In a day and age when our society seeks heroes and searches for role models, it is encouraging to meet someone like Ron Wyatt. Best described as a modern-day "Indiana Jones," the Turkish government officially recognizes Ron as the explorer who has discovered Noah's Ark in the mountains of Ararat in eastern Turkey.
As you read this book you will be drawn into the intrigue that surrounds Mr. Wyatt's twelve year search for the Ark. His incredible experiences include being jailed as a spy and being shot at by terrorists. He was beaten, robbed and persecuted. While giving details and documentation of the search, this book also offers the reader an opportunity to share in the excitement of his incredible search and discovery.
The release of information about the discovery of the Ark has been kept to a minimum by the national press and the world media until preliminary work was completed to protect the historical remains. However, the Turkish government has given credibility to Mr. Wyatt's discovery by building a four lane highway to the site, along with a Visitors Center which is now open to the public.
The 20/20 television show has been to the discovery site with Mr. Wyatt and has filmed the remains of what they called "Noah's Big Boat". In recent months, Wyatt has been seen on hundreds of television stations across the United States.
In addition to Noah's Ark, Mr. Wyatt has discovered remains of Sodom and Gomorrah, chariot wheels in the Red Sea and the real Mt. Sinai. Now you can discover these and other thrilling archaeological discoveries in this exciting and informative book.
It is our desire to present you with information to assist you in a clearer understanding of the Biblical truth.
Michael D. Sheppard Publisher
[World Bible Society]
FOREWARD
Many controversies have persisted over the years; some are trivial, and some border on the ridiculous, but some are profound, affecting the very foundations of our beliefs. Those with the most far-reaching and persistent potentials concern the ancient history of mankind as presented in the Holy Bible.
I want to share with you the discovery of Noah's Ark. However, shortly after I became convinced of the authenticity of the Ark, I was divinely guided to several other discoveries which are equally astounding confirmations of the total infallibility of the Bible as Noah's Ark is. These great treasures, preserved by the Hand of God, I believe, are God's great "attention getters" for those who have been discouraged in total belief in the Word of God.
I first became interested in Noah's Ark in 1959 after reading an article in Life Magazine about a "mysterious boat-shaped object" photographed near Mt. Ararat. By 1975, I knew I was going to see this "formation" for myself; I believed it was possibly the remains of Noah's Ark.
In 1960, an expedition from the United States went to examine the object and returned after two days of research at the site with the verdict that it was a natural geological formation. There was nothing of any archaeological interest there.
In 1977, I made the first of 25 (to date) trips to Turkey, and after that first trip, I knew for sure. But gaining the evidence needed to convince the world was another matter.
Today, we have trainloads of evidence. However, it has become a great point of controversy among the ark-hunters. I've been criticized for everything from my methods of research to the fact that I don't speak in tongues. But it's been a small price to pay. I can say without a doubt the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is a historically accurate and reliable guide to the future.
RONALD E. WYATT
CHAPTER 1
THE SEARCH IS OVER!
On June 20, 1987, a group of Turkish government officials and scientists, a film crew from the United States, and an American archaeologist were gathered on a mountain side in the ancient kingdom of Urartu in eastern Turkey. The purpose of this gathering was the dedication of the area as a national park. The area seemed wild and remote; one had the feeling he was thousands of miles from civilization and thousands of years into the past. As shepherds guided their herds through the craggy mountains, the villagers went about their daily lives in stone dwellings reminiscent of a bygone era. The rolling mountains dominated the vast countryside which was broken by towering spires of stone that betrayed the seismic violence that had dominated the region at the dawn of civilization.
Then as one turned and lifted his gaze, the lofty grandeur of the cloud-enshrouded Agri Dagh (Ararat) filled the northern sky. This mystical mountain had for millennia spawned many grandiose and tragic legends of the abodes of the gods and the refuge of the survivors of a world devastated by a universal flood.
As the ceremony began, the guest of honor turned for a moment to gaze upon Agri Dagh's compelling beauty and marvelled as she seemed to pull her veil of clouds about her as a shroud. It was as if the mountain herself knew her deception had been revealed. A tear welled in his eye and found its way down his weathered face as he thought of the countless millions of human kind who had been and were still being swept to destruction by demon-inspired deceptions. These "cunningly devised fables"1 had been and will be enthusiastically received from lying lips by those "who loved not the truth." Millions had and will continue to pay dearly for "loving and believing a lie."2 The price: forfeiture of their eternal life.
The dedication of Noah's Ark National Park was festive. The government officials were delighted with the prospects of the influx of tourists and of more money with which to improve the lives of their people. The locals were happy with the good jobs made available through the construction of the new super highway leading to the visitor's center soon to be built overlooking the remains of Noah's Ark. The military officials were happily contemplating their responsibilities of providing safety for the countless visitors. The film crew were happily filming the joyous occasion while thoughts of fame and fortune danced through their minds. Ron Wyatt's silent tears of relief from years of opposition and struggle went unnoticed amid the mirth of the day.
The front page of the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, dated 21 Harizan 1987 (June 21, 1987):
by Ibrahim Ozturk
NOAH'S ARK AREA IS OPENING TO TOURISM
DOGUBEYAZIT,(hha) - At the Uzengili village, which is near the Dogubeyazit district is located the boat-shaped formation. Scientists from the U.S.A. have confirmed that it is Noah's Ark. The governor has announced that it is now a national park and open for tourists.
At Uzengili village, which is 15 kilometers from Dogubeyazit, Turkish scientists, Mr. Ronald Eldon Wyatt and his team from the U.S.A. made a research of the area. They took samples of the soil. Test results revealed that the soil has iron and fossil boat structures. Scientists confirmed that Noah's Ark is at the Uzengili village.
