Noah's Ark Found for Certain?

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According to a story released by AFP (French Press Agency), a group of evangelical explorers says it "has located Noah's Ark with 99.9% certainty."  They have discovered the remains of a wooden structure that dates to 4,800 years ago.  The team rules out the possibility that this structure was a dwelling since they found it at an elevation of 4,000 meters above sea level.

Turkish and Chinese Christians led the expedition up Mt Ararat in eastern Turkey.  They belong to a group called Noah's Ark Ministries.  The group was led by Hong Kong documentary filmmaker, Yeung Wing-cheung.  A local Turkish group is apparently going to ask UNESCO to designate the spot as an historical, international landmark so they can excavate the site with its protection.

I'm sure the story will appear in U.S. papers in the next day or so.  For an immediate link to the full story, check the Asia One story -- which is simply a translation of the AFP story.

Could this actually be Noah's Ark?  My answer in a nutshell:  Why not?!  Why couldn't it be Noah's Ark?  If nothing else, the story of their expedition will make a fascinating documentary.

Of course, I'm not going to hold my breath or anything.  It's not the first time someone claimed to find Noah's Ark.  And this particular group is hardly unbiased.  Maybe they're right.  Maybe they're not.

In this and other similar matters, one is wise to remember the strange yet remarkable words of Oscar Wilde: "Religions die when they are proved to be true.  Science is the record of dead religions."

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