Some people have communicated with me about their beliefs that the Ararat prehistoric site represents the remains of Noah’s ark mentioned in the Tanakh (Bible), Quran, or both.
What I can confirm is that this area on Mount Ararat represents a prehistoric archaeological site.
Still, because the site is generating interest from religious communities, I have included a brief comparison between archaeological evidence from the Mount Ararat prehistoric site (and secular, peer-reviewed scientific data) and the biblical account of Noah’s ark in Genesis.
There are some correlations between the Ararat prehistoric site and the account of Noah’s ark in the Bible. There are also some differences.
In any case, this Mount Ararat prehistoric site needs to be protected, preserved, and researched.
For more data on the Mount Ararat prehistoric site, please visit www.paleorc.com.
| Mount Ararat Prehistoric Site and Peer-Reviewed Scientific Data | Account from the Tanakh or Old Testament (Genesis 6-11) | Correlation? | ||
| On Mount Ararat: Loci at elevations between 3,000 and 4,700 meters above sea level. | On Mount Ararat (Gen 8:4). | Yes | ||
| Earliest origin around 9,600 BC (calibrated) determined by a C14 date and artifact seriation. | Date of flood around 2,300 B.C. determined by Biblical genealogies. | No | ||
| Cypress (species of Cupressus). | Made of Gopherwood (Gen 6:14). Some suggest that gpr in the Hebrew correlates with kuparison or Cypress in Greek. | Yes | ||
| To date, fourteen (14) and two (2) wood installations in Areas A and B, respectively. | Rooms in the ark (Gen 6:14). | Yes | ||
| Most loci (13 of 16) evidence coatings of bitumen or resin material. | Covered inside and out with pitch (Gen 6:14). | Yes | ||
| Minimum of 96.53 meters in length. | Length 300 cubits or approximately 137 meters (Gen 6:15). | Yes | ||
| Minimum of 45.28 meters in width. | Width 50 cubits or approximately 23 meters (Gen 6:15). | No | ||
| Minimum of 10.21 meters in height. | Height 30 cubits or approximately 14 meters (Gen 6:15). | Yes | ||
| Window in Locus 2 of Area B measures approximately 42 centimeters in height and width. | Window of a cubit or approximately 1 cubit or 45 centimeters (Gen 6:16). | Yes | ||
| A minimum of two stories; probably three stories. | Three decks (Gen 6:16). | Yes | ||
| Animal dung in Loci 6 and most likely near Locus 3. | Animals in ark (Gen 7:2-9). | Yes | ||
| Human populations decline from Late Epipaleolithic to Early Neolithic times. | Only Noah and his family survive the deluge (Gen 7:23). | No | ||
| Only modern humans survive into the Holocene period. | Only Noah and his family survive the deluge (Gen 7:23). | Yes | ||
| Sea levels increased during early Holocene around 125 meters. | Waters increased and covered all mountains on earth by 15 cubits or 6.9 meters (Gen 7:19). | No | ||
| Ararat site filled with seeds of wild grains, legumes, and fruits (e.g., wild cherry). | Noah began to be a farmer (Gen 9:20). | Yes | ||
| Before Pre-Pottery Neolithic A Period, few archaeological sites in eastern Turkey. After the beginning of the PPNA Period, sites increase in eastern Anatolia. | After landing on Mount Ararat, human populations disperse throughout the earth (Gen 8:4). | Yes |