Mr. Sevket Ekinci, Governor of Agri; Mr. Cengiz Gokce, Head Official of the District of Dogubeyazit; Mr. Osman Baydar, President of the Municipality; some Turkish scientists, and Mr. Wyatt participated in the ceremony opening the area for tourists. Mr. Sevket Ekinci said, "Turkey is a country of great interest for tourists. The Holy Bible and the Koran also say that Noah's Ark is in this area." Mr. Ekinci added, "It is my pleasure that I am opening this area which is getting great attention for Noah's Ark and I appreciate all the scientists for discovering Noah's Ark. We are laying a foundation for a welcome center for Turkish and foreign tourists. Thank you."
(Translation provided by Mine Uneler, official government liaison provided to work with me during my trips to Turkey. She also acted as my interpreter. This translation was verified in August, 1989 by a Turkish newspaper reporter, who wishes to remain anonymous, working for the "Nashville Tennessean" on an exchange program. Many thanks to them both.)
1 See 2 Peter 1:16
2 See Revelation 22:14 and 15
CHAPTER 2
THE YEARS OF RESEARCH... 1977 - 1987
"The night was hot and sultry in eastern Turkey; the heat and darkness seemed like co-conspirators with the danger exploding just outside our door...
"Ronny! Are you awake? We've gotta get outta here! Some of those villagers are trying to kill us!"
My younger son, Ronny was 15 at the time and had been sleeping in room 303 of the Erzurum Hotel in Dogubeyazit. My other son, Danny, then 17, and I were across the hall in room 308. When we heard the pummeling of heavily shod feet rushing up the stairs, I shouted commands for the boys to grab what they could and get into the room Ronny was in, which had a window that opened above the back roof. The window in our room had a fire escape of sorts, and we'd be sitting ducks if we stayed in there.
We grabbed what we could and barricaded ourselves in room 303 by shoving the bed against the door and pushing the chest between the bed and the wall. Little was spoken as our minds raced, trying to comprehend what was happening to us. We could hear the attempted use of a passkey in the lock as the door appeared to strain against the weight of the angry mob just outside, threatening to disintegrate and loose upon us the furious knot of assailants. Our mouths and throats were excruciatingly dry from the lack of safe drinking water and also from the rush of adrenaline propelled into our systems. Desperately, our minds cast about for any means of escape, and I wondered how my well-laid plans had deteriorated to this..."
That scenario took place during my first trip to Turkey in 1977. And it was that trip which provided me with the discoveries that proved to me the boat-shaped object I was in search of was indeed the remains of Noah's Ark. It would be another ten years of painstaking and costly research before the Turkish government was convinced the boat was real, but today the evidence is in, and soon the entire world will be able to see the Ark remains for itself. The multi-million dollar highway is near completion; this will provide visitors easy access to the site and the modern, spacious visitor's center above the Ark.
DETAILS OF THE SEARCH
During the summer of 1977, my two sons and I found ourselves at risk in a strange country amongst a people of strange speech. They attempted to rob and possibly kill us. (For the record, the same thing could and often does happen to tourists from other countries who visit our country and fall among the criminal element of our society.) This "nervousing experience", (a term coined by my youngest son, Ronny, that fit the situation quite accurately), was the beginning of many years of slow, meticulous, frustrating research that culminated in undeniable proof of the reality and location of the remains of Noah's Ark.
Our first trip to eastern Turkey produced a veritable landslide of discoveries and excitement and set the pace for a breathtakingly rapid sequence of discoveries that left us in a state of mind that had us mentally "pinching ourselves" from the difficulty of accepting the reality of it all!
Our discoveries on the 1977 trip included several massive, pierced anchor stones that bore an eight-cross iconographic representation of the eight survivors of the flood. These crosses were inscribed by the Byzantine and Crusader Christians, which proved that something or someone convinced them that these pierced stones were relics from the Ark of Noah. One of the stones bore the inscription of Nimrod, the builder of the tower of Babel and several great cities of early antiquity. These symbols of Nimrod were crosses with the outline of a boat (the Ark?) attached to the base of the cross. This symbolized his claim that he had preserved mankind in the face of their attempted destruction by the gods. The boat at the foot of the cross represented the means he claimed to have used to save mankind. The horizontal member of the cross represented heaven, and the vertical member of the cross represented the tower of Babel, which was the pathway to heaven he had promised his followers he would provide. After Nimrod's death, the boat symbol was placed at the top of the vertical member of the cross and is the symbol of life in the Egyptian hieroglyphics and the symbol of Nimrod's (Osirus) presence in heaven from whence he cares for his earthly followers.
We found two grave markers that bore the eight-cross symbols of Noah and his family above an ancient, petroglyphic portrayal of Noah's death on one marker and that of his wife on the other. These grave markers were in the front of a very ancient stone house. These markers and the house have been vandalized, and over one hundred million U.S. dollars worth of gold and gemstones were stolen from the graves. The Turkish authorities are seeking to recover these precious artifacts and to punish the thieves. At present, they are aware of the identity of the most probable person responsible for this outrage. He is a man who has been involved in the Ark search in the past, but he dropped from the public eye shortly after the theft from Noah's and his wife's graves.
We located and photographed several other inscriptions and physical remains of the flood and the Ark. We got a brief look at the boat remains before we were forced to flee for our lives. Upon our arrival back in the states, we had our super-eight movie film developed and were delighted to see that we had good photographic documentation of all the artifacts and inscriptions.
Shortly after our return, a friend called to inform me that an M.D. PhD (Dr. Bill Shea) from a university in Michigan had written several articles that stated his belief that the boat formation was related to the landing site of Noah's Ark. I contacted Dr. Bill Shea and shared our discoveries with him. He was delighted, reviewed the inscriptions, recognized the pierced stone anchors as probable relics from the Ark, and joined with me in applying to the Turkish government for permission to excavate the boat-shaped formation. The Turkish authorities declined to give us a permit at that time. We got the same reply after a second request. We were stymied.
