Posted on 05/04/2010 3:52:00 PM PDT by FootBall
Dogubayazit (Turkey’s Iran-Armenian Border) • For the first time in the seven decade-long history of the search for the legendary Noah’s Ark, a Turkish-Hong Kong exploration team on Tuesday came out with “material evidence”, to prove that the Ark was nestled on Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest mountain peak bordering Iran and Armenia.
A panel of experts, comprising Turkish authorities, veteran mountaineers, archaeologists, geologists and members of Hong Kong-based Noah’s Ark Ministries International, also displayed an almost one-metre-long peice of petrified wood before the media and specially invited international experts.
The experts claimed it to be a part of a long structure they had unearthed during their February-August 2007 exploration. “It is for the first time in the history of the Ark search that an exploration team is getting a material evidence and graphic documentation. This makes it not only a the significant breakthrough in the Ark-search, but one that is supported with the most substantial evidence in recent history,” the panel said.
The revelation is expected to open up a fresh chapter in the ongoing debates in the scientific community on the search for Noah’s Ark.
Narrating the genesis of their exploration on Mount Ararat, the mount which has a direct reference in Holy Quran (Mount Judi) and Bible, the panel said the search team had made several foiled attempts before unearthing the evidence at an altitude of 4,500-metres of the estimated 5,165 metre volcanic mountain.
“The structure was discovered in the interiors of an unusual cave. The 11.5m wide and 2.6m high white wooden texture was revealed after removing thick layers of volcanic ash on the cave wall,” panel members said at a press conference.
One of the underlying issues in the search for the Ark is the proper identification of its wood fragments. A petrographic examination carried out by the Applied Geoscience Centre of the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, identified the object as a petrified wooden structure, the panel said.
“Some of the big holes found on the structure indicate the locations where branches used to grow on tree. In places, original holes are partly or completely replaced by individual minerals and crystalline materials that can be found in rock materials,” said Dr Ahmet Ozbek, a panel member, who is also a faculty of Geology Engineering Kahramanmara Suctcu Imam University.
Dismissing the possibilities of the structure being wood that could appear naturally around the discovery site, Professor Oktay Belli, director, Eurasian Archaeology Institute, University of Istanbul, said researches have proved that there was no vegetation on Mount Ararat ever since 2000BC, because of the asperities of Ararat’s climate.
Talking to The Peninsula, Cemalettin Demircioglu, Dogubayazit City Governor, under whose jurisdiction the mount is located, said the civic body will invite more international experts to conduct further scientific studies on Mount Ararat.
“History has more than one times corroborated the legendary evidence that the ark was nestled on Mount Ararat. We will introduce the latest findings to the world and continue the scientific study. All interested scientists and NGOs can join our missions” he said. However, he said, those who are involved in the project must ensure the findings are not used politically, religiously, or for any vested interest.
Located in the Far Eastern Turkey, Ararat is great prize for mountain collectors. Ark sighting has often been reported from this mountain. The observation of Vessel-shaped features in aerial photograph of Ararat had caused a stir in the late 1950’s. However, this is the first time an exploration team is coming out with “material evidence”.
Noah’s Ark find claim a hoax...
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/30/noahs-ark-hoax-claim-doesnt-deter-believers/?test=latestnews
Jesus just left Chicago and he’s bound for New Orleans.
Yet another on the Ark. It’s true! A Qatar newspaper says so.
With todays technology, you would think they could snap a picture or 2, huh? Yeah, in other words, I’m not buying the crap they are selling.
He arrived in NO yesterday.
I get confused: is it Noah’s Ark, the cure for cancer, or the way to make cheap solar energy cells they find more often?
And Muddy Water turned to wine.
My sister knows one of the Archaeologist that has been on the expedition. He has been there a couple of times and has seen the same thing in person we are now seeing in video and pictures. He and his wife has stayed over night at her house when he was in the area speaking at area Churches about the ARK exploration. He is convinced beyond a doubt that this is the real deal, and so am I.
Another very reliable and respected expert (a Christian, but also an expert in his field), who has been up there (on the expedition before) with this group and has had prior experience with the guide -- has gone on record saying that he doesn't believe that it's real and that he has questions about this guide and how he's restricting access to the area and would not allow this expert (the one speaking about it) to examine things or even go on this expedition, even though they were there on the mountain at the same time.
He says it's very suspicious... and he wouldn't trust it.
So, from even a Christian perspective, it's not a good idea to "throw in" with this particular expedition, as they may have been "bamboozled"... :-)
One more thing ... I wanted to also make clear that I have no doubt about there having been a Noah’s Ark, exactly as the Bible describes it and this other expert has no doubt either. He has also been on expedition searching for it, but he’s fairly well convinced that “this” — is not the real thing ... (not that the Bible’s account is not the real thing, which he [and I] believe fully ...).
May 1, 2010 - Hour 1
Eric Barger sits in for Jan who needed a weekend off. His guest is Dr. Randall Price who addresses the alleged recent finding of "Noah's Ark." Why is this likely bogus? Will it ever be found? Price has upcoming expeditions planned for Mt. Ararat and has made numerous attempts to find the Ark which have all failed to date. He feels he is close, however, to an amazing discovery. Would this be an end-time sign that the Bible is accurate? Remember, the "last days" are compared to the days of Noah. Find the spring conference CDs and DVDs Eric referred to here. They will be ready to ship in about two weeks. We also carry several of Barger's products in our "store." www.ericbarger.com -- www.worldofthebible.com
I would pay attention to this guy as he's been there, has been associated with that very same group, and also has been associated with that very same guide, whom he thinks is perpetrating a hoax, apparently ...
“displayed an almost one-metre-long peice of petrified wood before the media and specially invited international experts. . . “
Does wood petrify in 6,000 years? I think it takes a LOT longer than that.
Does wood petrify in 6,000 years? I think it takes a LOT longer than that.
This is not necessarily in support of this article... but just for some "info" on the subject.... yes, you can petrify wood in a short amount of time under the right conditions and those conditions have been found to have taken place in nature... not only the lab.
But, in the lab, you can apparently petrify wood in a very short time (can't remember exactly how long right now, but I'm going to say in about an hour, or, at the very least, in no longer than one day).
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/latest_ark_finding_is_a_fake.php
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