The hunt for Noah's Ark has led dozens of
expeditions to the Ararat region of eastern
Turkey -- and even into Iran. Have any of
these missions yielded concrete evidence
that the ark still exists? Some say 'yes,'
some say 'maybe' -- most say 'no!'
Cornuke's Ark
In 2006, a group of Texas adventurers
announced that they had found the remains
of Noah’s Ark on the slopes of a rugged
mountain in Iran. The fourteen-man
expedition, led by explorer and speaker Dr.
Bob Cornuke, returned with video and
photographic evidence of a black object 400
feet long and 13,120 feet above sea level,
as well as samples of what he described as
‘wooden beams’.
The Web report by Brannon Howse reads,
“The arkish object is about 400 feet long
and consists of rocks that look remarkably
like blackened wood beams while other rock
in the area is distinctively brown. And one
visible piece is “cut” at a 90-degree
angle. Even more intriguing, some of the
wood-like rocks were tested just this week
and actually proved to be petrified wood,
and it is noteworthy that Scripture recounts
Noah sealed his ark with pitch—a decidedly
black substance. Upon being cut open, one
of these “rocks” also divulged a marine
fossil that could have only originated
undersea."
But Dr. Tas Walker of the Creation
Institute urged caution regarding the
discovery. "If the black object is the
petrified remains of the wooden Ark, how
was it petrified? To petrify, the timber
would need to be surrounded by a mineral-
rich solution and absorb it into its pore
structure. It is difficult to conceive of how
that could happen for a timber structure
sitting on the side of the mountain. If the
Ark still existed high in a mountain
somewhere, it is more likely its timber
would be exposed to rain and snow which
would not contain the minerals to petrify
it. Superficially, the ‘beams’ appear more
likely to be rock, hardened at depth and
uplifted toward the end of the Flood."
Satellite Ark
Another recent claim said that satellite
pictures may have pinpointed the vessel's
final resting place. The object in the photo
is located on Mount Ararat in eastern
Turkey, the area where the Bible says Noah
survived a monstrous flood that covered the
earth.
Porcher Taylor has spent 13 years on a quest
to find out exactly what that satellite
picture mystery object might be. Taylor is
an Assistant. Professor at the University of
Richmond, in Virginia. He teaches National
Security Law. He told CBN News, "I see,
for a 1015 feet in length, a ship-like object
that has almost unbroken symmetry."
That's bigger than the generally-accepted
Biblical description. But Taylor says the
object has the same length-to-width ratio as
the Ark described in Genesis.
Over the years, many have searched this area
for evidence of Noah's voyage. Bruce Feiler
is the author of Walking The Bible . Feiler
said, “Czar Nicholas sent an expedition in
the early 20th century. U2 spy planes were
[camera] shooting this mountain in the
1950s, even Jimmy Carter when he was on
his way to Iran was said to be looking down
to see if he could see Noah's Ark."
Though believers faithfully view the Bible's
account as fact, skeptics say someone will
have to examine the actual object. That
satellite images alone aren't proof – and
proof is what the investigators want.
Professor Taylor said, "Currently I'm
working with a naval architecture team and
they're trying to determine whether 1,000
foot long ship, a wooden boat this size,
could actually float."
Taylor hopes he can one day lead the
expedition that provides the world with
proof that Noah and his ‘two by two’
voyage was indeed real.
Wyatt's Ark
Discovered by a local Kurdish farmer
following an earthquake in May, 1948, the
world’s attention was drawn to a
streamlined boat-shape by the publication of
an aerial photograph, taken by a Turkish Air
Force pilot, in Australian Pix magazine on
July 9, 1960. It was re-published by LIFE
magazine on September 5, 1960. Another
earthquake in December, 1978 is said to
have enhanced the relief between the boat-
shaped formation and the surrounding
terrain, although erosion has since modified
it.
But according to Andrew Snelling of
Answers in Genesis, this particular boat-
shaped rock formation is far from unique.
The Turkish Air Force released another
photograph several years ago showing three
similar boat-shapes in the mudflow material
on the footslopes of nearby Lesser Mount
Ararat. Snelling points out that "if it
wasn’t for the fact that this particular
boat-shape is the approximate length of the
biblical Noah’s Ark then little attention
would have been paid to it, even though it
lies within the region the Bible describes
as the mountains of Ararat ( Genesis 8:4 ).
