The story of Noah's ark is one of the most famous in the Bible. The legend of the Flood, which destroys all life on Earth, with the exception of the lucky ones who live for months on a boat, is well known to everyone. There is a lot of controversy about whether it was based on a real incident or based on pure fiction. In this article, we will try to reveal the most important mysteries associated with Noah's ark.
Where is the ark?
Many people would be willing to believe in the Flood version if they discovered the ark itself. Today there are several versions of where he might be. Currently, most believe that Noah's ship is located at the Durupinar site in the Tendurek region of Turkey. The site was discovered in the late 1940s after a series of earthquakes and storms.
However, no fossilized remains of a tree were found there. Except for a few fragments that were probably caught in the landslide. The main confirmation was the photographs taken by the pilots. On them you can really see the silhouette of a giant boat on top of the mountain. With the same success it can be an ordinary rock of a bizarre shape. In fact, the version about the Durupinar site may be based on a banal coincidence, although it looks very convincing.
In 2010, a group of "Christian explorers" announced that they had found the remains of Noah's ark near the summit of Mount Ararat in Turkey.
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According to National Geographic, the team discovered a structure made up of seven large wooden bays. A radiocarbon study was carried out on the wood, which confirmed that it was approximately 4,800 years old. This corresponds to the time frame when the Flood occurred according to the Bible.
But not everyone thinks this is irrefutable evidence. The structure may turn out to be an ancient fortress, not a giant boat. When an expedition sets out on a journey without being skeptical of its findings, it is doomed to success.
As Stony Brook University archaeologist Paul Zimansky aptly put it, there has never been a single expedition that has ever looked for the ark and never found it.
Finally, if you imagine a world that survived a catastrophic flood that destroyed all life, it is difficult to imagine that the ark would remain intact. Most likely, he would have been allowed to build houses, as the most necessary.
Was there a Flood?
Some archaeologists and geologists believe that stories of catastrophic floods may be based on real events that actually happened in the past.
One such theory was put forward by two scientists at Columbia University. They believe that the Black Sea was once a freshwater lake. Everything changed after the floods in the Mediterranean. Moreover, it was not a gradual rise in the water level, but a "huge water wall" that collapsed with a force 200 times greater than the power of Niagara Falls.
In 1999, the theory attracted the attention of underwater explorer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. His team found signs of an ancient coastline 120 meters from the current Black Sea coast. Probably, the lake turned into a sea just at the time of the biblical Flood. Ballard claimed to have discovered structures in the area as well, but soon cooled off to this research.
Mesopotamian legends
In 1872, Englishman George Smith discovered a cuneiform tablet telling the familiar story of the Flood. God warns of an impending flood. A man builds a giant ship, populates it with animals and members of his family, saving everyone from death. There were other details in this legend - the ship stopped at the top of the mountain, stories with crows and pigeons were described.
It is obvious that the biblical story of Noah's ark and the Mesopotamian legend are based on the same source, although there are significant differences. In the Mesopotamian version, it was not one god, but the ancient Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. In addition, they decided to destroy humanity, not because it became corrupted, but on their own whim, people greatly annoyed them.
Features of the ark
There is a lot of controversy about the weight that a ship of this size could support. In 2014, a group of graduate students from the University of Leicester tackled this challenge. They used Bible data to calculate the size of the ark. They took into account the density of the water, determining how much weight the ship could withstand before sinking. Their conclusion: Noah could have put 70,000 animals on board.
However, measurements showed that Noah's boat was so heavy that the water level in this case would practically reach the side. This made the ship vulnerable to waves, especially during storms of 40 days and 40 nights.
Also, the study did not take into account the physical size of each creature, only its weight. But it still became proof of the possibility of such a trip.
Genetic question
The problem of genetics is one of the issues to which the supporters of the legend of Noah's ark do not pay enough attention. Indeed, as a result of inbreeding, a full-fledged and healthy humanity would never have grown. In the case of Noah's family, the gene pool would have been too small to allow re-settlement.
There are many examples in history of the consequences of this. The Spanish king Charles II did not know how to walk until the age of eight.
Copies of the ark
The Bible's reasonably accurate descriptions of Noah's ship led to the appearance of giant copies of the ark in theme parks for tourists.
In 2012, a life-size replica of the ark was opened in the Netherlands. It is visited by 3000 people daily. It took three years to build, and over a million dollars was spent. According to the Bible, it took Noah about 75 years.
In 2016, another copy of Noah's Ark appeared in Williamstown. Inside there are exhibits that recreate the atmosphere of a biblical ship. For example, cells with dinosaurs.
Earth
According to the Bible, Noah found the earth with the help of a dove, which returned to the ark with an olive branch. This was proof that the waters were receding. But, according to skeptics, this story has little to do with reality.
The ark sailed for five months before stopping at the top of Mount Ararat. A 2016 study by Charles Munro found that an olive tree submerged in water for just three months died.
Munroe also conducted several other experiments, proving that the flooded grass would have died after just a month underwater. Therefore, Noah's vineyard, which he planted shortly after the flood, would not have survived, since the soil was oversaturated with salty sea water.
What happens if you unleash thousands of predators and herbivores at once? Most likely, there are practically no herbivores left.
There is not enough water on earth
Anyone who has seen the post-apocalyptic film Water World knows that when the polar ice caps melt, the whole world will be covered with water. People will be left to live on boats in search of mythical land.
However, in reality, such a scenario is impossible, since there is not so much water on Earth. According to the American Museum of Natural History, if all the ice melted at once, the sea level would rise by about 70 meters. This would be the end for most coastal cities, but most of the landmass would not be affected.
Therefore, if there really was a Flood, the water would not only have to recede, but then disappear from the planet without a trace.
Author: tgorlopeev