Flood of claims for 'Noah's Ark'

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After centuries of scouring the Earth for Noah's Ark, claims are now flooding in that the legendary vessel of the Bible has been found.

Last month, headlines screamed that a Texas team of archaelogists believed they had possibly located the biblical boat in Iran.

There are numerous claims about the final resting place, from Ararat to Armenia. With modern technology and digital photography being utilized in the hunt, it seems like everyone is finding what they think is Noah's Ark.

As WorldNetDaily reported June 30, a 14-man crew that included evangelical apologist Josh McDowell says it returned from a trek to a mountain in Iran with possible evidence of the remains of Noah's Ark.

The group, led by explorer Bob Cornuke, found an unusual object perched on a slope 13,120 feet above sea level.

Cornuke, president of the archeological Base Institute and a veteran of nearly 30 expeditions in search of Bible artifacts and locations, said he is cautiously, but enthusiastically, optimistic about the find.

Also on the team were Barry Rand, former CEO of Avis; Boone Powell, former CEO of Baylor Medical Systems; and Arch Bonnema, president of Joshua Financial.

The team returned with video footage of a large black formation, about 400 feet long – the approximate length of the ark, according to the Bible – that looks like rock but bears the image of hundreds of massive, wooden, hand-hewn beams.

Bonnema observed: "These beams not only look like petrified wood, they are so impressive that they look like real wood – this is an amazing discovery that may be the oldest shipwreck in recorded history."

Even more intriguing, they said, some of the wood-like rocks tested this week proved to be petrified wood.

It's noteworthy, they pointed out, that the Bible recounts Noah sealed his ark with pitch, a black substance.

Despite the hype, there are those who maintain the vessel is definitely on Mount Ararat, in present-day Turkey.

Among them is Edward Crawford, a former draftsman illustrator for the U.S. military who now teaches Christian theology at Evergreen Bible Presbyterian Church in the Seattle suburb of Pullayup, Wash.

Crawford has made numerous climbs up Ararat, and says in 1990, he discovered a large, rectangular structure buried in the ice at an elevation of 14,765 feet.

"I don't have any doubt about it at all, and the Turks don't either," he told WND.

He says the structure currently sits under snow and ice, which he calls "ridiculously hard stuff," but he expects it will be at its highest point above the frozen water this summer, as forecasts call for an unusual warm-up.

Crawford has put much of his discovery online at a website called Project von Bora, where photographs and diagrams are available, and he alleges the structure to has 90-degree angles.

Edward Crawford believes a rectangular Noah's Ark lies at this location on Mount Ararat (courtesy Edward Crawford)

"Those don't happen in nature," he said. "If you think someone went up there to build that, it would take a greater miracle than the Flood [of Noah] itself."

Crawford is now urging the Ankara government to formally acknowledge his find, and grant him permission to explore the site again this summer.

"This is not a politically correct discovery," he said. "I never imagined that I would discover the structure and its disposition. I had no idea it would take this long to sort through the Turkish red tape."

Not far from Crawford's "structure" on Mount Ararat is something which made headlines in March with the release of a new, high-resolution digital image of what has become known as the "Ararat Anomaly."

Satellite image of 'Ararat Anomaly,' taken by DigitalGlobe's QuickBird Satellite in 2003 and now made public for the first time (courtesy: DigitalGlobe)

The location of the anomaly on the mountain's northwest corner has been under investigation from afar by ark hunters for years, but it has remained unexplored, with the government of Turkey not granting any scientific expedition permission to explore on site.

"I've got new found optimism ... as far as my continuing push to have the intelligence community declassify some of the more definitive-type imagery," Porcher Taylor, an associate professor in paralegal studies at the University of Richmond, said at the time.

For more than three decades, Taylor has been a national security analyst, and has also served as a senior associate for five years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

"I had no preconceived notions or agendas when I began this in 1993 as to what I was looking for," he said. "I maintain that if it is the remains of something manmade and potentially nautical, then it's potentially something of biblical proportions."

