The History of Noah’s Ark
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The original story of Noah’s Ark
The specific details of the flood story are found in Genesis, the first book of the bible where God gave instructions to Noah to build a boat 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high to preserve human, animal and bird life. After a great flood this vessel and its occupants survived and came to rest upon the Mountains of Ararat.
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Discoveries of the flood from the past
One of oldest traceable records dates back over 4000 years to the land of Sumer, one of the world’s first known civilisations. Tales of the early history of man were written on clay tablets which were copied and spread throughout the ancient world.
In the 1840s hundreds of tablets were discovered by archaeologists digging among the ruins at Nineveh, the capital city of the ancient Assyrian empire. The account of the flood was among them and was discovered on the 11th tablet of a longer story called the Epic of Gilgamesh.
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Connection to the modern location of the site
One of the most persistent legends of history is that Noah's Ark came to rest atop the volcanic peak known as Mt Ararat and is preserved in a glacier. But ancient accounts of the Ark’s location tell a different story.
In the 3rd century BC, a Babylonian priest, astronomer and historian, named Berosis translated many ancient accounts of the origin and history of man into Greek during the Hellenistic era.
He is quoted as saying "It is said there is still some part of this ship in Armenia, at the mountain of the Cordyaeans, and that some people carry off pieces of the bitumen, which they take away, and use chiefly as amulets for the averting of mischiefs."
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What does modern science tell us?
That the Ark landed in the mountains of Armenia, and not necessarily on Ararat, makes the discovery of the site in Turkey that much more interesting. For one, the site is relatively easy to access, and there is evidence that in ancient times, pilgrims came to visit the area.
It wasn’t until photographs published in Life magazine in September 1960, that global attention was brought to the site and the first scientific investigations began. In 1977 Ron Wyatt, conducted more thorough research utilising metal detector surveys, radar scans and lab tests.
Included in the discoveries by Ron Wyatt were consistent patterns of iron found at regular intervals under the surface by ground penetrating radar. The revelation of walls, cavities, ramps, and doors were visible on the scans.
Specimens taken from the site was shown to contain organic carbon, consistent with fossilised wood. Metal rivets, petrified animal droppings and ancient animal hair was also discovered.
Ron Wyatt’s discoveries were the start but what is needed to confirm the validity of the site, is a full excavation of the site. This is what the Ark Project is working towards.
Donate To The Big Dig
Interested in supporting the Noah’s Ark Project? Our mission is to find out what lies beneath the surface of the Ararat site. Help us get there faster by donating to the excavation of the site.
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