less Ice but apparently still encased). At that time I found it fascinating & frankly did not follow it anymore & just had my memory jarred when I saw this article.
If I am recalling correctly at the time there was a LOT of tension as air space was violated to get the pix. Now with satellite it would not be a problem
Would Steve Fossett fly off in a small airplane and disappear on purpose? Might he be holed up someplace watching all this on TV and laughing his butt off for some twisted reason?
The truth is often stranger than fiction, they say.
There was a series on tv “In Search of” hosted by Leonard Nimoy that publicized the possible location of the ark. The episode aired in 1979 called “Noah’s Flood”.
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