The anomaly remains ensconced in glacial ice at an altitude of 15,300 feet, and Taylor says the photos suggest its length-to-width ratio is close to 6:1, as indicated in the Book of Genesis.

Some 15 miles from Mount Ararat is perhaps the most well-known candidate vying for the title of Noah's Ark.

Many believe this is Noah's Ark, already found on a mountain next to Mt. Ararat (courtesy: wyattmuseum.com)

A boat-shaped object thought by many to be the fossilized remnants of the the vessel sits in Dogubayazit, Turkey, and was first photographed in 1959 by a Turkish air force pilot on a NATO mapping mission.

It gained worldwide attention after its photo was published in a 1960 issue of Life Magazine.

The man most responsible for promoting this location as the ark's actual resting place from the Bible was Ron Wyatt, who died of cancer in 1999 after years of searching for biblical antiquities, also claiming to have found the remains of Pharaoh's chariots that chased Moses through the Red Sea, and the "true" location of Mount Sinai in Arabia.

In 2004, Wyatt's widow, Mary Nell Wyatt Lee, published a history of the discovery in a book titled, "The Boat-Shaped Object on Doomsday Mountain."

She writes that on Dec. 12, 1987, "it was the official decision of members of [Turkey's] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of Internal Affairs, and researchers from Ataturk University, among others, that the boat-shaped formation did indeed contain the remains of Noah's Ark!"

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A group of Turkish researchers has decided that a boat-shaped formation found in 1977 on a hill in eastern Turkey is the remains of Noah's Ark, a Turkish tourism official says. Her Cornersville, Tenn.-based foundation, Wyatt Archaeological Research, is filled with on-location photographs and charts promoting its case with physical evidence including radar scans of bulkheads on the alleged vessel, deck timber and iron rivets, large "drogue" stones which are thought to have acted as types of anchors.

However, there's been no shortage of critics from both scientific and Christian circles who think the Dogubayazit site is erroneous.

Lorence Collins, a retired geology professor from California State University, Northridge, joined the late David Fasold, a one-time proponent of the Wyatt site, in writing a scientific summary claiming the location is "bogus."

"Evidence from microscopic studies and photo analyses demonstrates that the supposed Ark near Dogubayazit is a completely natural rock formation," said the 1996 paper published in the Journal of Geoscience Education. "It cannot have been Noah's Ark nor even a man-made model. It is understandable why early investigators falsely identified it."

The final entrant is Leroy Blevins, a New Richmond, Ohio, man who carries a 1950 Catholic Press Bible which states the ark rested "upon the mountains of Armenia," leading him to believe the location of the vessel is indeed in the former Soviet republic.

Blevins offers little proof for his claim, except a series of photos on his website, as he purports the ark is situated on Armenia's highest point Mount Aragats, not to be confused with the similar sounding Ararat in Turkey.

"No one has ever looked for Noah's Ark on this mountain in Armenia," he told WND. "There is a rectangle-shaped boat on the top of this mountain. This boat has what appears to be either a vent or windows. You can see the whole outline of this ship and it is locked in the mountains. ... You can see that it is big and man-made."

Joe Zias, a Jerusalem-based anthropologist who is a former curator at the Israel Antquities Authority, is quick to throw cold water on all these claims of the ark being discovered.

"Just when I think I've seen it all, another group of nutters shows up," he told WND.

Zias says the parties making the discovery claims are "pimping" off the Bible for money, suggesting they have no training in geology, archaeology or anthropology; nor any peer-reviewed articles, university appointments and "any credibility whatsoever in academic circles."

"Aside from myself who follows this craziness, few if any in the profession have ever heard of them," he said.

In both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible speaks of Noah and the ark, and Jesus Christ and the apostles Paul and Peter all make reference to Noah's flood as an actual historical event.

