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"I had no idea there was so much math involved in biblical archaeology," said the skinny student, shaking his head. But he wasn't beaten yet. "Okay, there's room on the ark for everybody, but where did they get water for all of those animals to drink? Weren't they on the ocean, which was loaded with salt water?"
The rest of the students nodded.
"You've got to remember that most of the Flood consisted of rain water. With water covering the highest mountains, the salt water of the oceans could have been diluted enough to drink. They could also have collected rainwater from the roof and stored it in cisterns on the ark."
They seemed convinced. But there was one more question. "Professor Murphy, why haven't they found more artifacts from Noah's Ark if so many people have seen it?"
Murphy smiled. He liked the way his students challenged his beliefs and his faith. It meant he really had to be sure about what he believed and able to defend it against all comers.
"We're not sure. One possibility may be tied to the Monastery of St. Jacob."
"Where's that?" asked one of the girls.
"The Monastery of St. Jacob was located on Mount Ararat. It is said to have been established in the fourth century by a monk named St. Jacob of Nisibis. The monks of St. Jacob's took on the responsibility of guarding the sacred relics of the ark. In 1829, Dr. J. J. Friedrich Parrot visited the monastery. Apparently he was shown ancient artifacts from the ark."
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"What were they? And where are they today?" queried one of the boys.
"I wish I knew," said Murphy. "In 1840 a tremendous earthquake hit Mount Ararat. It caused a huge landslide. Two thousand people were killed in the village of Ahora below the Ahora Gorge, and the whole community, along with St. Jacob's Monastery, was buried. All of the relics were buried with them. If Ed Davis's account of seeing the ark is valid, some of the artifacts are still hidden in a cave on Ararat. They may even still be guarded by people of faith."
A heavyset student named Morris spoke up and changed the direction of the conversation.
"Professor Murphy, you mentioned that Jesus talked about the days of Noah and the days of Lot in Sodom. What did he mean?"
Murphy was glad he'd been given an opening to talk to them about more spiritual things. "He was talking about how wicked society was. The Book of Genesis says: The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time . God was going to judge man for his evil by the Flood. When Jesus said, As in the days of Noah , He was referring to the fact that when He comes again in judgment, it will be to a world that is filled with people who do not care about the things of God. Just like the people didn't care in Noah's, or Lot's days."
Some of the students seemed a little stunned by what he was saying. Murphy smiled.
"Let me ask you a question, Morris. Do you think that society today believes in any absolute morals?"
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Morris considered his answer carefully. He didn't want to get caught by some sort of trick question.
"I guess most of my friends and the people I know would say that there are no such things as moral absolutes. They'd say that we should learn to be tolerant and accept other people's points of view."
Murphy nodded. "The traditional definition of tolerance is living peaceably alongside others in spite of differences. But that view of tolerance has been twisted today to mean that everyone must accept the other person's viewpoints without question because truth is relative. What's true for one person may not be true for another person, right?"
"Right," said Morris, a little uncertainly.
"That was exactly what was happening in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot. Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. And it's the same today. Society preaches tolerance of every viewpoint and everyone--with one big exception: those people who have a strong religious faith. That's where their double-standard tolerance ends. Incredibly, people of faith are persecuted precisely because they do believe in absolute truth, in absolute moral values. That's exactly what Jesus was talking about." He paused and looked each student in the eye before continuing. "It makes me wonder if we are living in the days before the next coming judgment. That would be something to think about, wouldn't it?"
Murphy was worried that he'd come on a little strong, but he was a man of conviction and faith and he wasn't about to hide it from anyone. And what could be more important than getting people to think seriously
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about the next judgment? He did not want anyone to be left behind when they could be on the ark of safety, and if he could do anything about it, he would.
Murphy looked at his watch.
"Say, gang, it was good to talk with you. I need to head on to my next class. Keep thinking about all of this. It's important!"
No one spoke as he walked away.
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NINE
"I'LL TAKE A CAFFÉ MOCHA, please."
The Starbucks next to the Preston University campus was one of Shari's favorite spots. It was always filled with faculty professors and college students, as well as many students from the nearby Hillsborough High School, but Shari still felt somehow she was getting away from it all.
Sitting at one of the umbrella-covered tables with her baseball cap low over her face, she could just watch the people and imagine she had no troubles. Or, as she was planning to do this afternoon, she could concentrate on someone else's.
"Excuse me, are you Shari Nelson?"
Shari turned and looked into the face of Tiffany Baines. With her golden shoulder-length hair and sparkling brown eyes, she looked like a cheerleader, not a delinquent. Dressed in her white sweatshirt with the
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large red cardinal emblem on the front, the words Tar Heels under it, it was hard to imagine her tossing beer cans out of a moving car.
"You must be Tiffany." Shari stood and shook her hand. "Sit down and let me get you something. What would you like?"
"Thanks. A latte would be good."