My sons and I spent the summer of 1978 locating and documenting the site where Moses and the Habiru (Hebrew slaves, which included many of the descendants of Abraham by his three wives; Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah; these women are the fore-mothers of all the Arab and Jewish peoples) crossed the Red Sea.
Yet, all the while, we were unable to forget the fantastic discoveries associated with Noah's Ark. We, with some trusted friends, prayed that God would see fit to send an earthquake that would in some manner expose the boat formation for what it was without injury to any of the inhabitants of the area. Watching the evening news on the 28th of December, 1978, I was thrilled to see that an earthquake had hit the area where the Ark remains were located and that there had been no casualties! I made arrangements to return to the site, and arrived there in the early summer of 1979. The formation had been split down the middle along its entire length, and the earth had fallen away from its sides. This allowed me to take clean, fresh samples from five locations along the center and sides of the boat. It also made it possible to carefully measure the depth of the object along its length, and to document the dimensions of several of the main structural timbers that were exposed. I photographed the formation and its exposed structures and returned home with a veritable treasure-trove of archaeological data and specimens!
Galbraith Laboratories of Knoxville, Tennessee was highly recommended, and it was to them I entrusted the care and analysis of these precious samples. The results were astounding! The raw carbon3 content showed the object to be composed of decayed wood, and a high concentration of oxidized metal was shown. We had taken three samples from the site at distances that guaranteed them to be out of the geological influence of the boat remains. These compared favorably with chemical values of normal countryside and proved that the boat formation was composed of decayed and oxidized archaeological remains!
I shared this data with Bill Shea, and on the strength of this evidence, we made reapplication to the Turkish authorities and were again put off. Dr. Shea and I decided that the high metallic contents of the formation warranted evaluation (investigation) with metal detection devices. We contacted Whites Electronic Corporation of Sweet Home, Oregon and were supplied with their best-quality metal detection equipment. This was done during the interval between 1979 and 1984.
Again, my sons and I were working in the Middle East, documenting the methods used by the ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids. During the fall of 1983 I became aware that Colonel James Irwin of High Flight Foundation, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was searching for the remains of Noah's Ark. I contacted him by phone and was invited to visit him and to share the details of our research with him. He was "intrigued" by our research and wanted to see the boat formation and possibly work with us on the investigation and documentation of the Red Sea crossing site, pyramid building, and the Ark of the Covenant. He, Mary, (his wife), and their family are wonderful friends, and we have highly valued their friendship. It was Colonel Irwin, I believe, who helped get my sons and me out of prison in Saudi Arabia, where we had been mistakenly accused of being Israeli spies! The details of the discovery of the real Mt. Sinai include the altar, the twelve pillars of stone (22x18 ft. double-walled towers of stone), plus the remains of a twelve columned, white marbled shrine, dedicated to the "Mountain Of God" (Yahweh) and twelve petroglyphs of Hathor and Apis, the cow and bull gods of Egypt (the golden calf).
In August, 1984, accompanied by Colonel Jim Irwin and armed with the deep probe metal detectors courteously provided by Whites Electronics, we returned to the boat formation. (Another well-known electronics firm promised us some metal detection equipment, but to date we haven't received it.) In the company of Colonel Irwin, Marvin Steffins, Bulant Atalay, "Whatcha" McCullum, a military escort and a Turkish army officer, Orhan Basar, I demonstrated a pattern of metals and/or their oxides that showed the outline of a boat in the formation. The army officer, under my direction, took several small samples from metal brackets and petrified timbers.
Mr. Steffins called a news conference a few days later, displayed some bags of specimens "from Noah's Ark", and claimed the discovery. This triggered an international "incident" that resulted in my being accused of stealing archaeological treasures from Turkey by Ted Koppel on A.B.C.'s NIGHTLINE, the night of August 27, 1984! A call to the Turkish mission at the U.N. led to my exoneration by the MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM, MUKERREM TASCIOGLU, in an A.P. interview on August 30, 1984. When the "incident" blew over, we proceeded with the analysis of the samples per agreement with the Turkish authorities. The results of these analyses confirmed those taken in 1979 and proved that the formation contained a massive, ancient boat that was built of massive, wooden timbers held in place by many massive, metal brackets and spikes!
From the data accumulated from 1977-1984 I was able to construct a scale model of Noah's Ark. In fact, we built several models, presenting one to the governor of Agri providence, The Honorable SEVKET EKINCI, and another of the models is stored in Ankara for presentation to PRESIDENT KENNAN EVEREN when the opportunity arises.
In the winter of 1985 I received calls from DAVID FASOLD, a specialist in old boat research and identification, and JOHN BAUMGARDNER, PhD., a geophysicist from Los Alamos National Laboratories. I invited them to accompany me to the site later in the year. David introduced the Molecular Frequency Generator into the research, and along with the equipment from Whites Electronics, it identified the massive structure of a boat enclosed within the boat formation!
During July and August of 1985, with financial assistance arranged by Dr. Baumgardner and accompanied by David Fasold, John Baumgardner, Tom Anderson, Maylon Wilson, Tom Thaxton, Tom Jarriel, Jim Burroughs, Niel Richline, George House, Judith Moses (ABC's 20/20 producer) and others, (those included on my permit from the Turkish government were: David Fasold, John Baumgardner, Normajean Baumgardner, Thomas Anderson, Todd Fisher, Scott Snider, William Shea, Fredrich Bach, Klaus Wattenbach, Zafer Akcay) we planned to scan the formation with a SUBSURFACE INTERFACE RADAR SYSTEM. This system was developed by GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS SYSTEMS INC. of Hudson, New Hampshire and was accompanied by their geologist, Tom Fenner. The preliminary survey and lay out of the site progressed smoothly. We were accompanied by a group of 30 Turkish Commandos, who hid in the surrounding countryside for our protection. Turkish intelligence had informed me that an attempt would likely be made to kidnap or kill Colonel Irwin and/or myself. The attempt made by some Iranian terrorists resulted in the deaths of five terrorists and three Turkish soldiers! Martial law was declared in the area, our plans were trashed, and the radar scan waited until later that fall.
