An evangelical group comprised of Turkish and Chinese explorers claims that they think they have potentially made one of the biggest discoveries of the last hundred years – Noah’s Ark. The group that claims to have made this discovery of Biblical proportions is Noah’s Ark Ministries International. At this time they concede they are not 100% sure this is Noah’s Ark, but they do claim to be 99.9% sure.
Noah’s Ark Ministries International claims to have made the discovery on Mount Ararat which is located in eastern Turkey. At this time the team has released no photos, but has submitted an application for United World Heritage status in Ankara to preserve the integrity of the site while further work is being performed.
Gerrit Aalten, a noted Ark researcher, has been included in the process to help verify the legitimacy of the teams claims. Aalten has stated the he felt this was a legitimate discovery based on so many details matching historic accounts of the Ark, and that this particular area has long been thought to be the Ark’s final resting place. He has not staked his reputation to saying this is definitely the Ark with no doubts, but has rather stated that it is a legitimate archaeological discovery.
Early descriptions of the alleged Ark describe several compartments the ream believes were used to house animals. Carbon dating of relics recovered from the site has placed the age of the discovery at around 4,800 years old. They also point out that no human settlement has ever been discovered above 11,000 feet (The alleged Ark now rests at about 13,000 feet) in the locality in question which indicates that it is very highly unlikely they stumbled upon an abandoned ancient settlement.
Before anyone gets too excited about this being the genuine Ark of Noah, there have been many previous claims of its discovery that turned out to be erroneous. What has many people excited about this particular discovery is that this particular location has been believed to be the actual location since 1959 when aerial photographs showed an anomaly in the landscape many believed could only be man made. They further point out the size is indicates the proportions cited in the Bible.
While it is going to take years to unravel this mystery, the excitement for many surrounding this discovery is undeniable – even if it does not prove to be Noah’s Ark. The worry many have at this time is that the faithful see what they want to see without regard for science – and that includes the archaeologists on the team. The discovery of the true Noah’s Ark would potentially have implications that cannot be fully fathomed, and because of that the scientific community is calling for extreme caution before nay further pronouncements are made.