Tiffany was so different from what Shari had expected that, when Shari returned with her drink, she wasn't quite sure how to begin. "Have you been watching the Tar Heels this year?"
"Yes, I don't miss a game--except I have a question."
"Shoot."
"I was born and raised in Raleigh, and I watch games all the time. And I have a shirt on that says Tar Heels, but I don't know what Tar Heels means. Can you believe that?"
Shari smiled, not sure whether or not this dumb but sweet persona was all an act. "It all began back in the Civil War. North Carolina was under attack from the Union army. The Confederate army withdrew, leaving the North Carolinians to fight the battle alone. Those who remained to fight threatened to put tar on the heels of the Confederate troops so that they would 'stick better in the next fight.'" Tiffany nodded and Shari asked, "Are you sure you didn't know that?"
"Cross my heart," Tiffany said with a smile, and for some reason Shari believed her.
Having broken the ice, Shari decided to get down to business. "I was talking with Pastor Bob at the Preston Community Church. I know you've been going there
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with your mom for a while now. With that hair you're kind of hard to miss--even across a crowded church."
Tiffany sighed. "I guess I kind of stand out, don't I? Believe me, I'd rather just fade into the background sometimes." Suddenly she looked serious. "Pastor Bob just said he thought I might want to talk to someone my own age who attends the church, in case I thought it was all just old folks like him. But it's more than that, isn't it? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know."
Shari nodded. "Pastor Bob said you had some problems at home. And you might find it easier talking to me about them than to, well, some of the 'old folks,' I guess. But if you don't want to, that's okay."
Tiffany took a long sip of her latte, then put the paper cup down on the table. "No, I don't mind talking. You look like a go
od listener."
"I do try to listen." Shari nodded. "And not to judge. But if sharing my experiences helps in any way, then I'm happy to do that too."
"Fair enough," said Tiffany, and proceeded to tell Shari about her fights with her father and all the trouble she was getting in from hanging out with the wrong crowd.
When she finally finished, Shari didn't offer any comment. "You know, I used to be pretty rebellious too, when I was younger."
"You did?"
"You bet. My father and I had a lot of confrontations. It got pretty bad in my senior year of high school. I threatened to run away from home a number of times. I even began to experiment with drugs and alcohol."
Tiffany's mouth hung open in amazement.
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"It was during my first year of college that things turned around and got better."
"How come?"
"Well, I met some college students who belonged to a Christian campus club. They asked me if I was happy. I told them that I wasn't. They then told me I could be."
Shari went on to tell Tiffany how these students reached out to her and became her friends.
"One day they asked me if I believed in God. They shared with me how everyone does wrong things and how our sins and wrongs separate us from a holy God. They went on to assure me that God loves me. He loved me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in my place. Jesus paid the penalty for me and rose from the dead to prepare a place in heaven for me. They asked if I would like to receive Christ into my life, and I did. From that day things began to change."
"What kind of things are you talking about?"
"Well, one of the first things I realized was that I had been hurt in my relationship with my father. I could never seem to please him. And I wanted to, desperately. My hurt led to anger. I then began to experience depression. I began to not trust people. Especially my father. I lost respect for him, and resentment and bitterness replaced the hurt. That's when I began to strike out in rebellion. I didn't realize what had been going on until I came to know Christ."
"What did you do?"
"I asked my father for forgiveness for my attitude. It was wrong. Even though he had done wrong, I had too. I apologized for my part. He began to cry and asked me
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to forgive him." She brushed away a tear. "That was quite a day."
"Are things good between you and him now?"
Shari took a deep breath. "My mother and father were killed in an accident not too long ago. We had about a year and a half of great times before he was killed. I just look back with such regret for all the wasted time. Life is so short, and we seem to hurt the ones we really love the most."
Shari unconsciously began to fondle the silver cross around her neck. Her father had given it to her as a reminder of their renewed relationship. She sat there for a moment looking into space, not seeing the people walking by. Another tear ran down her cheek, and this time she let it.
Tiffany was silent. When she felt that Shari was able to talk again, she said, "Thanks for sharing that with me, Shari. You've given me a lot to think about."
Shari smiled. "Any time. Do you want another coffee?"
"Thanks," Tiffany said, getting up, "but right now there's something I have to do. I really need to go talk to my dad."
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TEN
MURPHY QUICKLY SURVEYED the audience. The amphitheater was filled and all eyes were on him. There were nearly one hundred fifty students in his controversial class on biblical archaeology.
Shari was in her usual spot in the front row. Her black hair was smoothed back into the familiar ponytail, but she didn't look like her perky self. There was an air of sadness in her green eyes. The seat next to her was empty.
Murphy's eyes went from Shari back to the audience. He then spotted Paul. He was seated about seven rows up on Murphy's left, in an aisle seat not far from the door. Why wasn't he sitting next to Shari? Had they had another fight? Or was his imagination just working on overdrive? Maybe Paul had arrived late and just took the nearest empty seat. He made a mental note to ask
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Shari about it later--but subtly, the way Laura would have done it.
