
Turkish scientists believe that Noah’s Ark has been found entombed in ice on Mount Ararat. Their claim has been taken up by a Christian filmmaker, Yeung Wing-Cheung of Hong Kong who said that he is "99 percent" sure the wooden artifice he recently filmed on the behest of Turkish scientists and archeologists is the remnants of the renowned Biblical ark.
"We are not saying that we are 100 percent certain that what we found is Noah's Ark. No one has ever seen the ark, no one knows what it looks like," Yeung said. "We are only 99 percent certain that it is Noah's Ark based on historical accounts, including the Bible and local beliefs of the people in the area, as well as carbon dating."
It would be an incredible discovery, but many skeptics are questioning why Yeung is refusing to say exactly where this ark was found. Since the location is being kept secret, Yeung and his scientists might need to parachute in a team of independent experts to verify their findings.
George Washington University’s Dr. Eric Cline said that he remained to be convinced.
"In terms of Noah's Ark, I would have suspected it would have perished long ago," Cline asserted. "The wood should just have disintegrated."
Cline went on to say that if Noah's Ark had come to rest atop a remote mountain, as the Bible records, it is not unreasonable that he would have used wood from the ship for shelter.
"Instead of Noah's Ark, I would be looking for Noah's first house or something like that," he said.
Carbon dating on wood brought back by Yeung dates it to around the time Noah might have lived. Yeung said the Turkish scientists informed him there has never been any evidence of human settlement on top of Mount Ararat.
"We heard from the people living near the mountain that there are remains of a wooden boat on top of the mountain," Yeung said. "Some of them said they have seen it but we were the first to bring back video of these wooden remains."
Scholars have long believed that Mount Ararat would have been the final resting place for the ark. However, there have been many claims over the years to the finding of Noah’s Ark, yet many of these have been quickly debunked.
"I'm waiting for them to convince me," Cline said. "But who knows? Stranger things have happened.”
(For the full article, please go to www.abcnews.go.com).