In the last issue of Vertical Thought, we reported on plans by an American businessman, Daniel McGivern, to finance an expedition to Mt. Ararat in Turkey in search of Noah's ark. Announcing the project at a news conference in Washington, D.C., Mr. McGivern showed satellite images of what he claimed was a man-made object—Noah's ark—partially exposed in the ice about 15,000 feet up the mountain.

Well, the $900,000 project never got off the ground. "The Turkish government refused to grant the explorers permission to climb the mountain. Soon, the mission itself was put on ice," reported the National Geographic News (Sept. 20, 2004). Some claim Mr. McGivern knew that Turkey would deny him permission, since Mt. Ararat, which is located near the Turkish border with Armenia and Iran, is considered a military zone. They believe he was just seeking publicity.

Numerous explorers, though, have climbed—or attempted to climb—Mt. Ararat in efforts to find the remains of Noah's ark there. Some have even brought back pieces of wood that they claimed to have taken from the ark, though these claims have all been found to be false.

Will anyone ever really discover Noah's ark? Does it matter? Many believe that discovering the ark will prove the truth of the Bible, but there is plenty of evidence that proves the truth and accuracy of the Bible, whether the ark is ever discovered or not. For more information on how you can know for sure that the Bible is the reliable Word of God, request our free booklet Is the Bible True?