NOV 24 NOAH'S ARK FOUND IN IRAN

NOV 24  NOAH'S ARK FOUND IN IRAN

Big news out of the Islamic Republic of Iran this week. Bob Cornuke, president of the Bible Archeology, Search & Exploration (BASE) team, announced that there is "strong evidence" his unit has discovered the remains of the legendary Noah's Ark. It's located on the tip of Takht-e-Suleiman, a 13,120 foot high peak in Northern Iran. Although historians and scientists alike call quests to find items like the Holy Grail, the Tower of Babel and Noah's Ark 'pseudoarcheology,' Conrnake is confident he's proven the doubters wrong.

Let's review the specifics. BASE has unearthed an enormous artifact. They've found 400 foot long beam-like pieces of petrified wood. This fits the descriptions of the Ark's dimensions in the Bible. Genesis 6:14 states the Ark was constructed with "gofer wood planks, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high." Since a cubit (an ancient unit of measurement) is about 19 inches, this means it's clearly the correct length. It also follows that it's located high on a mountain peak: The first dry land to appear near Babylon after the flood.

While these findings are impressive, BASE is hardly the first expedition to claim they've discovered the legendary Noah's Ark. The Roman Empire, under the direction of Biblical scholar Eusebius, tried in vain to locate it. A thousand years later, around 1208, Marco Polo mentions its location as parts of his journeys. On his Ark expedition, Czar Nicholas II claimed to have found "a large object as long as a city block." In the 1900's evangelical groups like BASE have taken up the cause. Yet, as James Irwin explains, "the Ark continues to elude us."

There is one place where everyone believes this new Ark discovery is complete nonsense: Armenia. According to Genesis 8:4, the Ark "came to rest on the mountains of Ararat." This 16,854 high peak is simply enormous, with parts falling into four separate nations: Armenia, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan. But it's most visible in Armenia, where it dominates the capital city of Yerevan. Its summit is a permanent ice cap, and the Ark is frozen inside. At least that's what the Armenian Church says, and they forbid anyone to go to the top of their sacred mountain. It's even on the national seal!

All this matters little to Bob and the BASE findings. They hope to dispel the myths surrounding Christianity and prove science wrong. See, there is no geological evidence for a gigantic flood. Nor could the earth ever produce enough water to flood itself. But a finding like this will show that Biblical events are historical events that actually occurred. While we here at the DUNER BLOG are skeptical, we salute people who chase their dreams. Bravo, BASE!