According to Genesis, Noah was a righteous man who was instructed by God to construct a large vessel to hold his family and many species of animals, as a massive deluge was coming to purify the world which had become corrupt.

Genesis 6:5 states: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Noah was told by God to take aboard seven pairs of each of the "clean" animals – that is to say, those permissible to eat – and two each of the "unclean" variety. (Gen. 7:2)

Though the Bible says it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, it also mentions "the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days."

The ark then "rested" upon the mountains of Ararat, but it was still months before Noah and his family – his wife, his three sons and the sons' wives – were able to leave the ark and begin replenishing the world.

What I object to is the use of the word appologist. The word appologist is generally used in a negative setting. The individual was an appologist for "insert the negative person or subject matter here".

I just don't include Christianity in a category that needs an appologist. It may need a proponent or and advocate, but an appologist. I don't think so.

I see this as a couched insult to the gentleman in question.

Cubit: (k?"b?t), n. 1. (Anat.) The forearm; the ulna, a bone of the arm extending from elbow to wrist.
2. A measure of length, being the distance from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger.
? The cubit varies in length in different countries, the Roman cubit being 17.47 inches, the Greek 18.20, the Hebrew somewhat longer, and the English 18 inches.

You know it's funny about that. I consider myself a cynic on a lot of this, not in terms of the great flood itself but in terms of archaeological searches for Noah's Ark. Still I can't help but glue my eyes to the monitor anytime something like this comes around.

I just don't include Christianity in a category that needs an appologist. It may need a proponent or and advocate, but an appologist. I don't think so.

Google "define:apologetics" and you see as the first entry:

The term apologetics comes from the Greek apologia, which means "defense" or "answer." Apologetics is the task of defending a particular idea or belief system and answering its critics. The origin of the concept of apologetics lies in the beginnings of Christianity. Between the second and fourth century, a number of Christian teachers wrote defenses of Christianity against pagan critics.

I believe in Noah and his ark, but I have always thought that the first thing he and his family would do would be to dismantle it and use the lumber for their homes. Given the size of the thing, there would have been enough lumber for generations of people to partake until eventually there was nothing left.

For years people have scoffed based on the idea of "2X2 of every animal..." and squeezing them all into an ark.

Now we have competing claims to have found "the ark".

Wouldn't it be a hoot if it turned out that Noah WAS part of a fleet as someone joked in a FR response to the latest find?

[That and the recognition of a regional rather than worldwide flood would also fit the "don't take the bible as literal fact" debate because it could be true but not specifically accurate.]

I appreciate the orginal context of the word. Now, try to think of a contemporary example of the word being used in a positive light. Often you'll hear it in the context of 'a neo-NAZI appologist', or an appologist for NAMBLA or some other entirely negative cause.

The media is famous for pulling this tactic. They essentially redifine a word by utilization, then use it in it's proper context to tarnish a good cause.

Note the use of the term 'fundamentalist' when talking about Moslem estremists in the Middle-East, then using it when talking about Christians. Note the use of the terms "Conservative Extremists" or "Right Wing Extremists" when refering to Muslem Cleriks who issue extremely negative edicts.

All I am saying is that we need to be careful not to feed into the Media's propagandist endeavors. IMO the use of the term 'Appologist' here, was intended to insert a negative thought about Christianity.

The public isn't going to go look up the word. They are going to go by it's current context as they have seen it used repeatedly in recent years.

This is a pet peeve of mine. Thanks for the comments.

I appreciate your response, but I do believe you folks are looking at the proper connotation of the word, and ignoring how it has come to be used in recent times. Thanks for the link.

What does it benefit us, if you are correct about the proper use, but it has been used in a negative light for the last couple of decades? Now when it's used for just people, it has negative meaning. Still, that is just MO.

I've seen Cornuke's presentation. It's very convincing.