This particular formation is much wider than
the Ark, but proponents of the site say that
this is because the outside walls have been
‘splayed out’ by the weight of mud. The
site is properly known as the Durupinar
site, named after the Turkish Army Captain
who first saw the boat-shape on the aerial
photograph, and who was involved in the
first expedition in 1960. More recently
some have called it the Akyayla site, after
the region in which it is located.
The site has been vigorously promoted by
Ron Wyatt, an anesthesiologist from
Madison, Tennessee, and a self-styled
‘biblical archaeologist', since 1977, when
he first visited Turkey and began
investigations. Over the years, particularly
in the mid-1980s, Wyatt repeatedly tried to
interest other people in the site, such as
former U.S. astronaut Colonel James Irwin,
and ICR scientist Dr. John Morris. Neither
of these men was convinced after on-site
inspections.
According to Snelling, in 1985 Wyatt was
joined by former merchant marine officer
David Fasold and geophysicist Dr. John
Baumgardner. Both men have since parted
company with Wyatt, Fasold disagreeing with
him over details, and Baumgardner, while
originally being cautiously enthusiastic, is
now adamant the site does not contain
Noah’s Ark.
Australian Dr. Allen Roberts first visited
the site in 1990 and thereafter initiated
the organization Ark Search in order to
raise funds to work with Wyatt on an
archaeological dig. Their efforts came to
world media attention when they were
kidnapped (with three others) and held
captive by Kurdish guerrillas for three
weeks in September, 1991. Both Wyatt and
Roberts continue to actively promote the
site as the probable remains of Noah’s Ark.
Photos of the site show walls that seem to
define the outline of the boat shape. Wyatt
claims that this is evidence of a former
ship’s ribs, presumably the timbers that
formed part of the original keel structure
and hull (‘a few beams protruding out’).
But Snelling explains, "These walls, in
places standing 20-30 feet (69 meters)
sheer above the immediately surrounding
terrain, certainly give the impression of
the outer hull of a boat. However, that is
where all similarity ends. These walls are
simply hardened mud, containing boulders of
the various local rock types. They contain no
petrified wood holding in the mud in any
way reminiscent of the outer planking of a
wooden hulled vessel."
So the search continues. Will we ever find
Noah's actual ark? God only knows.
expeditions to the Ararat region of eastern
Turkey -- and even into Iran. Have any of
these missions yielded concrete evidence
that the ark still exists? Some say 'yes,'
some say 'maybe' -- most say 'no!'
Cornuke's Ark
In 2006, a group of Texas adventurers
announced that they had found the remains
of Noah’s Ark on the slopes of a rugged
mountain in Iran. The fourteen-man
expedition, led by explorer and speaker Dr.
Bob Cornuke, returned with video and
photographic evidence of a black object 400
feet long and 13,120 feet above sea level,
as well as samples of what he described as
‘wooden beams’.
The Web report by Brannon Howse reads,
“The arkish object is about 400 feet long
and consists of rocks that look remarkably
like blackened wood beams while other rock
in the area is distinctively brown. And one
visible piece is “cut” at a 90-degree
angle. Even more intriguing, some of the
wood-like rocks were tested just this week
and actually proved to be petrified wood,
and it is noteworthy that Scripture recounts
Noah sealed his ark with pitch—a decidedly
black substance. Upon being cut open, one
of these “rocks” also divulged a marine
fossil that could have only originated
undersea."
But Dr. Tas Walker of the Creation
Institute urged caution regarding the
discovery. "If the black object is the
petrified remains of the wooden Ark, how
was it petrified? To petrify, the timber
would need to be surrounded by a mineral-
rich solution and absorb it into its pore
structure. It is difficult to conceive of how
that could happen for a timber structure
sitting on the side of the mountain. If the
Ark still existed high in a mountain
somewhere, it is more likely its timber
would be exposed to rain and snow which
would not contain the minerals to petrify
it. Superficially, the ‘beams’ appear more
likely to be rock, hardened at depth and
uplifted toward the end of the Flood."
Satellite Ark
Another recent claim said that satellite
pictures may have pinpointed the vessel's
final resting place. The object in the photo
is located on Mount Ararat in eastern
Turkey, the area where the Bible says Noah
survived a monstrous flood that covered the
earth.
Porcher Taylor has spent 13 years on a quest
to find out exactly what that satellite
picture mystery object might be. Taylor is
an Assistant. Professor at the University of
Richmond, in Virginia. He teaches National
Security Law. He told CBN News, "I see,
for a 1015 feet in length, a ship-like object
that has almost unbroken symmetry."