We surveyed the site with three types of metal detectors and two subsurface radar systems. Their data, along with core drilling samples, proved beyond any doubt that a VERY LARGE, (515 FEET) VERY ANCIENT BOAT (IDENTIFIED BY INSCRIPTIONS AS NOAH'S ARK) LIES WITHIN THE BOAT FORMATION!
CHAPTER 3
A SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCES
The Turkish government has meticulously observed and kept records of the activities and claims of all who have "looked for Noah's Ark" over the last 50 years. They followed our research (by our invitation) and STEP BY SCIENTIFIC STEP became convinced of the reality of the remains of NUH'UN GEMISI (Noah's Ark) buried within the boat formation.
The reasons which convinced the Turkish government and POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE REMAINS OF THE LARGE ANCIENT BOAT WITHIN THE BOAT FORMATION AS THOSE OF NOAH'S ARK are as follows:
1. The formation was positively identified as a boat by a number of skilled photogrammetry experts from a set of aerial photographs. In a quote from Rene Noorbergen's book "The Ark File", Dr. Arthur Brandenburger, professor of photogrammetry at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, stated after careful study of the photo of the site, "I have no doubt at all that this object is a ship. In my entire career I have never seen an object like this on a stereo photo."
Dr. Brandenburger went on the 1960 expedition to the site, and after the team returned home with the verdict that there was nothing there of any archaeological interest, Dr. Brandenburger was still not convinced. In further quotes from the above book, he says later, "Our measurements in the field verify our laboratory findings. In my opinion further study of this peculiar symmetrical phenomenon should be made by an expert in tectonics."
"Meanwhile, I have received my developed colored slides of the ship-shaped formation, and I still must say it is an amazing feature. It is doubtless a mystery, and I come always more to the conclusion that our official statement to the press was too negative. The interpretation of the formation is of utmost difficulty, and I am not anymore so sure that, from a serious scientific standpoint, a sole surface archaeological investigation of only two days entitles us to state that the formation is not the ark."
Dr. Brandenburger was exactly right.
2. Twelve years of electronic and mechanical probing has positively identified it as a boat.
3. Repeated chemical analysis of many different samples, taken at different times by different people and analyzed at different laboratories, positively prove it to be composed of very ancient wood and metal.
4. Samples of petrified wood have been located and taken from the structure in the presence of many witnesses. In addition to previous tests, I have additional samples which have metal brackets and rust, which were videoed as they were retrieved from the boat. I will have them tested at various testing facilities in the future and in the presence of witnesses.
5. A large number of ancient and medieval inscriptions near the site positively identify it as Noah's Ark. There will be more on these inscriptions in our later book, which will include photographs.
6. Its 515 foot length, its 138 foot width (splayed) are the measurements of Noah's Ark as recorded by Moses (educated to use the ancient Egyptian cubit) in the Book of Genesis. See an explanation under "Questions I Am Most Frequently Asked About Noah's Ark".
7. It is located in the mountains of Urartu (Ararat) as specified in the Bible.
8. Its location at an elevation of 6300 feet above sea level is above any possible height reachable by a "local flood" but is below the maximum water level that would result from all the water of our planet washing the earth's surface (7000-8000 feet).
9. Its location, many miles from any present or ancient body of water that would support it, defies any other explanation.
10. Its massive size and weight make it impossible that it could have been "trundled" (dragged) this distance from water, and its altitude above present and past sea levels defies any other explanation.
11. Contrary to a touched up photograph, which has been widely circulated, it's the only formation of its kind on planet earth, other than remains of other ancient boats of much smaller size.
12. Your writer, in the presence of Turkish authorities and other observers, performed an electronic survey of a site that some of our critics said resembled the boat formation (the similarities were vague at best, nonexistent in actuality); the metal detectors and sub-surface radar scans showed nothing in the site that were not present anywhere in the area.
13. A careful electronic survey of the area around the formation showed none of the structures present in the formation.
14. Chemical analysis of the area around the formation showed only normal traces of the metallic oxides and organic carbon which are present in large amounts in the formation.
15. Train-loads of petrified wood are present in the formation, but there is little to be found in the rest of eastern Turkey.
16. Many ancient historians record that the remains of Noah's Ark were to be visited in this area.
CHAPTER 4
QUESTIONS I AM MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT NOAH'S ARK
1) The "object" you claim is the remains of Noah's Ark is about 515 feet long and 138 feet wide. The Bible says the Ark was 300 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. I always believed that would mean the Ark would have been 450 feet long by 75 feet wide. How do you explain this discrepancy with the Bible?
Answer: This is one of the most exciting confirmations of the authenticity of the object being the Ark, in my estimation! The Bible tells us how Noah's offspring eventually migrated to what became Babylon, then at the confusion of languages, Ham's descendants migrated to what became Egypt. The Encyclopedia Britannica (1985 edition) states:
"although there is evidence that many early civilizations devised standards of measurements and some tools for measuring, the Egyptian cubit is generally recognized as having been the most ubiquitous standard of linear measurement in the very ancient world."
The royal Egyptian cubit was 20.62 inches. Now, if we consider the Biblical statement that Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of Egypt" - Acts 7:22, as the author of Genesis, he would have been referring to the only cubit he knew. 300 cubits = 515.5 feet. 50 cubits = 85.9 feet. The measurement of the length of the boat, taken in August, 1985 by Maylon Wilson and Baumgardner of Los Alamos Laboratory with sophisticated measurement devices, showed the inside length of the boat to be 515.7 feet! David Fasold's measurement of the same was exactly 515 feet!
