Still Doesn’t Add Up
One Oxford University lecturer in ancient history, Nicholas Purcell, has expressed his skepticism in regard to the tale.
“If floodwaters covered Eurasia 12,000ft [3,700 meters] deep in 2,800BC, how did the complex societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, already many centuries old, keep right on regardless?” he said. Good question.
Old Meets New
Genesis states that Noah’s ark's final resting place to be the ‘mountains of Ararat.’
So, this leads many to believe that the ark should be found in the place that bears the same name today. Not a farfetched idea.
A Story Told By Many
The story of Noah and the ark has high significance in Jewish, Christian, Islam and Baha’i religions. There are many similarities between their versions of the tale, but interpretations have subtle differences among the different cultures.
For example, Christian scholars compare Noah’s salvation to baptism, and Muslims believe that the ark was more like a traditional ship “shaped like a bird’s belly.” Baha’is on the other hand, consider the story to be purely symbolic.
Different Opinions
Dr. Snelling, who we've mentioned previously said that the biblical reference to the ‘mountains of Ararat’ suggests that the mountains formed well before the Flood ended.
The Flood would have been a global catastrophe that would have totally reshaped the earth’s geology and has continued to change over the course of time.
The Timeline Is Off
Dr. Snelling is pretty adamant that Mount Ararat couldn't possibly be the place where the ark docked. As he has stated again and again that the volcano which is now called Mount Ararat did not form until well after the floodwaters had retreated.
Furthermore, the evidence shows that the lavas and ash layers on Mount Ararat date back to the time of the post-Flood Ice Age.