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Have They Found Noah’s Ark?The Watchtower—2009 | July 1
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The Bible reveals that Noah’s ark “came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:4) The region of Ararat includes the prominent peak now called Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey, near the borders of Armenia and Iran.
Numerous expeditions to this area in search of Noah’s ark have led to interesting claims but not to conclusive proof. Intriguing aerial photos, recovered pieces of wood coated with tar, and reports of sightings have spurred the quest for proof that is more tangible. However, the search has been difficult. One possible site that is often mentioned lies some 15,000 feet up the slopes of Mount Ararat. Additionally, because of political tensions in the area, foreign expeditions are not always given legal access to the mountain.
Nonetheless, many ark enthusiasts are eager to see more expeditions to the site. They believe that parts of the ark are still intact on snowcapped Mount Ararat, hidden beneath snow and ice most of the year. Only in years with warm summers, they claim, would there be any hope of seeing and reaching the ark.
Such hopes have been fueled by a number of reports. Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century C.E., refers to several earlier historians who spoke of the ark as still being visible high in the Ararat range. It was even said that people would take as souvenirs pieces from its tar-covered timbers. Among the men Josephus quoted was Berossus, a Babylonian chronicler of the third century B.C.E.
In the past century, one of the more intriguing reports came from an Armenian man, George Hagopian. He told of visiting the ark as a boy with his uncle in the early 1900’s and actually climbing about the structure. Hagopian died in 1972, but his testimony still fills many with excitement and wonder.
A Real Basis for Faith?
Is there really a basis for believing that explorers have discovered the ark or might yet do so? Perhaps, but there seems to be even more basis for skepticism about such a find. For one thing, recall that the Bible does not say exactly where the ark alighted as the floodwaters ebbed. It merely mentions “the mountains of Ararat.”
It is only natural for explorers and speculators to single out the highest peak in the region. However, the Scriptures do not specify that God arranged for the ark to come to rest on the very top of Mount Ararat, which is today a frigid and lofty mountain peak nearly three miles [5 km] above sea level.a Remember, Noah and his family lived aboard the ark for several months after it landed. (Genesis 8:4, 5) It also seems unlikely that after disembarking, they and the many animals aboard had to climb down from a towering summit like mountaineers. Perhaps, then, the terrain where the ark landed was more accessible than some modern-day explorers imagine, yet still high enough to fit the description at Genesis 8:4, 5. And regardless of where the ark landed in the Ararat region, might it not have vanished centuries ago because of decay and scavenging?
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Have They Found Noah’s Ark?The Watchtower—2009 | July 1
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a The mountain that is today called Mount Ararat is a volcano that has been dormant since 1840. It reaches an elevation of 16,945 feet [5,165 m] and is covered in snow year-round.
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