That's bigger than the generally-accepted
Biblical description. But Taylor says the
object has the same length-to-width ratio as
the Ark described in Genesis.
Over the years, many have searched this area
for evidence of Noah's voyage. Bruce Feiler
is the author of Walking The Bible . Feiler
said, “Czar Nicholas sent an expedition in
the early 20th century. U2 spy planes were
[camera] shooting this mountain in the
1950s, even Jimmy Carter when he was on
his way to Iran was said to be looking down
to see if he could see Noah's Ark."
Though believers faithfully view the Bible's
account as fact, skeptics say someone will
have to examine the actual object. That
satellite images alone aren't proof – and
proof is what the investigators want.
Professor Taylor said, "Currently I'm
working with a naval architecture team and
they're trying to determine whether 1,000
foot long ship, a wooden boat this size,
could actually float."
Taylor hopes he can one day lead the
expedition that provides the world with
proof that Noah and his ‘two by two’
voyage was indeed real.
Wyatt's Ark
Discovered by a local Kurdish farmer
following an earthquake in May, 1948, the
world’s attention was drawn to a
streamlined boat-shape by the publication of
an aerial photograph, taken by a Turkish Air
Force pilot, in Australian Pix magazine on
July 9, 1960. It was re-published by LIFE
magazine on September 5, 1960. Another
earthquake in December, 1978 is said to
have enhanced the relief between the boat-
shaped formation and the surrounding
terrain, although erosion has since modified
it.
But according to Andrew Snelling of
Answers in Genesis, this particular boat-
shaped rock formation is far from unique.
The Turkish Air Force released another
photograph several years ago showing three
similar boat-shapes in the mudflow material
on the footslopes of nearby Lesser Mount
Ararat. Snelling points out that "if it
wasn’t for the fact that this particular
boat-shape is the approximate length of the
biblical Noah’s Ark then little attention
would have been paid to it, even though it
lies within the region the Bible describes
as the mountains of Ararat ( Genesis 8:4 ).
This particular formation is much wider than
the Ark, but proponents of the site say that
this is because the outside walls have been
‘splayed out’ by the weight of mud. The
site is properly known as the Durupinar
site, named after the Turkish Army Captain
who first saw the boat-shape on the aerial
photograph, and who was involved in the
first expedition in 1960. More recently
some have called it the Akyayla site, after
the region in which it is located.
The site has been vigorously promoted by
Ron Wyatt, an anesthesiologist from
Madison, Tennessee, and a self-styled
‘biblical archaeologist', since 1977, when
he first visited Turkey and began
investigations. Over the years, particularly
in the mid-1980s, Wyatt repeatedly tried to
interest other people in the site, such as
former U.S. astronaut Colonel James Irwin,
and ICR scientist Dr. John Morris. Neither
of these men was convinced after on-site
inspections.
According to Snelling, in 1985 Wyatt was
joined by former merchant marine officer
David Fasold and geophysicist Dr. John
Baumgardner. Both men have since parted
company with Wyatt, Fasold disagreeing with
him over details, and Baumgardner, while
originally being cautiously enthusiastic, is
now adamant the site does not contain
Noah’s Ark.
Australian Dr. Allen Roberts first visited
the site in 1990 and thereafter initiated
the organization Ark Search in order to
raise funds to work with Wyatt on an
archaeological dig. Their efforts came to
world media attention when they were
kidnapped (with three others) and held
captive by Kurdish guerrillas for three
weeks in September, 1991. Both Wyatt and
Roberts continue to actively promote the
site as the probable remains of Noah’s Ark.
Photos of the site show walls that seem to
define the outline of the boat shape. Wyatt
claims that this is evidence of a former
ship’s ribs, presumably the timbers that
formed part of the original keel structure
and hull (‘a few beams protruding out’).
But Snelling explains, "These walls, in
places standing 20-30 feet (69 meters)
sheer above the immediately surrounding
terrain, certainly give the impression of
the outer hull of a boat. However, that is
where all similarity ends. These walls are
simply hardened mud, containing boulders of
the various local rock types. They contain no
petrified wood holding in the mud in any
way reminiscent of the outer planking of a
wooden hulled vessel."
So the search continues. Will we ever find
Noah's actual ark? God only knows.
