Alex Carson
Varying Stories of Noah’s Ark
There is text in many ancient cultures around the world about a massive flood that flooded the world, and one man on a massive ship who waited out the storm. The most famous story is in the Bible and the Quran, and it is the story of Noah’s Ark. The holy texts aren’t the only time that Noah has been mentioned. The first story comes from Mesopotamia, and the man is Ziusudra. Later, it is a Babylonian story, and the man is Gilgamesh. However, Noah is the most popular.
Noah’s Story
The story of Noah begins when God tells him to build an Ark. He receives the commandment to make sure that the Ark is large enough to fit himself, his family, and two of every animal in the world. This was God’s way of ensuring that life would go on after the floods. It says that God wanted to flood the Earth because of the sins. He believed that these humans were flawed, and flooding the Earth would give him a chance to start over.
Since Noah was a good, God-fearing man, God allowed him to start the human race over again. After building the Ark and getting the humans and animals on board, the rains came. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Noah remained safe on the Ark. He used a dove to check to see if the waters had receded. When a dove returned with a branch, Noah knew that the worst was over. The mystery and the power behind the story have made it very popular.
Popularity
The story of Noah’s Ark is so famous that Hollywood took an interest in the story. As the Ark becomes popular, many explorers set out hoping to find what’s in the Ark. There is some conflict over the origin of the story. Some people believe that it was God’s will to flood the Earth. Others think that it was the melting of glacial ice at the end of the Ice Age that caused the flood. Either way, most people do believe that most of the world flooded.
Robert Ballard
An explorer named Robert Ballard believed that the Ark could have sunk to the bottom of the Black Sea when the waters receded. In 1989, he set out to prove his theory. He gathered a team to explore hundreds of square miles beneath the Black Sea. He discovers a 7,000-year-old settlement that destroyed by the floodwaters. While this was an incredible find, it wasn’t what he was looking for. There were no signs of the Ark on the floor of the Black Sea. He came up empty-handed but wasn’t the last person to search for the ship.
A Secret Location?
There are two blurry government photos of Mount Ararat, which is said to be the resting place of the Ark. People who are really invested in finding the Ark believes that what is left can be seen in these photos. In 2004, a businessman named Daniel McGivern wanted to explore Mount Ararat. Unfortunately, the Turkish government denied him access.
Alborz Mountains
Another team searching for the Ark went up to the Alborz Mountains in Iran. There, they found an enormous blackened ruin. They believed that it could be the Ark, but others were sure that it was just a mineral deposit. Many people who claimed to have found the Ark had their finds debunked or called hoaxes. One archaeologist stated, “I don’t know of any expedition that ever went looking for the ark and didn’t find it.” In 2007, things changed.
Noah’s Ark Ministries International
In 2007, a group from Hong Kong called Noah’s Ark Ministries International (NAMI) traveled to Mount Ararat. There, they found something that many archaeologists cannot explain. After traveling 13,000-feet up the mountain, the NAMI explorers found large wooden compartments buried in the ground. When they investigated the ruins, they discovered something strange. The materials located were tested using radiocarbon dating, and the age of the wood was 4,800-years-old. This was said to be the time that the Ark was built. While this was enough for some to believe that the find is Noah’s Ark, others disagree.
6,000-Years-Old
According to skeptics, the wood found isn’t old enough. God created the world 6,000-years-ago. This means that the wood should date back more than 4,800-years-old. Others believe it isn’t the actual Ark for another reason. Mount Ararat being the Ark’s final resting place is a modern concept, but it is not written in the Bible. The Bible claims that the Ark landed in Urartu. If this is true, what is the structure that was found by NAMI?
An Ancient Shrine?
Some scholars believe that the structure could be an ancient shrine dedicated to where the Ark could be. If this is true, the world would be much younger. This is because the Bible hadn’t yet been written 4,800 years ago. Although the findings have not been corroborated, Turkey petitioned the United Nations to list the structure as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The petition didn’t go through, but NAMI stuck to their original story.
The Search Continues
While NAMI is sure that they have found the wreckage of Noah’s Ark, other people believe that it is still out there. Today, many explorers are still trying to find the actual wreck, thinking that NAMI’s find wasn’t old enough. NAMI believes that the real Noah’s Ark may have just been uncovered and it’s throwing people off guard. Others are still out there, hoping to find it.
