Has Noah's Ark Been Found ?

[Hum]

A group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers say wooden remains they have discovered on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey are the remains of Noah's Ark.

The group claims that carbon dating proves the relics are 4,800 years old, meaning they date to around the same time the ark was said to be afloat. Mt. Ararat has long been suspected as the final resting place of the craft by evangelicals and literalists hoping to validate biblical stories.

Yeung Wing-Cheung, from the Noah's Ark Ministries International research team that made the discovery, said: "It's not 100 percent that it is Noah's Ark, but we think it is 99.9 percent that this is it."

There have been several reported discoveries of the remains of Noah's Ark over the years, most notably a find by archaeologist Ron Wyatt in 1987. At the time, the Turkish government officially declared a national park around his find, a boat-shaped object stretched across the mountains of Ararat.

Nevertheless, the evangelical ministry remains convinced that the current find is in fact more likely to be the actual artifact, calling upon Dutch Ark researcher Gerrit Aalten to verify its legitimacy.

?The significance of this find is that for the first time in history the discovery of Noah?s Ark is well documented and revealed to the worldwide community,? Aalten said at a press conference announcing the find. Citing the many details that match historical accounts of the Ark, he believes it to be a legitimate archaeological discovery.

?There?s a tremendous amount of solid evidence that the structure found on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey is the legendary Ark of Noah,? said Aalten.

Representatives of Noah's Ark Ministries said the structure contained several compartments, some with wooden beams, that they believe were used to house animals.The group of evangelical archaeologists ruled out an established human settlement on the grounds none have ever been found above 11,000 feet in the vicinity, Yeung said.

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[Nick H. Supervisor]

the Noah's Ark Ministries International research team that made the discovery...

Woah, they've got an international research team dedicated to finding Noah's Ark? That's got to be the definition of faith...

Sidenote: Hum, I'm not stalking you, honest. The spy just keeps popping up new stories, and they're all posted by you :shifty:

[mudslag]

So the evangelicals accept carbon dating as evidence now I see.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Foolish religious people.

Foolish troll! Don't write off what you don't accept. I am not a religious nut - I use my scientific head first, but I don't see the two as being incompatible.

So the evangelicals accept carbon dating as evidence now I see.

Yes, but ignore it when it comes to dinosaurs... Selective huh!

As for the story... I suppose there were nuts then as there are now - except back then it was a lot more acceptable to name your deity as your muse. I don't believe the Noah story verbatim, but I dare say someone constructed a vessel which they used in a flood to save a few animals.

[1337ish]

So the evangelicals accept carbon dating as evidence now I see.

LOL good point :)

[obiwong]

isn't this like the 5th time someone thinks they've found it?

also lol @ carbon dating

works for old religious artifacts but that's it. does not work on anything else that would go against their beliefs

[Calum Veteran]

Foolish religious people.

What makes them foolish? Can you prove their beliefs wrong?

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

works for old religious artifacts

Only as long as it verifies them... Didn't carbon dating disprove the Turin Shroud?

What makes them foolish? Can you prove their beliefs wrong?

#

Oh come on, you know his motivation... It's hip and cool to refute religion with nothing more that "That's stupid"... You'll not get a coherrant theological debate. And even if you did, does neowin need ANOTHER? LOL

[hougtimo]

Um...maybe I've led a somewhat sheltered life, but I haven't seen Christians disputing carbon dating? I know there are some ridiculous people who will ignore the evidence of the big bang etc...

I'm Christian, but I'm sure God had a bit of fun creating the world. I don't see that science negates my beliefs.

[Sulphy]

So the evangelicals accept carbon dating as evidence now I see.

LOL!!!!!!

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

but I haven't seen Christians disputing carbon dating

Many have disputed the carbon dating of fossils, for example.

I'm Christian, but I'm sure God had a bit of fun creating the world. I don't see that science negates my beliefs.

I like you :)

[hougtimo]

Many have disputed the carbon dating of fossils, for example.

I like you :)

Ahh I wasn't really aware of that!

Lol thanks. I'm from just down the road from you as well. Well, about 2 hours up the M1, M18 and M62. Lol.

[Malisk]

I dunno... I'm not very religious, and think this could still be true. *shrug*

The events in the Bible can probably depict real world events -- exaggerated like insane of course, but still...

All it would take would be a boat, and some imagination of the writers...

Put differently, I have no reason to doubt that this could be the boat that sparked their imagination.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Their argument is something like "God put them here as a test of our faith" or somesuch...

[Stetson]

As for the story... I suppose there were nuts then as there are now - except back then it was a lot more acceptable to name your deity as your muse. I don't believe the Noah story verbatim, but I dare say someone constructed a vessel which they used in a flood to save a few animals.

