Word for the month of October

HAS NOAH'S ARK BEEN FOUND?

Shalom, to you my Friend and Co-Minister in the Great Commission...
   It is a mystery that has spanned the ages. Some believe it is now on the verge of being solved.
   The Bible records the story of Noah, the man who was told to build an Ark to survive a universal deluge of judgment. Amazingly, the story of a Great Deluge and a man or group of people surviving it inside a boat appears all over the world in the folklore of diverse and scattered cultures. And yet, this is exactly what might be expected with regard to a cataclysmic event that actually happened.
   But up to now the mystery has remained - Does Noah's Ark still exist? And if it does, then where is it?
   A team of researchers believe they are now on the brink of finding it. The Bible records that Noah's Ark landed on top of Mount Ararat in modern-day Turkey. Today, in the vicinity of Mount Ararat lies a 538-long mound known as the Durupinar site. The mound is in the shape of a boat. It is said to uncannily match the exact dimensions of Noah's Ark as described in the Book of Genesis.
   What has raised much attention in the archaeological world is recent soil samples taken of the mound. The team of Turkish geologist Dr. Memet Bayraktutan collected 22 samples from inside and outside the mound and sent them to Ataturk University to be analyzed. Most striking was the finding that the samples taken outside the mound were different from those taken within it. The mound had lower pH levels and higher organic matter, as well as more potassium than the soil around it. Those findings are consistent with the presence of rotting wood - as in the ruins of an ancient boat.
   Another unique phenomenon was observed: the grass inside the boat-shaped site turns yellow and fades earlier in the season than the grass of the surrounding area. This would point to the mound having a manmade and not a natural origin.
   Further, in recent times, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) scans were made of the boat-shaped formation. By using dual-frequency radar emissions, researchers were able to detect rectangular shapes lying about 22 feet below the surface. This may potentially point to rectangular-shaped chambers or rectangular-shaped construction elements.
   With all these striking findings, greater and more intensive investigation into the site is planned for the years ahead - including full-scale archaeological excavation.
   Will it prove to be Noah's Ark? Is it one of the mysteries reserved for the last days? Time will tell. Our faith rests on the Word of God. But it is an added blessing to watch as modern archaeology has continually borne witness to the truth of that Word.
   In the meantime, let us live our lives as did Noah, in the midst of an apostate generation and, yet, holding fast and strong to the Word and will of God, and proving faithful in the midst of all things - even a deluge.
   And may God greatly bless you as you do!

Your brother and co-laborer

in His love and service,


Jonathan