Well sure, given his one-sided presentation that stretches the truth in misleading ways and "forgets" to inform you about evidence to the contrary... Anyone can be "very convincing" when all you hear are their own claims.

For a more honest appraisal: Caution about ‘Ark’ discovery. Also a goof in geology made by Cornuke is addressed here.

People who are uneducated in geology, like Cornuke, have no idea how easily ordinary rock formations can have the appearance of "wood grain", "planking", "beams", etc.

The photos I've seen of Cornuke's "find" just look like rock outcroppings, and that is also the opinion of all the geologists I've seen who have commented on this.

Also, it's always amusing to note how many *different* places the "ark" has been found:

CH500: The Ark

CH500. Noah's ark has been found.

CH501. We can expect to find Noah's ark on Mount Ararat.
CH502.1. Noah's ark may have been photographed on Ararat in 1949.
CH502.2. ERTS satellite photographed Noah's ark in 1973.
CH503. Noah's ark has been found near Dogubayazit, Turkey.

CH503.1. Anchor stones of Noah's ark have been found.
CH503.2. The Turkish government officially recognized the site of Noah's ark.

CH504.1. James Bryce found a 4-foot timber high on Ararat.
CH504.2. Navarra retrieved hand-hewn wood from high on Ararat.
CH504.3. Hardwicke Knight found soft wood timbers on Ararat.
CH505.1. Yearam guided three vile scientists to Noah's ark in 1916.
CH505.2. An 1883 Turkish expedition found Noah's ark.
CH505.3. Prince Nouri of Baghdad found the ark in 1887.
CH505.4. Hagopian visited the ark with his uncle around 1908.
CH505.5. Russian aviator Roskovitsky photographed the ark.
CH505.6. Resit, a Kurdish farmer, found the ark in 1948.
CH505.7. Local Kurds led Ed Davis to the ark in 1943.
CH505.8. Ed Behling was led to the ark in 1973.

And: Sun Pictures and the Noah's Ark Hoax

Thanks for the ping. I've learned to be very patient when information 'new evidence' like this is presented. My whole life I've been seeing something similar to what is being presented now. None having born out over time, I'm still waiting patiently for someone to find the real deal. It may happen some day. I'd like to see it.

These guys are wasting their time. Noah's Ark, if it still exists, will not be found. They will never find 100% conclusive proof of its existence.

If they could provide absolute proof in the existence of Noah's Ark, that would mean that not only is the bible correct about the great flood, but also about the existence of God. God doesn't want people to believe in Him because they know His existence is a FACT. God wants people to believe in Him because of FAITH.

When the time comes for people to start believing in Him because His existence is a verifiable fact, those that have had faith based belief in Him will be long gone from this world.

yes, this is all very interesting, but it still doesn't tell us what the heck a "cubit" is.

A cubit is a unit of linear measure, from the elbow to the tip of the longest finger of a man. This unit is commonly converted to 0.46 meters or 18 inches, although that varies with height of the man doing the measurement. There is also a “long” cubit that is longer than a regular cubit by a handbreadth. (Ezekiel 43:13)

What I object to is the use of the word appologist. The word appologist is generally used in a negative setting. The individual was an appologist for "insert the negative person or subject matter here". I just don't include Christianity in a category that needs an appologist. It may need a proponent or and advocate, but an appologist. I don't think so. I see this as a couched insult to the gentleman in question.

Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position. Someone who engages in apologetics is called an apologist.The term comes from the Greek word apologia (ἈÃ°Ã¯Ã«Ã¯Ã£ίÃ¡), meaning the defense of a position against an attack, not from the English word apology, which is exclusively understood as a defensive plea for forgiveness for an action that is open to blame. ...

Even the geologist that accompanied the group says it is a rock outcropping:

"the object appears to be a basalt dike, however, it is absolutely uncanny that the object looks like hand hewn timbers, even the grain and color look just like petrified wood….I really need to keep an open mind about this."

Uh yea, you do that.

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