Exactly. I'm sure that there was a flood in the Mesopotamian flood plain, and someone built a boat and saved a couple of each of his farm animals.

I think that people forget the perspective of the "world" that we have now and that they had then. If all of Mesopotamia flooded, the people who lived there would tell stories of the flood that covered the whole world.

[hougtimo]

Their argument is something like "God put them here as a test of our faith" or somesuch...

That just doesn't wash with me. If God 'made up' a whole history to the world that never happened, that would be deceitful. And God isn't.

If the Bible is to be believed then God makes it quite clear that such behaviour is not acceptable.

[itzwolf]

I saw parts of a show that said it had supposedly been found a couple years ago? I presume this is completely different now... :unsure:

I don't doubt there was some form of a boat at all. I mean as mentioned already the bible being written by man is simple a perception of what was seen. There was a time everyone thought the world was flat until further understanding and education proved otherwise. What man has seen has always been written about and as things become understood better the "wow" factor or exaggeration quickly diminishes.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Hougtimo: I love your thinking. You represent someone with religion, with faith but also an open (and functioning) mind. But moreover you are not pushing any specific agenda.

Remember when people make such outlandish claims that go in the face of both science and the REAL ideas behind their beliefs, they sweep aside ideas such as truth, and focus more on being "right".

I think that people forget the perspective of the "world" that we have now and that they had then. If all of Mesopotamia flooded, the people who lived there would tell stories of the flood that covered the whole world.

WOW! That's an amazing thought. :)

[Stetson]

That just doesn't wash with me. If God 'made up' a whole history to the world that never happened, that would be deceitful. And God isn't.

If the Bible is to be believed then God makes it quite clear that such behaviour is not acceptable.

And strangely enough it's quite easy in my mind to have a world exist that is as its described by science and still have room for God.

It reminds me of the idea that the earth revolving around the sun instead of the other way around would completely destroy the biblical view of the world. A few hundred years later and we've proved it, accepted it, and nobody seems to care much anymore.

[macrosslover]

Exactly. I'm sure that there was a flood in the Mesopotamian flood plain, and someone built a boat and saved a couple of each of his farm animals.

I think that people forget the perspective of the "world" that we have now and that they had then. If all of Mesopotamia flooded, the people who lived there would tell stories of the flood that covered the whole world.

I believe many cultures extending beyond Mesopotamia and the perspective of the world you have given, have flood myths in their stories or oral histories. So you don't necessarily have to be a religious person to envision the possibility of the sea levels rising literally across the whole world as an actual event that naturally happened.

[anthdci]

Exactly. I'm sure that there was a flood in the Mesopotamian flood plain, and someone built a boat and saved a couple of each of his farm animals.

I think that people forget the perspective of the "world" that we have now and that they had then. If all of Mesopotamia flooded, the people who lived there would tell stories of the flood that covered the whole world.

i agree this is the most likely cause for it being there.

njlouch, you'll probably hate my thinking in that case :rofl: i have a huge dislike for religion after having it forcefed as a child at a catholic primary and secondary school. Then studying science at college and university and realising religion is based on **** from thousands of years ago that was there to explain things people didnt understand and couldnt explain. Now we do understand alot of it using science.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I don't hate it at all, I 100% respect it.

I went to Sunday School as a child and was thrown out for questioning too much as it was disruptive ("God puts a tree inside every acorn" - I just couldn't accept this - I had acorns in my garden and understood the seeding process).

I went to a CofE school that taught the religion as if it were factual history.

I have a batchelors degree in a scientific field.

I accept that technically we invented God. We made him. We are responsible for him. We are the only animals with the part of the brain large enough to create an imagination - that's where religion lives.

I still 100% believe in God! I 100% believe the TEACHINGS of the Bible.

[hougtimo]

Hougtimo: I love your thinking. You represent someone with religion, with faith but also an open (and functioning) mind. But moreover you are not pushing any specific agenda.

Remember when people make such outlandish claims that go in the face of both science and the REAL ideas behind their beliefs, they sweep aside ideas such as truth, and focus more on being "right".

WOW! That's an amazing thought. :)

To be quite honest, I don't like the term 'religion'. I would go as far as to say that I'm not religious. I am, however, a Christian and do have a relationship with God.

The people who push 'religion' tend to do it for their own good. (The CofE and Catholic Church spring to mind; HOWEVER I am not saying there aren't good things and people in those communities - just based on my personal experiences).

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

To be quite honest, I don't like the term 'religion'. I would go as far as to say that I'm not religious. I do, however, generally have Christian beliefs and do have a relationship with God.

Editted to fit my own life. :)

[xtrabit racing]

Foolish religious people.

exactly, i wonder how many times somebody said they found Noah's Ark...