77 years ago, local shepherds in Turkey discovered a mysterious geological structure on a high mountain, believed to be the “Noah’s Ark” described in the Bible, but controversy has persisted. Recently, American archaeologists found a ship-like structure deep within the geological structure, matching the description of Noah’s Ark in the Bible.
According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible, over 4300 years ago, humanity had become irredeemably corrupt, prompting God to decide to cleanse the earth of sin with a great flood. In the process, He instructed the “righteous” (good) man Noah to build a large ark to carry his family and the animals, plants, and insects chosen by God, to escape the impending deluge.
When God instructed Noah to build the ark, He detailed the materials and specifications for its construction. The entire ark was made of gopher wood, measuring 300 cubits (about 135 meters) long, 50 cubits (about 22.5 meters) wide, and 30 cubits (about 13.5 meters) high, with three decks and windows and a door.
The story has been widely circulated around the world, and many scientists have been searching for the final resting place of Noah’s Ark, known as “Mount Ararat” (Ararat in English, also known as “Mount Arafat” in Chinese translation of the Bible).
A turning point in the search for the ark occurred on May 19, 1948, when Mount Ararat, the highest peak in Turkey at 4000 meters, experienced heavy rain and three earthquakes, washing away part of the soil to reveal what appeared to be the site of Noah’s Ark. Subsequently, a Kurdish shepherd in the area discovered a huge and unusually rectangular rock formation.
This site, believed to be the remnants of Noah’s Ark, was named the “Durupınar Site.” Its shape resembles the bottom of a giant ship, measuring over 164 meters long, attracting numerous scientists to explore and excavate, hoping to uncover the secrets of Noah’s Ark.
In 2010, an expedition team composed of Evangelicals from Turkey and China went to the site for archaeological research. They claimed to have collected wood samples during the excavation and dated the wood to 4,800 years old. However, this finding was initially met with skepticism by many experts who questioned the testing process, while others remained convinced that the site was indeed the location of Noah’s Ark.
This time, American researchers discovered evidence of angular structures and hollows deep within the Durupınar site.
A team led by Andrew Jones of Noah’s Ark Scan, a company based in California, used ground-penetrating radar to scan the site. The results revealed a tunnel about 13 feet long passing through the center of the site, as well as evidence of a three-tiered structure beneath the site, consistent with the Bible’s description of the ark’s three decks.
They also reanalyzed ground-penetrating radar scan data from 2019. The results showed a 234-foot-long (about 72 meters) corridor underground, with deck-like platforms about 20 feet (about 6 meters) deep, along with structures resembling rooms below.
On May 10, Jones shared the team’s recent discoveries at the Durupınar site in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in the United States.
Jones stated, “If the site were just a strong piece of rock or random debris from a mudflow, you wouldn’t see these types of structures and features. If it’s a man-made ship, it’s exactly what you’d expect and completely in line with the description of Noah’s Ark in the Bible.”
Regarding this, Jones added, “We noticed that the color of the grass inside the ship-like structure is different from the color of the external area.” This could indicate that it was artificially created, rather than naturally formed.
Another member of the Noah’s Ark Scan project, soil scientist William Crabtree, further explained that there’s a sufficiently large tunnel inside the site that appears to extend from the top to the middle of the geological layers.
The team also conducted new soil tests in the area. The results showed that the organic matter content of the soil at the site was twice that of the surrounding soil, leading the team to speculate that the soil may have originated from decaying wood. Crabtree noted, “The potassium content in the soil inside the site is about 40% higher than normal soil. If you understand soil science, you would know that decaying organic matter affects the potassium content, organic matter, and pH of soil.”
He added, “If this were a wooden ship, as wood decays over time, we would see an increase in potassium content, changes in pH, and an increase in organic matter.”
Jones’ team plans to expand their soil testing, comparing it to the 22 soil samples collected earlier. “By comparing the interior and exterior of the site, we can more clearly confirm whether the site is a man-made structure,” Jones explained.
However, this new discovery has once again sparked debate over whether the Ark of Noah as described in the Bible exists on Mount Ararat.