Biblical archaeologists recently discovered a "boat-like formation" matching the biblical description of Noah's ark in Eastern Turkey using 3D scans.
According to The U.S. Sun, the discovery was made by archeologists associated with the project Noah's Ark Scans. The team used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to probe the site where the Durupinar boat-shaped formation was found.
Andrew Jones, who led the project, believes that the formation matches the biblical description of Noah's ark.
"This is not what you would expect to see if this site is just a solid block of rock or an accumulation of random debris from a mudflow," Jones told the outlet.
"But these results are what you would expect to see if this is a man-made boat matching the Biblical requirements of Noah's Ark," he added.
The boat formation is also believed to be the "exact length" of the ark, which is around 150 meters, or 300 cubits in Biblical terms.
Despite the ground-breaking discovery, some geologists say that the site is an unusual rock formation and not Noah's ark.
But Ryan Mauro, president of the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, which is part of the project, says that the new findings further support the historical authenticity of the biblical ark.
"It's a whole new ballgame now," Mauro told the Sun. "Those judgments dismissing the site were made decades ago and based on limited data compared to what we have now. As I learned more, I became convinced that the project was worth my support and that it is vital that we determine the truth about the Durupinar site."
Mount Tendürek is located near the mountains of Ararat, which is traditionally believed to be where Noah's ark came to rest after God flooded the Earth (Genesis 8:4).
According to Noah's Ark Scans website, the Durupinar site was first discovered in 1959 by Turkish Army Captain Ilhan Durupinar. Researchers would later become interested in the site from the 1970s through the mid-1990s because of the work by American explorer Ron Wyatt and others, The Christian Post reports.
In 2014 and 2019, independent private geophysical surveys were conducted on the ark formation "showing layers and interesting angular structures below the ground."
"The new GPR data shows parallel lines and angular structures 8 to 20 feet down," the project states. "These parallel lines and right angles below the surface are something you would not expect to see in a natural, geologic formation. Interestingly, the boat formation has also been confirmed to be the exact length of the ark given in the Bible (Genesis 6:15)."
In 2021, a consortium of Turkish scientists, Americans and other supporters intend to do "the most complete geophysical survey and scientific study of this site to date using as many modern scientific methods as possible."
"The scientific study will also focus on how best to preserve the site for future generations," the website explained. "Friends, we have a huge scientific project in front of us! All the pieces are in place."
Photo courtesy: ©GettyImages/photostockam, this is a stock image
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
