Noah's Ark: Finally Found?
For as long as I can remember, they’ve been searching for Noah’s Ark.
Who are “they”? It’s a long list: various crackpots, publicity seekers, hacks for sensationalist tabloids, fortune-hunting opportunists, some sincere believers, a sprinkling of legitimate scientists, and even a retired US astronaut.
The late Ron Wyatt, an archaeologist wannabe from Tennessee (he was actually a nurse), was a member of this elite group. A Seventh Day Adventist, Wyatt claimed to have found not only Noah’s Ark, but also wheels from Pharaoh’s chariots (in the Red Sea, of course), the Ark of the Covenant (containing the original tablets of the Law), and even the true site of Jesus’ Crucifixion—among other things.
Wyatt was widely recognized as a crackpot; but you’ve got to hand it to the guy—he was a master storyteller! He even produced videos of some of his “discoveries” that some naive folks find quite compelling even to this day.
If we’ve learned anything from YouTube, though, it’s that video footage proves nothing. With a little papier-mâché and some creativity (and perhaps some expertise in PhotoShop), along with the right lighting and camera angles, you can make a video to prove almost anything.
In 2007, our own Live the Land (student tour to Israel) staff put together a promotional video of a sea monster (which they affectionately dubbed “Salty”) languishing in the Dead Sea. They assumed that everyone would know it was a spoof—but boy, were they wrong! To date, that video has had almost 800,000 hits and occasionally someone seriously thinks it’s real.
So the search for Noah’s Ark continues. As the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) has said, it would be the greatest archaeological discovery of all time because apart from the Bible itself, the Ark would provide the only known link between the pre- and post-Flood civilizations.
However, I’m not so quick to head down that “let’s-prove-the-Bible-is-true” road. For one thing, how exactly do we go about proving that the Bible is true? Do we subject the Bible to verification by human authorities (like historians or scientists)? If so, then aren’t we acknowledging that there’s an authority higher than God’s Word—and, by extension, higher than God himself?
If we really believe the Bible is true, then history should be verified by the Bible, rather than vice versa. The same thing is true of science, philosophy, or any other area of human knowledge. The Bible is our authority—not human knowledge or experience.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not an advocate for mindless anti-intellectualism. As one Puritan writer put it, “If God isn’t impressed with our wisdom, He surely isn’t impressed with our ignorance" (1 Cor. 2:5).
I’m not suggesting that we ignore evidence that confirms our faith in the Scriptures. Evidence is a good thing. The Apostle John reminds his readers of the historical witness and facts that undergird the story of Jesus of Nazareth:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full (1 John 1:1-4).
Notice the number of times John references direct evidence—things that he had personally seen and heard, and even touched with his hands. John’s point was that his faith wasn’t based merely on secondhand information. He was, after all, an Apostle—which meant, by definition, that he had lived the story.
Even so, evidence alone isn’t enough to convince people against their will. Most skeptics aren’t convinced because they don’t want to be convinced.
So this whole business of “proving the Bible is true” is a precarious enterprise at best. It’s not that I’m opposed to Christian apologetics (remember, we cosponsored a debate on the campus of Ohio State University this past year); it’s just that I recognize its limitations.
You see, the Bible says no one can come to faith unless he/she is drawn by the Father (John 6:44). In other words, there’s a divine enabling that takes place and prepares the sinner to exercise saving faith in the Messiah (1:12-13).
So I’m skeptical of “Christian rationalism” when it assumes we can find our way to God through the exercise of our human powers of reason and logic. There’s more to salvation than that. It’s not our work; it’s God’s work in us (Eph. 2:10).
Following the Resurrection of the Messiah, there were skeptics and doubters who witnessed the same evidence that John did—even including the resurrected Messiah himself—and they remained unconvinced:
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted (Matt. 28:16-17, emphasis added).
So here’s my problem. I’m afraid that if the people who are searching for Noah’s Ark imagine that its discovery will “prove” to an unbelieving world that the Bible is true, they’re barking up the wrong tree.
Evidently, I’m not the only one having these nagging doubts. Earlier this year, a cultural anthropologist from the University of South Carolina pointed out that even if Noah’s Ark were found, the discovery wouldn’t necessarily prove that the Bible is true. According to him, it could just as easily be seen as a confirmation of the Sumerian flood stories (“Chinese explorers stand by claim of Noah's Ark find in Turkey,” in The Christian Science Monitor, April 30, 2010).
In other words, if a gigantic boat is ever found high in the mountains of Turkey or Armenia, the skeptics could easily say that all it proves is that the Book of Genesis borrowed material from earlier accounts of a Flood.
Therefore, rather than diverting precious time and resources to misguided expeditions hoping to “prove” that the Bible is true, we should keep our eye on the ball by preaching the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) to a lost and dying world.
Scripture itself says it’s like a sword (Heb. 4:12). I doubt that an ancient gladiator ever argued with an opponent about whether his sword was real; all he had to do was use it. When a combatant witnessed its power, no other proof was required.
The same thing is true of the Bible. The best way to prove it is to use it—and to live it.
Nevertheless, for anyone who’s interested in the continuing quest to locate Noah’s Ark, you may be interested in the latest posting on Dr. Randall Price’s World of the Bible website: “Statement on the Alleged Discovery of a Wooden Structure on Mt. Ararat by a Chinese-Turkish Expedition that is Claimed to be the Remains of Noah’s Ark.”
Dr. Price is a longtime friend of CJFM. He’s a legitimate archaeologist (with a Ph.D. From the University of Texas at Austin) who’s been involved for years in the digs at Qumran in Israel. What is more important, he’s a solid believer.
Randall is personally acquainted with the major players in this current round of Ark expeditions. His website includes reliable information that anyone who’s interested in this topic will find useful. He tells it like it is in his most recent statement (link above)—and some people aren’t going to like it.
NOTE: We just received word from Dr. Price that his 700 Club interview about the Noah's Ark "discovery" is now viewable online at:
Subscribe
Receive email updates when we post a new article by subscribing.
Categories
- Eric Chabot 71 entries
- Gary Hedrick 125 entries
Recent Posts
- What Does It Mean to Say Jesus is "The Son of God?"
- If God forbids human sacrifice in the Old Testament, how does the sacrifice of Jesus make sense?
- Why My Favorite Question for College Students is “Does God Exist?”
- Jewish scholar Michael S. Kogan on the uniqueness of Jesus’s messianic movement
- “Do the Miracles of Jesus Prove Messianic Status?”
Tagged
No tags