TechExploring the myths of Noah's Ark: Science meets biblical allegory
Exploring the myths of Noah's Ark: Science meets biblical allegory
For a long time, scientists from around the world have wondered whether Noah's Ark, as depicted in the biblical story, could actually exist and whether the flood that was supposed to destroy the entire Earth really happened. These questions raise a lot of controversies, and there is no definitive answer. Some researchers point to a specific location where the Ark might be found, while others believe that the story of the flood is just an allegory and should not be taken literally.
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Noah's Ark and the flood are topics that have long fascinated researchers. Many eagerly share their discoveries and theories on the subject. A while back, scientists noticed an unusual rock formation on Mount Tendürek, located near the Turkish-Iranian border. According to them, this formation matches the proportions of the biblical Noah's Ark.
The rock formation on Mount Tendürek was first identified in 1959 through aerial photos taken by the military. Further research, including advanced 3D scanning, has revealed structures beneath the surface. Archaeologists believe these could be the result of human activity and remnants of a ship.
American and Turkish scientists from the Noah's Ark Scan project measured this rock formation. It turns out its dimensions are close to those of Noah's Ark, which, according to the biblical story, was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
Experts believe that the collected data "increases the likelihood" that we are dealing with a man-made structure that corresponds to the description of Noah's Ark. Ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography have shown that beneath the surface there is an artificial construction composed of parallel lines and angular shapes, which is not typical for a natural rock formation.
However, not all scientists agree with these conclusions. Many geologists think that the rock formation in the Turkish mountains does not contain wood particles, from which the biblical structure was supposedly built. In addition, they point out that nature can create many structures that might seem like human work.
Some scientists, like Prof. David Montgomery from the University of Washington, believe that a global flood never occurred. They argue that there isn't enough water on Earth to cover its entire surface, including the highest mountain ranges. Live Science, citing research by the US Geological Survey, emphasizes that even if "the heavens opened and all the water from the atmosphere fell at once as rain," our planet would be immersed in water to a depth of only about 1 inch.
This does not justify the use of a massive ark that would simultaneously accommodate representatives of all species of animals. Assuming the scenario of melting all the glaciers and ice caps in the world, which NASA considered in its research, sea levels would rise by about 60 meters. Taking into account also the groundwater (which according to a study published in Nature Geoscience is found in the Earth's crust to be about 22.6 million cubic kilometres) there would still be dry places on our planet.
These waters would cover the land to a depth of about 180 meters. Live Science also recalls that "geologists do not see evidence of a global flood in the rock record," and there are many ambiguities in the biblical story of Noah and his ark. Therefore, the biblical flood is most likely "an allegory, not a literal account of events".