The width of 138 feet, (my measurement and also David's) may at first seem to present a problem until we consider it carefully. The boat is splayed. The height given in the Bible is 30 cubits or 51.55 feet.
The width is given as 50 cubits or 85.916 feet. The total of both sides plus the width is 189.016 feet -far too wide. But if the hull of the ship was exactly half the entire height of the boat, and the hull splayed outward, the width would be 137.466 feet! Our later metal detection results confirmed these figures as well as the sub-surface interface radar scans.
2) I understand that other creationists have stated that what you claim to be petrified wood extending from the formation cannot possibly be wood. Isn't it a simple matter to prove something is petrified wood?
Answer: Yes it is, normally. Let me refer you to the section on "The Geology of the Earth" for an explanation on the petrification process. However, part of the identification of a petrified object is visual. If it looks like a shell, chances are it's a shell. If it looks like wood, then it's wood. But there's a problem with this wood - it looks like wood except for one thing; it has no growth rings. Now, if we truly believe the Biblical description of the earth before the flood, we know that there couldn't possibly be any growth rings in pre-flood wood4. In "The New Larousse Encyclopedia of the Earth", page 369, we read:
"To support trunks of six-foot base diameter and 60-to 100- foot height, tissues must have increased in thickness from year to year. There was, as we have already said, secondary- bark and wood, similar to that of modern trees but lacking the spring and winter rings which correspond to seasonal alternation of moisture and dryness."
This is in reference to ancient sigillarias found without any growth rings. But isn't it a pity that I had to go to a book that refers to the earth's age in "millions of years" to find a reference corroborating the fact that these fossils have been found without growth rings? If growth rings were in the wood of the Ark, it would be a fake or replica.
3) What about laboratory testing of samples from the Ark; have you had this done?
Answer: Yes, I obtained samples from the boat itself and from the land around the Ark. I had several of these samples tested at Galbraith Labs in Knoxville, Tennessee. Just like medical tests, these results have to be read and interpreted by people trained to do so, so I will quote William Shea, M.D. PhD., Professor of Archaeology and History of Antiquity, in his report to the Turkish government dated February 20, 1987:
"The formation was struck by an earthquake in December of 1978. As a result it was cracked lengthwise and partially split open. This opening made it possible for Wyatt to obtain relatively fresh internal soil samples from it when he returned to the site in September of 1979. In a test run on this sample, along with another sample taken from the field outside of the formation, the organic carbon content was measured. The soil from the formation tested at 4.95% while the soil from the field around the formation tested at 1.88%. This degree of difference is consistent with the prior presence of some organic matter (like wood) in the formation."
Since then, I have had numerous other specimens tested with similar results, which I will publish at a later date. Also, these tests revealed extremely high metallic contents, which caused me to wonder if there might not be metal in the Ark itself. This led to the future metal detection testing which revealed the fantastic structure of a massive boat.
4) Explain the metal detection tests and how it could prove any internal structure. Couldn't it just be trace metal in the soil?
Answer: No. On the Ark, the metal detecting equipment gave positive readings on its calibrated dial and by sound at numerous points all over the boat. We were able to determine that there was significant amounts of metal present and that it appeared to be in a pattern. The testing of the surrounding area was completely negative. In May of 1985, John Baumgardner and David Fasold, a marine salvor from Florida, accompanied me to the site, and with the metal detectors and David's new type of metal detector, a molecular frequency generator, we mapped out the metal readings with plastic tapes. It revealed a distinct linear subsurface pattern. We repeated this again in August of 1985, with John Baumgardner and myself accompanied this time by Maylon Wilson, also of Los Alamos Laboratories, and Tom Anderson, a lawyer from Indio, California, who filmed the entire event. We videoed the tests ourselves on both occasions and photographed it thoroughly.
On the outer wall of the boat, striations appear which are keenly visible along the east side of the upper portion and the west side of the lower portion. On the striations, the metal readings were positive while the spaces between were totally negative.
5) What about the radar scans you mention? What exactly is sub-surface interface radar, and what did the use of it prove?
Answer: Without getting highly technical, this type of radar works by the generation of an electromagnetic pulse which is radiated into the earth from a broad band width antenna. This pulse can be focused to a particular depth where it is then reflected back and recorded on a graphic recorder similar to an EKG. Quite a sophisticated device, it requires training to operate and to read the results accurately. I received thorough training at Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. in Hudson, New Hampshire. The first scan took place in July of 1986. On this expedition were myself, Baumgardner and Anderson from the August, 1985 expedition, as well as Mrs. Baumgardner, Dr. William Shea of Andrews University and two cameramen, Todd Fisher and Scott Snider, from Los Angeles. This radar scan confirmed, with astounding detail, the same pattern demonstrated by the metal detectors. Where it was remotely possible to have incorrectly connected the lines resulting from the metal detectors, the radar scan showed what can only be identified as a keel, keelsons and bulkheads from a boat of tremendous size.
6) What do the scientists and other experts you have taken to the "boat" say; do they believe it is the Ark?
Answer: One who is totally convinced is David Fasold. David has written a book entitled "The Ark of Noah" which details much of our research, and while we disagree on some matters I don't feel are significant or cause for doubt as to the identity of the boat, I highly recommend it. He is meticulously thorough in his research and recording of the data. I must give David a great deal of credit in the research and wish to add he was the most enjoyable person I have ever worked with. He knew the first time he laid eyes on it that it was a boat. And he's an expert in shipwrecks.
Dr. William Shea has worked with me on this from the very beginning. He is a professional in the field of archaeology and ancient history and most open-minded to facts. While I have not a statement from him recently, I will quote from an article he wrote for "Archaeology and Biblical Research", Winter, 1988, entitled "Noah's Ark?" on page 14:
"... The last half of the list point to the general conclusion that the remains of a ship appear to be present in this formation. The first half are of a more specific nature that would connect the remains of such a ship with the Ark of Noah described in Genesis. The progressive convergence of these various lines of evidence seem to confirm the conclusion that some of the remains of Noah's Ark lie within this unusual formation."
