Noah's Ark

Answer: We have no way of knowing if Noah's ark still exists today. The Bible, however, does state that Noah did build a very large vessel many years ago according to God's commands (Genesis 6, 7 and 8). The Bible mentions that the ark rested on the "mountains of Ararat." Many believe that those mountains are found today in extreme northeast Turkey. In fact, there is a high peak in that range named "Ararat.”

Many expeditions have taken place in those mountains and the glaciers that are there. Many people claim they have pieces of wood from the ark or that they have seen the ark itself. While it is possible that some of these claims are true, to date, there remains doubt about the proof of such a discovery.

There are many Web sites that show the history of expeditions and photographs. Even if the scientific community never accepts proof of such a discovery (or if the wood of the ark has decayed and there is no longer an ark to be discovered), that in no way disproves the biblical account. However, the verified discovery of such a vessel in the high mountains of Ararat would give more indisputable proof of the authenticity of the Bible.

If you would like to learn more about the proof of the Bible as God's inspired Word, read our booklet, Is the Bible True? (http://www.ucg.org/booklets/BT/).

Answer: The alleged sightings of vessels or portions of vessels on Mt. Ararat go back for decades. Of course, all of these accounts could not refer to the actual ark, as so many of them differ greatly in the location and elevation of the reported sightings. To date, while aerial photographs have even been taken of some objects, there has been no confirmed sighting or first hand physical evidence of the ark of Noah.

It is our perspective that while some physical evidence of the ark may still exist in the "mountains of Ararat" (which the scriptures refer to—not just the mount), it is likely that God will not allow a full discovery or disclosure of such until it meets His purpose. Such a confirmed discovery would surely have a very strong impact on the acceptance of the biblical record—something many liberal scholars strive to discount.