And another dodgy flood story . . .
The Guardian – United Kingdom
May 04, 2004
It was interesting to discover yesterday that there is to be yet
another expedition to Mount Ararat in north-east Turkey to see whether
Noah’s Ark is still up there. A Christian millionaire, Daniel P
McGivern, who lives in Hawaii, is putting up half a million pounds to
send “scientists” close to the 16,000ft summit, to a spot where aerial
photographs suggest something boat-shaped is to be found.
I foresee two problems. The first is that it has been done before. An
Armenian did it in 1903, found something he thought very ark-like, but
couldn’t find his way back. A Russian did it in 1916, but it turned
out to be a hoax. An American did it in 1960, took samples and
artefacts, and then went on to discover (I can’t remember in what
order) the Ark of the Covenant, the Red Sea crossing, the site of the
burning bush on Mount Sinai and both Sodom and Gomorrah.
The second is the disappointing probability that – had there been an
ark – it wouldn’t be 16,000ft above sea-level unless everything except
the Himalayas had been flooded (not a concept that “scientists” would
easily agree with), and that 5,600-year-old wood tends not to keep,
especially atop a volcano that last erupted in 1840.
But, as McGivern told the Honolulu Star: “All three of the
monotheistic religions believe that we are all descended from Noah and
his three sons. In these times it is good to have something that Jews,
Christians and Muslims all agree about.” Even if it is complete and
utter nonsense.