Dr. John Baumgardner appears to have changed his mind about what he believes. So as to avoid misquoting him I will quote from David's book, "The Ark of Noah":
"John didn't hear the remark. I think he was off someplace in Tubal-cain's foundry five thousand years ago. He held in his hand a piece of wrought iron. The grain of the stretched and hammered angle bracket still clearly visible.
It was complete pandemonium after that. Once John knew what to look for, fittings were all over the place. He could walk down the top of the wall with the detector going beep,...beep every two or three steps. Now it was the trained eye of a scientist, looking for things out of place in the natural covering of the mud, followed by his 'Look at this!' growing in excitement. I kept the video going as I ran around, stumbling behind him, then moved to the mound to record his discoveries from a distance to give perspective to the viewer. No sooner had I left him when he suddenly yelled, 'Undecomposed iron!'
I ran down the mound again and crouched to my knees. I zoomed in on the mud wall. There, surrounded by the brown matrix of mud, was a perfectly rectangular beam end of a bluish-gray agglomeration of small rough stones. The upper and lower right corners were absolutely square, and projecting from within were what appeared to be iron flakes which had given the signals."
The results of the analysis on that metal bracket are recorded also in David's book:
"I hurriedly opened the first-class envelope labeled 'Los Alamos National Laboratory.' It contained the semiquantitative analysis of the iron samples we had recovered from the Ark. The stoichiometric results were impressive, with the seven running from 60 percent through 91.84 percent FE203. The highest reading was obtained from an angular bracket."
Later we read of a news broadcast which David meticulously recorded:
"Soon there followed daily broadcasts: '... has this report on what the scientists have found so far... could this be the final resting place of Noah's Ark? ... Dr. John Baumgardner, a geophysicist at the Los AIamos Research Lab in New Mexico... using a metal detector, Baumgardner has been able to confirm the existence of metal at regular intervals. Baumgardner says he believes that metal is at the points where these lines intersect, giving rise to speculation metal was used in the infrastructure of the craft.'"
Finally, when our local newspaper here in Nashville did a story on the Ark on August 16, 1989, I gave them his name and told them to call him. From "The Tennessean":
"A former Wyatt colleague, geophysicist John Baumgardner of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. said the intriguing hieroglyphics and high levels of iron oxides found there are 'very encouraging', but the evidence is still too meager to make any conclusions."
"The amazingly symmetrical shape of the site can be explained by the flow of mudslides in the area over time."
But my favorite "critic" of not only the site but myself, was also contacted at my request and quoted in the same article:
"'As much as I want to believe it, I have to say the formation is rock from top to bottom, and anyone knowledgeable who steps onto it knows that,' said John Morris, head of the Creation Science Institute in San Diego.
'The main problem with Wyatt is he's too free with his conclusions and hasn't submitted his data to independent researchers. He's not a geologist.'"
7) I don't see how these anchor stones prove it's the Ark. If they are several miles from the site you claim is the Ark, how does that prove anything?
Answer: The anchor stones have tremendous significance in more ways than one. First of all, they are by far the largest anchor stones ever found in the history of the world. The leading authority on anchor stones is considered to be Honor Frost, who in 1973 published, "Ancore, the Potsherd of Marine Archaeology: On the Recording of Pierced Stones from the Mediterranean". Based on her thorough research, we learn that 700 kgs., or 1,543 lbs. is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest, anchor stone ever found. That is until these. One of the largest I've found is almost 11 feet tall, but the average height is 10 feet by a 5 foot width. David Fasold, in his book, estimates the average weight of these anchor stones to be 8,700 lbs.
To date, there are 13 of these that I have seen. There are several more that I believe to be anchors, but they are partially buried in an upright position and exhibit some of the same characteristics as those we are sure of. Eight of them have the inscriptions which make it evident that some people at some point in time made a direct connection between these and Noah and the Ark. However, some people suggest that whoever carved the crosses probably carved the anchor stones. I know this is definitely not the case, as when I was at the site in April, I found two more anchor stones which were buried and just barely surfacing for obviously the first time and these did not have any crosses or any other carvings on them!
As for the placement of these anchor stones, it becomes quite evident that as the Ark drifted between two submerged peaks in a ridge of small mountains, the first two anchors snagged and tethered the boat until Noah removed the covering and saw the tops of the mountains. We found a large piece of petrified bark in the same vicinity which I believe to be a portion of that covering. He then cut them loose, leaving them on the two peaks, a short distance apart. As the boat made a direct line through these mountains toward its final resting place, seven more anchors, and probably more, were cut loose and landed near, if not exactly, where they are at present. The village where five of these are located is in a direct line with the twin peaks of the ridge where the first two dropped. The two that are buried are also in this direct line, and finally about eight miles further, about 1/4 mile below the boat, lies the 10th one.
These anchor stones are far too large to be carried by men. It has been suggested that they aren't anchors at all and that the holes are the means by which they were dragged to their present locations. This is impossible, as the location and size of the holes are such that out of water they would break right off under the tremendous stress. Only in the buoyancy of the water could they be held by ropes. Of interest also is the fact that the holes have a larger inner diameter than outer; when the ropes were secured through the holes, knots were tied inside the "scooped-out" hole, and as the water swelled the knotted rope, it was prevented from rubbing and eventually wearing the rope in two from the friction.
8) If the Turkish government has really agreed with your finding and declared that this is really the Ark, why hasn't the whole world heard about it? Why are the other ark searches still going on?
