Over time,the world has come to regard the Biblical account of Noah's Ark as myth. At best, it’s a good children’s story equivalent to something from the pen of Dr Zeuss. But in the consumer world, this myth makes money. Toy manufacturers sell models of bulbous boats where all the animals line up two by two to file past Noah at the loading ramp. As innocent as it may appear, this telling of the story undermines the Genesis account, discouraging for the most part, any serious examination of the real evidence that has been visible since the waters receded. Tragically, the Christian church is divided on the value of proving up this archaeological evidence that supports the certainty of the Genesis Flood. However,despite these facts, the evidence is there, and it’s undeniable !
The use of steel in shipbuilding is relatively new. One thousand foot tankers are now common. The longest wooden vessel ever built was 330 feet and sailors found that it flexed alarmingly in heavy seas. Contrary to the opinion of the myth makers, Noah was far advanced as a marine engineer. Evidence in eastern Turkey, confirms Noah’s ship was 515 feet long and that fact predates all the knowledge man has accumulated building wooden ships. It’s clear then that Noah’s Ark was not a rectangular box built of wood, but a ship with a huge upturned bow and stern, built of reeds and cemented together with a bitumen like substance called “gopher."
Secondly, common to all vessels is a means of propulsion. No vessel is safe drifting without power. Sharp coastlines, show no mercy. But the Ark had no means of propulsion. So this vessel, was planned with the confidence that it would drift on an endless sea with no possibility that it would collide with land.
Thirdly, wind together with giant seas can capsize a ship with no power, turning it broadside to the waves and rolling it over. The Ark, would need a means of preventing this.…..which compels us to look at the final piece of evidence that proves Noah’s Ark was real and that it , preserved Noah and his family while God recreated the world beneath the flood waters.
Emergency sea anchors, suspended in the water from one end of an unpowered ship, will keep it “ in irons” always facing the wind and waves. Noah used at least 12 large ship stones or sea anchors, carefully sized so that their mass would keep his vessel "in irons". They were wedge shaped and carefully suspended in the water below the ship at different depths by large ropes called hawsers. These were threaded through carefully carved holes at the top of the stone, using an arc which was proportional to the size of the hawser.
The thickness of the hawser was proportional to the size and weight of the stone. The placement of the holes close to the top of the stone conclude that the hawsers were only able to suspend the stones when immersed in water. The weight of the stone suspended in atmosphere would break the hawser out of the hole.
The stone’s shape was also important. If the shape or the means of suspension produced instability, the spinning would destroy the hawser and the stone would disappear into the depths. Loss of too many stones could mean loss of the ship.
So from the evidence, it’s possible to conclude that an unpowered vessel, not equalled in size and length until modern times, suspended multiple ship stones to prevent destruction by wave action, and this vessel did not encounter land for a year.
After a year afloat, Noah knew the waters were receding. Land was beginning to emerge. When several of the ship stones began bumping the ground below the ship Noah knew he had to beach the ship and quickly. The water, receding towards the present ocean basins would soon accelerate between the emerging land masses . If Noah allowed the Ark to be subject to a current, he had no means of steering to avoid destruction. If he relied upon the ship stones to hold the ship in one place, the current would eventually drag the ship, and the stones would break, as they bounced along the bottom. Both scenarios would have resulted in the loss of the ship.
So several jolts felt throughout the Ark one morning, signalled all aboard that the land was not that far below them. That was enough for Noah to command his crew to lower the stones to the bottom and stop any further drifting . Then, with preparations made, he cut the hawsers, and let them fall to the bottom . This action reduced the draft of the ship to 20 feet making it possible to propel the ship across the surface towards a mountain they could see on the distant horizon. The Ark mound has not told us just how that was done but for certain, some urgent means of propulsion was employed to move the ship the 21 km. The ancients named the mountain Noah saw, the Wall of Heaven, or Heroes Abode. It would have been the only land that Noah could see when he brought the Ark to a stop. An unpowered drift ship, controlled only by ship stones discovered 6000 feet above sea level, confirms flood waters covered the earth.
Today, there are 9 stones high on the Armenian plateau, 21 km’s from the Ark mound. They stand at the Kurdish village of Arzap for all the world to see . The name in the ancient Armenian language means “touch the earth,” a reference to Noah’s decision to stop the drift of the ship by lowering the stones to the bottom.
For centuries, the evidence has been there. Many generations of Pilgrims have visited the site and carved Christian symbols onto the flat surfaces of the stones.
Many ancient cultures reference the flood in their folk tales.
While he lived on earth, Jesus Christ, also confirmed the story of Noah and the flood. After all, He was there, for He is Eternal. In his time on earth, He fulfilled the Father’s plan to save sinners. He lived perfectly, became the acceptable sacrifice to pay for their sin, and rose from the dead to claim His authority to judge all who have ever lived. The final judgement by fire will consume the world we know in preparation for the new one He has promised
On that day, yet future, on what ground will you stand ?
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