There is good circumstantial evidence that part of Noah's ark continues to survive on Mt. Ararat. And it is conceivable that someday it will be unearthed with its true identity being exposed. While the prospects are indeed exciting, a word of warning needs to be given. The truthfulness of the Christian faith does not rest upon vindicating the existence of Noah's ark on Mt. Ararat. Suppose, for example, that it is demonstrated that the large wooden object on Ararat is not Noah's ark. What would Christianity have lost? The answer is nothing.

Our Christian faith is built upon the fact that Jesus of Nazareth, once and for all, demonstrated Himself to be the unique Son of God by His sinless life, miracles, and resurrection from the dead. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus Christ. If He can be refuted, then the Christian faith also can be refuted. However, alleged artifacts such as the ark of Noah or the shroud of Turin, whether they be factual or not, do not constitute a basis for faith. Their authenticity, even if it can be established, will not necessarily create belief.

The Bible affords two examples that are appropriate in dealing with artifacts. In the book of Numbers, God sent serpents to judge His rebellious people, whereupon the people called to Him for deliverance. God then instructed Moses to erect a bronze serpent in the center of the camp as an object of faith. Those who were bitten by the deadly serpents could look to the serpent in faith and live. However, this same bronze serpent was discovered several hundred years later by the Jews in their temple.

Their response was to worship this object. They missed the whole point. The bronze serpent was not anything holy in itself; it was to direct one's faith to God. The ark also should serve in this capacity; it should not be venerated.

Jesus gave us an important lesson in His account of the rich man in hell (Luke 16:19-31). The man had five brothers whom he desired to warn against the fate for which they were headed. He wanted someone to return from the dead and warn them, for he thought they surely would believe such a person. However, he was scolded for this misconception.

"If they hear not Moses and the prophets," Jesus said, "neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:1931). In other words, if they will not believe the overwhelming evidence already given them, they certainly will not be convinced by any further evidence. Why? Because their problem was not an intellectual or evidential one. Enough evidence exists for anyone to make an intelligent decision for Jesus Christ, but no amount of evidence will force someone to believe against his will. The verifying of Noah's ark will substantiate the faith of believers but will not necessarily create faith in unbelievers who are unwilling to come to terms with their spiritual needs.

Present State of the Search

The strained relationship between the United States and the Turkish government, along with the ever-increasing strategic location of Ararat (20 miles from the Russian border) have kept expeditions off the mountain since 1974. Until conditions improve, the mountain remains off limits for further investigation.

Conclusion

The history of the sightings, along with the hand-tooled wood discovered, suggests that some part of the ark still may remain on Mt. Ararat. While no final solution can be given to the ancient mystery of the survival of the ark, we must keep an open mind and have a wait-and-see attitude. The greatest discovery of modern times may be just ahead of us..