Related to the biblical account of the Great Flood, its text says that Noah's ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Researchers interested in finding the boat that saved humanity from extinction started their quest by trying to locate these mountains. This might seem an easy task but only if the biblical text is literally true and not metaphoric. Another aspect that might prove an impediment for this quest is that there is no guarantee the was deposited in an environment favorable for its long-term preservation.
The mountains of Ararat (because we speak of a chain of mountains) on which the ark came to rest are located in modern-day Turkey, in the region known as Urartu in ancient times, north of Mesopotamia. The most likely to be the resting place for the biblical boat is the mountain called Agri Dagh, or Ararat, located in eastern Turkey. But don't expect to find there the ark firmly lodged. The Koran, the holy book of Islam, differs in what the location of the ark is concerned, saying that it arrived to lodge on "Mount Judi" (the homologue of a mountain now called Cudi Dagh in southern Turkey). Although not as high as Agri Dagh, the latter seems to have a much plausible tradition as the site of the ark's resting place.
The ark hunters' hope to find the object of their quest was encouraged by a mentioning of the boat's survival which dates back few thousands years. This report was attributed to a Chaldean priest called Berossus, who wrote in the third century B.C that people scraped pitch off of some pieces of the ark and used it for their amulets.
Another instance of stirring the archeologists' enthusiasm but later cooling it off occurred in the late 1950s, when a series of aerial photographs displayed a site about 15 miles from the base of Mount Ararat. This site, known as Durpinar, featured a huge boat-shaped outline, which many believed to represent the remnants of the ark carried out there by the forces of nature. However, a more thorough research revealed it was merely a geographical feature, and, besides, it was too big to fit the Biblical description.
Modern expeditions are still initiated but there are several hindrances to them. First, Mount Ararat falls under Kurdish nationalists' "sphere of influence" and cases of kidnappings have been reported. Only a special permit from the Turkish government provides one with military escort. Secondly, this mountain is difficult to climb and requires, besides biblical expertise on the ark, mountaineering skills.
Ed is an experienced internet marketer and he is writing for http://www.wireless-speakers.org/. You can find additional info about Ed by accessing Wireless Speakers TV website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Raine