Answer: As you read at the beginning of this book, they announced it in their own newspapers. But before they publicized a fact such as this on a worldwide scale, they built a visitor's center and are still working on what is at least a six- and possibly eight-lane highway which leads to the site. This is a remote area. There isn't any quick and easy way to get there from Erzurum; you have to go by "taksi" or bus for at least a good four to five hours. While there are a few hotels in the area, there are certainly not enough for a sudden and tremendous influx of tourists. The Turkish government will make the announcement as soon as they are ready. The biggest problem they are facing at the present is the theft of great archaeological treasures from this area. I mentioned the theft of Noah's wife's grave; I was contacted directly to see if I had any knowledge of who could have done such a thing and was told that one piece of jewelry had sold on the black-market in Istanbul for $75,000,000.00! Of course, it had to be quite an incredible piece, and the description of it alone was more than a person could comprehend. The locals have discovered that tourists will buy anything with a cross inscribed on it, so they are breaking some of the artifacts up and selling them.
Then, they must consider the Ark itself. At present, there is no protection for it. People could begin breaking off pieces for souvenirs and destroy it very quickly in the delicate condition it is presently in. They do have a caretaker who has wild dogs guarding it now, but it could be a potentially destructive situation to encourage too much tourism at present. On my last visit in August of this year, I noticed they had even taken down the "Nuh'un Gemisi" sign which greeted visitors at the foot of the road leading to it. However, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, 1988, Connie Chung mentioned on her brief "news break" that the Turkish government was going to make the announcement "sometime next year," meaning 1989, I presumed.
4 See the last paragraph under "The Flood" in Chapter 11 on growth rings and pre-flood geology. See also Gen. 2:6.
CHAPTER 6
ONLY THE FIRST OF MANY ASTOUNDING DISCOVERIES!
When I decided to try to find the remains of Noah's Ark, I had no thought of discovering any other artifacts from the past.
However, the years of studying every piece of ancient history and archaeologically-related research had brought me to the brink of several other startling discoveries. While reading Herodotus' histories, I happened upon a description of how the pyramids were built. "The method employed was to build it in steps, or, as some call them, tiers or terraces. When the base was complete, the blocks for the first tier above it were lifted from ground level by contrivances made of short timbers; on this first tier there was another, which raised the blocks a stage higher, then yet another which raised them higher still. Each tier, or story, had its set of levers." This comment has been read for many years by countless people; more than a few times by myself, but due to its nonspecific term "contrivance", no one pursued an understanding of this method of construction. While reviewing ancient Egyptian inscriptions in an attempt to better understand the chronology of the "dynasties", I noticed that the glyph used to indicate the act of building was an abbreviated set of levers! I began sketching these levers and their mirror image. Suddenly, the whole process of pyramid building flashed into my mind! The simplicity of the machines and methods was astounding! Within minutes I had made a working model from strips cut from a cardboard box. With the aid of my children, brother and friends we soon made several working models of the machines.
In the fall of 1978, an international trade fair was held in Nashville, Tennessee. An Egyptian business friend that had charge of the Egyptian display asked my sons and I if we would set up a working demonstration of our pyramid building machines. The story was in the local news and on T.V. It also ran in an A.P. release.
Archaeologists, Egyptologists, ancient history buffs, and hundreds of other inquisitive people flocked to our demonstration. They came with towering and freely verbalized skepticism. After watching the demonstration, they stood agape, shook their heads and expressed dismay that such a simple solution to so long time a mystery had not been solved ages ago!
In the early spring of 1979 my children (Michelle, Daniel, and Ronny) and I took several working models of the old, II machines to Egypt. We are grateful to Royal Jordanian Airlines for their kindness in flying all those timbers to Egypt at no cost to us! We contacted Nassef Mohamed Hassan who was the director of Antiquities for Egypt and a man we had given diagrams showing the pyramid building process in the fall of 1978. He was delighted to give us permission to set the machines up on the middle pyramid at Giza (Chephren). We demonstrated the building technique on the actual pyramid, allowed a news crew from Nippon T.V. to film a brief clip, and filmed the process for our film library. Mr. Hassan and I were invited to explain the discovery and technique on a Voice of America radio broadcast! The entire process with diagrams will be published in our forthcoming book DISCOVERED: HOW? AND WHO? -THE PYRAMIDS.
As the results of years of fascinating research into the history of ancient Egypt, I was able to discover the location of ancient Succoth, which the Bible says is the starting point of the Exodus led by Moses. The Bible states that the slaves "encamped" (meaning that they first entered the camping mode) at Succoth. It then says that they took the southern route to Horeb to avoid military conflict with the Philistines. There was but one southern route to ancient Midian. It was through a trail of canyons (wadis) that crossed the modern Sinai Peninsula to the west side of the coastal mountain range that parallels the west shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. It turned north at this point and went to the northwest of Eloth, which was situated at the north end of the Gulf of Aqaba. From there, they passed above the northern end of the gulf and then turned tc the southeast along the east shore of the gulf through ancient Midian (modern-day Saudi Arabia), to modern-day Jabel El Lawz, which is ancient Sinai (Horeb). The Habiru, (mixture of the descendants of Abraham by his three wives, Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah) led by Moses, had turned northward through the wadi when God directed Moses to "turn back--and encamp by the sea". (R.S.V. Ex. 14:1) As a result of this change in direction, they found themselves cornered between the impassable mountain, the sea and Pharaoh's army. This event took place on the Gulf of Aqaba and not the Gulf of Suez as most scholars suppose!
We took scuba diving lessons, dove at the site our research led us to, found and photographed several chariot parts! There we were able to observe the underwater "land bridge" which we saw on the map. We later found and retrieved parts of human and animal skeletons, some of which we have had examined by a forensic pathologist for verification. The details, photographs and analysis are included in our forthcoming book, DISCOVERED: ROUTE AND RELICS OF THE 1446 B.C. EXODUS.