"Good morning! It's good to see a full house. I guess I must have said something interesting last week! Okay, let's start right where we left off. When the bell rang on Monday, we were discussing the various men who had discovered wood on Mount Ararat. The last of the four men mentioned was Fernand Navarra. The wood he discovered was very ancient. We also reviewed twenty-six ancient and early writers who have written about Noah's Ark. Today, we will look at some individuals who claimed to have actually seen or climbed on the ark."
There was an audible buzz of anticipation as Murphy flipped on the first PowerPoint slide.
Those Who Claim to Have Seen Noah's Ark
Who:
George Hagopian and his uncle.
When:
During the years from 1900 to 1906.
Circumstances:
On two occasions--once when he was ten years of age, and the second when he was twelve years of age.
"George Hagopian's grandfather was an Armenian Orthodox minister near Lake Van in Turkey. He would tell
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stories about the holy ship on the mountain, and one day, when Hagopian was around ten years of age, his uncle told him that he would actually take him to see the ark--about eight days' journey away. He was told that the ship could be seen because it had been an unusually mild winter on Mount Ararat. In his own words, he says,
When we were there, the top of the ark was covered with a very thin coat of fresh-fallen snow. But when I brushed some of it away I could see a green moss growing right on top. When I pulled a piece off ... it was made of wood. This green moss made the ark feel soft and moldy.
On the roof, besides one large hole, I remember small holes running all the way from the front to the back. I don't know exactly how many, but there must have been at least fifty of them running down the middle with small intervals in between. My uncle told me these holes were for air.
That roof was flat with the exception of the narrow raised section running all the way from the bow to the stern with all those holes in it.
Murphy paused and looked out over the audience. They seemed spellbound.
"The second time Hagopian visited the ark was when he was twelve years old. He was with his uncle again. In his own words:
I saw the ark a second time. I think it was in 1904. We were on the mountain looking for holy flowers, and I went back to the ark and it still looked
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the same. Nothing had changed. I didn't really get a good look at it. It was resting on a steep ledge of bluish-green rock about 3,000 feet wide.
The sides were slanting outward to the top and the front was flat. I didn't see any real curves. It was unlike any other boat I have ever seen. It looked more like a flat-bottomed barge.
"The next individuals to have claimed to see the ark were five or six Turkish soldiers. They also claimed to find wooden pegs that helped to hold the ark together. Here is part of what their letter said:
Those Who Claim to Have Seen Noah's Ark
Who:
Five or six Turkish soldiers.
When:
1916, upon their return from Baghdad.
Circumstances:
They wrote an official letter to the American Embassy in Turkey offering their services as guides for those who wanted to see the ark.
When returning from World War I, I and five or six of my friends passed by the Ararat. We saw
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Noah's Ark leaning against the mountain. I measured the length of the boat. It was 150 paces long. It had three stories. I read in the papers that an American group is looking for this boat. I wish to inform you that I shall personally show them this boat and I request your intervention so that I may show the boat.
Those Who Claim to Have Seen Noah's Ark
Who:
150 Russian
soldiers.
When:
The summer of 1917.
Circumstances:
The Czar sends two research divisions of [150] army engineers and scientists on an expedition to Ararat to find the ark.
"The next sighting is even more interesting. A Russian pilot by the name of Vladimir Roskovitsky was flying his plane around Ararat in the summer of 1917 when he spotted the ark. He reported it to his superiors, and the Czar then sent research teams to investigate. I'm going to ask Shari to pass out two sheets of paper that relate their findings."
Shari started passing along a stack of printed sheets. Murphy read out the story of the Russian expedition and let the incredible tale sink in. Once it did, he knew there'd be questions.
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THE RUSSIAN EXPEDITION
The Russian investigators claim to have taken measurements of the ark. It was supposedly 500 feet long, about 83 feet wide at the widest place, and about 50 feet high. These measurements, when compared with a 20-inch cubit, fitted proportionately with the size of Noah's Ark as described in Genesis 6:15. The entire rear end of the boat, the investigating party [sic] able to enter first the upper room, a "very narrow one with a high ceiling." From here, "side by side to it, stretched rooms of various size; small and large ones."
There was also "a very large room, separated as if by a great fence of huge trunks of trees," possibly "stables for the huge animals," such as elephants, hippopotami, and others. On the walls of the rooms were cages, "arranged in the lines all the way from the floor to the ceiling, and they had marks of rust from the iron rods which were there before. There were very many various rooms, similar to these, apparently several hundreds of them. It was not possible to count them, because the lower rooms and even part of the upper ones--all of this was filled with hard ice. In the middle of the ship there was a corridor." The end of this corridor was overloaded with broken partitions.