Hi Jerry,

Hope all is going well. I was debating this guy from a video that was airing and we got on the subject of archaeological finds. Well naturally, I brought up Noah’s Ark and he sent me this reply below, basically saying the claims have been fully refuted and it’s not what they thought it was. You are probably familiar with this, but I’d be interested in hearing your reply.

Thank you,
Steve

Comment on the findings of Noah's Ark:

1)A report published by geologist L. Collins in co-authorship with the original discoverer of the 'anchor stones' David Fasold, found that they are composed of local rock and thus are unlikely to have been transported to the site from Mesopotamia, one of the Ark's supposed places of origin.

2)In 2007, a joint Turkish-Hong Kong expedition team found what is thought to be fossilized wood, initially believed to be part of noah's ark, in a cave on Mount Ararat in Turkey. Photographs of geologic thin-sections of the "wood" have been examined by several creationist geologists who concur that this is likely volcanic tuff. It has been suggested that the finding is a ploy to increase tourism in the area of the ark's discovery. Nearly every other geologist allowed to research the site has found that the anomaly is of natural origin.

3)In April of 1997, during sworn testimony in an Australian court, David Fasold repeated his doubts about the validity of the ark's discovery and noted that he regarded the claim that Noah's ark had been found as "absolute BS". Earlier in 1994 he visited the site with Australian geologist Ian Plimer and concluded that the structure was not a boat. He surmised that ancient peoples had erroneously believed the site was the ark.

4)On Ron Wyatt, the 'discovery's' biggest promoters also happens to be a huge fraud. His claims are dismissed by scientists, historians, biblical scholars and most Christian leaders even in his own Seventh-day Adventist Church. Answers in Genesis has called some of Wyatt's claims fraudulent,& one Seventh-day Adventist professor of archaeology sums up Wyatt's noah's ark and anchor stones claims in these words: "While the Durupinar site is about the right length for noah's ark, [it is] ... too wide to be noah's ark. Wyatt has claimed that the "boat-shapedness" of this formation can only be explained by its being noah's ark, but both Shea and Morris have offered other plausible explanations. Likewise, Wyatt has argued that the standing stones he has found are anchors, while Terian is aware of similar stones outside the Durupinar site area that were pagan cultic stones later converted by Christians for Christian purposes." Archaeologist Joe Zias of Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has stated that "Ron Wyatt is neither an archaeologist nor has he ever carried out a legally licensed excavation in Israel or Jerusalem. In order to excavate one must have at least a BA in archaeology which he does not possess despite his claims to the contrary. ... [His claims] fall into the category of trash which one finds in tabloids such as the National Enquirer, Sun etc."

5)You assert that since the sight looks like a boat that it must be a boat. Hey, there's a rock formation on Mars that looks just like a face! I guess that means there were people there to have built it. There are stones off the coast of Florida that look like they were part of road, so I guess that means they were part of road. Get it in your head, "Looks like a duck, yadda, yadda..." isn't evidence.

From: Jerry Bowen (in reply to my letter above to him)

Hi Steven,

Lets take these one at a time, and yes I have come across all these rationalizations of the site. As you can imagine, not only are some Christians afraid of this site, but the humanist are petrified of it.

#1 - I have personally examined the anchorstones several times, (Drogue stones), and they are not indigenous to the area. A high school student could look at them and tell they are out of place with the natural surroundings. Now, there are some grave stones in the area that might be confused with the drogue stones that could be local.

#2 - The Turkish-Hong Kong expedition was examining so-called evidence on Mount Ararat, approx. 15 miles northeast from the actual remains. Since the entire area is highly volcanic and seismically active, the volcanic tuff is everywhere.

#3 - David Fasold was a treasure hunter first of all, and he seemed interested in capitalizing on the discovery. Ein Plimar, an atheistic geologist, who was involved in the court case attempting to dis-credit the site, had initially convinced Fasold to question the site, which he recanted before his death. Fasold even produced a video that is quite compelling in favor of the site.

Dave Fasold worked with Ron initially on the project, but at some point his interpretation of the site differed completely from Wyatt.  This means he believed the site was the remnants of Noah's ship, but a different design then that which Wyatt concluded.  Without a physical excavation no one could say with 100% certainty just how the ship was constructed.  Also, this gave Fasold something to market that differed from Wyatt.
 
Though Fasold was privileged to process an abundance of evidence confirming the site, I believe he abandoned his belief temporarily to secure money for copyright materials.  This occurred at the time of a trial in Australia between Dr. Allen Roberts and Ein Plimar.  Roberts was going around Australia presenting the Discovery materials, (apparently using some of Fasolds material), and Fasold thought he should get paid for it.  So, he linked up with Plimar to bolster his chances to collect from Roberts (which he did).  Fasold and Plimar ever visited the site together and it was at that time that Plimar, (as the professional), convinced fasold the site was natural geology.  I believe Fasold went along with the idea, simply for monetary gain, but later before his death had a chance to set the record straight.  I know fasold was excited about the discovery, but he seemed to me, to be more concerned about how he could profit from it, then how God would use it to reach the World. 

#4 - Certainly all the scholars, scientist, historians, and professors must be right and the evidence is just overwhelming, right. The Bible puts it very succinctly in 2 Tim 3:7 concerning them, " Ever learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." God uses the simply things to confound the so-called wise. This is nothing more than a personal attack against Wyatt.

It is a very predictable tactic of the enemies of truth. Many folks are missing the big picture here, of what God has done. God side-stepped all the so-called experts on purpose, and used a humble man to re-locate these sites, to reveal the absolute miraculous nature of what is going on. God alone would receive the credit for raising up these particular sites and the message of these stones crying out would be undeniable.

#5 - This is the first valid question you pose. You are correct in your assumption; this is why Wyatt and others studied the site for over 10 years. If it were just the visual aspect of the site that brought us to our conclusions then you would have a case, however when you consider the petrified wood, (must be carboniferous), the iron rivets and plates, the animal hair and other samples, the length, the metal scans, the sub-surface radar, the location, the geology, and circumstantial evidence in the surrounding area, it all adds up. Add to this the fact that the remains slid to this location, and you have a perfect picture of what our Lord would accomplish, just as the hull was impaled on an outcropping of limestone, Christ was pierced in the side for us.

Let me simply add that, not everyone who comes across this material is going to get it.

The Bible reveals that the majority of individuals will be lost, they will take the broad road that leads to destruction, (Matt 7:13) they're minds will be taken captive through worldly philosophy and vein deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Col.2:8)

God has provided a tool here for the true believer to use, one that validates His Word and sounds the warning message in Revelation 14. A message of Mercy and the last warning to planet earth. Do you get the impression that something is about to happen? With all the unrest in the World today, as man's inhumanity to man is at it's peak, God will interview as He has done in the past, I pray you will be ready, God bless!