Podcast
Noah's ark found? Evidence gets mixed reactions
Updated: 2010-04-30 13:21
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Noah's Ark Ministries International has reviewed new "visual evidence" to support its claimed discovery of the remains of the biblical Noah's Ark 4,000 meters up on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey.
On Wednesday, members of a 15-member Chinese-Turkish exploration team screened a video clip for the first time to the media in Beijing. The video showcased their exploration inside the wooden structure they found on the Turkish monument.
The team announced the discovery of the wooden structure on top of the Turkish mountain after two difficult years of exploration in high altitude.
They believed the structure was the remains of the Ark of legend. They say carbon testing proved it to be 4,800 years old, around the same time the ark is said to have been afloat.
The biblical story says God decided to flood the earth after seeing how corrupt it had become, and he told Noah to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal species.
After the flood waters receded, the Bible says, the ark came to rest on a mountain. Many believe that Mount Ararat, the highest point in the region, is where the ark and its inhabitants came aground.
However, many say the team hasn't produced compelling evidence to establish that they've found the Ark.
Mike Pitt, a British archaeologist, said: "If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 4 kilometers up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world - and there isn't.
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.
