Noah’s Ark

Noah’s ark was, according to the Bible, a ship built by Noah at God’s command to save his family, all animals, and birds (two to seven individuals of each species) from the Flood. Today many researchers continue to search for the ark, hoping to find its wreckage not only on the slopes of Mount Ararat, but also in other places.

Noah’s Ark. An illustration by Gustave Doré
The construction of Noah’s ark
In the pages of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, chapters 6 through 9, the story of Noah’s ark is described. God commissioned the righteous Noah to build a vessel in which he and his family were to be rescued from the coming flood, which was due to the total moral failure of the people.

In Genesis chapter 6, verses 5-9, it says that because of the depravity and wickedness on earth, God decided to destroy humans and all life on it-animals, reptiles, and birds. Only Noah was favored because of his righteousness and blamelessness before God.

Eventually Noah was told to build an ark, osmolizing it inside and out. It was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It is worth noting that a cubit equaled 44.5 centimeters. The Bible also gives instructions concerning other features of the ark, where Noah, his wife, three sons and wives of sons, and a couple of all living creatures were to enter according to the word of God.

The Bible tells us that Noah exactly fulfilled all the commands given to him by the Most High. After he finished building the ark, God commanded him and his relatives, to enter it. At the same time all the animals entered into the ark, seven clean animals and two unclean animals.

It is worth noting that Noah was also instructed to provide food for himself and the animals. An interesting fact is that at the time of the flood Noah was 600 years old.

The Flood
When Noah and his family and all the animals were inside the ark, God closed the door of the ship. Seven days later, heavy rains came and did not stop for 40 days. As a result, water covered the whole earth, including the highest mountains.

In Genesis. 7:20 It says that the water “rose seven meters above the highest mountain. The flood wiped out all life on the earth, so that only those inside Noah’s ark were saved. In Genesis. 8:3-5 We read that the water gradually flowed into the earth, and by the 150th day it was almost all gone. On the 17th day of the 7th month the ark stopped on the mountains of Ararat.

On the 1st day of the first month, Noah, 601, opened the ark, seeing that the earth had dried up. The earth was completely dry by the 27th day of the 2nd month. Then everyone who was in the ark went outside. The Creator then blessed Noah and his sons, commanding them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

View of Ararat from Yerevan
It is interesting that according to Jewish chronology all the dates in the Bible were based on the lunar calendar. Thus, the Flood lasted 11 days more than a lunar year, that corresponds to exactly one solar year.

It is noteworthy that the flood is mentioned in the scriptures of many nations. In addition, the flood and Noah’s ark are mentioned in the writings of famous historians, including Joseph Flavius. The famous traveler Marco Polo also writes about the ark: “In the Great Armenia, I will tell you more, on a high mountain – Noah’s Ark.