During the summer of 1979 I was invited to participate in the opening of a cave at Engedi in Israel. The man who had discovered this cave, by years of dangerous difficult research, Larry Blaser, had arranged for the opening. I arrived en route to eastern Turkey with Rene Noorbergen, whom I had invited to accompany me to the boat formation. The opening was to be done by well-known archaeologist and explorer, Dr. James Strange from F.S.U. and Dr. William Ludgenbill from a university in Michigan. Due to a disagreement over picture rights, and the evaluation of a geologist from Illinois that the cave had never been open to the surface, the attempt was terminated. This decision was approaching when I had to leave for Turkey, so I authorized Rene Noorbergen to offer a reward of $1,000.00 to the first man into the cave. He had decided that the rewards of discovery were potentially greater in Engedi than in eastern Turkey and decided to stay there. After the termination decision, the various participants returned to their homes. I had been convinced by Larry's careful research that the cave contained relics from the past. He hoped to find the Ark of the Covenant and other artifacts from the first temple in the cave, but it was my belief that the cave contained Amorite burials from a period between the third millennium until the time of the conquest of Canaan by the Habiru around 1400 B.C.
While working on the Ark of the Covenant excavation during the winter of 1979-80, we asked for and received permission to do an exploratory look into the cave at Engedi. We designed a device that held a camera at its ten foot end and forced a small opening into the cave. We inserted our camera, took photographs of the interior as best we could and discovered burial crypts cut into the walls of the cave! The facts and photographs of this discovery will appear in our forthcoming book entitled: DISCOVERED: GIANTS!
While attempting to retrieve the remains of chariots and other artifacts from the Red Sea crossing site in the summer of 1978, I acquired a severe sunburn that resulted in the swelling of my feet and legs to a point where it became impossible to wear my diving equipment. We were forced by this circumstance to await our return A.P.E.X. flight home in Jerusalem.
While there, I became acquainted with the manager of a piece of property near the old city. While inspecting the property with him, and to my total shock and dismay, my arm pointed to a site on the property and my mouth said "That is Jeremiah's grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there". While I stood in stunned silence, the manager said, "That's wonderful! We will let you excavate, provide room and board, do your laundry, and supply all the diggers you need." I mumbled that I couldn't start then but would be glad to in the near future!
Our flight was the next morning, and I was anxious to get home to my books and see if my involuntary pointing and statement were possibly true! My action and statement were accompanied with the nerve tingling sensation that I had come to recognize as an indicator of a supernatural presence. However I had also become aware that a similar nerve tingling sensation can be the results of the presence of evil supernatural beings! My research showed that the Ark had vanished from recorded history during the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon in 587-6 B.C. The city had been surrounded by "forts round about" (a siege wall). It would have been humanly impossible to take the Ark out of the siege wall. This led to the conclusion that the Ark had been hidden in, under, or near the city within the siege wall. When we explained this conclusion to the Israeli officials and showed them our permit from the land owners, they gladly granted us an exploratory permit. Our excitement level ran high as we discovered absolute proof of the location of Christ's crucifixion and burial.
While it will be necessary for you to wait for the details and photographs of most of our discoveries, I will share the most profound discovery of them all. On January 6, 1982 at 2:00 P.M., I entered a chamber that contained the Ark of the Covenant and other furnishings from the first temple!
In Psa. 77:13 we are told that God's way (modus operandi) is in the sanctuary. The sacrificial system given to Adam and Eve, after their fall and eviction from the garden of Eden, was simply the symbolic transfer of mankind's sins from themselves to the lamb, bullock, or turtle dove (based on the wealth of the participant). These creatures represented the sinless Son of God that one day would die in our stead and, in doing so, would make it possible that all could obtain forgiveness of their sins, freedom from human weakness that caused man to sin, and restoration to an immortal existence with our Immortal God. Later, during the Theocracy of Israel, a copy of the heavenly sanctuary was built under the direction of God, and the entire mechanics of the redemptive act of The Deities was acted out. The above described sacrifices were supervised by the priests of the sanctuary, and the guilt of the sinners was symbolically transferred to the HOLY compartment of the sanctuary. One time each year these sins were symbolically transferred from the sanctuary, where they had accumulated for the past year, to the head of a goat. This goat represented Christ as the sinbearer. This goat was killed, and its blood was carried into the MOST HOLY compartment of the sanctuary WHERE IT WAS SPRINKLED "BEFORE" THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. This SYMBOLIZED THE BLOOD OF CHRIST SATISFYING THE CLAIMS OF GOD'S ETERNAL LAW UPON THE LAWBREAKER AND THE SINNER'S ACCEPTANCE BY THE FATHER "IN THE BELOVED" SON.
During the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587-6 B.C., God directed Jeremiah and/or some priests to HIDE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT in a cave chamber. Six hundred years later, THE ROMANS CUT CROSS HOLES IN THE STONE DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS CHAMBER and IN ONE OF THESE CROSS HOLES, CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED. The "STONES WERE RENT" at the moment of His death. A SPLIT IN THE STONE LED FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CROSS HOLE DOWN INTO THE CAVE CHAMBER WHERE THE ARK HAD BEEN SECRETED 600 YEARS BEFORE, AND WHEN THE CENTURION STUCK HIS SPEAR INTO CHRIST'S SIDE, THE BLOOD AND WATER FLOWED DOWN HIS SIDE, DOWN THROUGH THE SPLIT IN THE STONE AND UPON THE MERCY SEAT! IT WAS HERE THAT TYPE MET ANTI-TYPE AND THE SALVATION OF THE HUMAN FAMILY WAS ASSURED! You will be able to see all this on video and in photographs in the near future "IN GOD'S TIME".
Continue reading...
The Discoveries of Ron Wyatt
DISCOVERED:NOAH'S ARK (the original book)
BY RON WYATT
1989
INTRODUCTION