At MoBible, we are committed to providing accurate and reliable information about biblical archaeology and related topics. Unfortunately, not all sources of information on the internet share this goal. One example is the widely circulated claim that Noah’s Ark has been discovered on Mount Ararat, which we have previously debunked. In this article, we will examine another such claim, the alleged discovery of Noah’s Ark in Iran by a Chinese-Turkish team, and evaluate its credibility based on the available evidence.

The Claim and its Proponents

In 2010, a team of explorers led by a man named Parasara Sinha claimed to have found the remains of Noah’s Ark in the mountains of Iran. Sinha, a Hindu and a former Indian naval officer, was working with a group of Chinese and Turkish colleagues who had supposedly used advanced technology to detect the Ark’s location. The team reportedly took pictures and video footage of the site, which they said showed wooden beams and other features consistent with the biblical description of the Ark.

The claim was publicized by several media outlets, including the Daily Mail, which described the discovery as “the biggest archaeological find of all time”. However, as we shall see, the claim quickly came under scrutiny and was eventually debunked by experts in the relevant fields.

The Evidence and its Evaluation

One of the first red flags about the claim was the lack of any peer-reviewed scientific publication by the team. They only presented their findings in a press conference in Hong Kong, and did not allow independent experts to examine the site. Furthermore, the photographs and video footage they released were of poor quality and did not provide any clear or convincing evidence of the Ark’s existence.

When the claim received more attention, some experts in geology, archaeology, and biblical studies began to express their doubts. For example, geologists pointed out that the site in question was a geological formation known as a anticline, which was not conducive to preserving wooden structures for thousands of years. Archaeologists noted that the site had been known and excavated for decades, and had never yielded any evidence of the Ark. Biblical scholars pointed out that the dimensions and details of the Ark in the Bible were not consistent with the alleged remains, and that the story of the Flood was not intended to be read as a historical account but as a theological lesson.

Yeung Wing-Cheung admitted that the team had used deception and manipulation to raise funds and promote their claim

Eventually, even some team members began to back away from their claims. One of the Chinese explorers, Yeung Wing-Cheung, admitted in a documentary that aired on the National Geographic Channel in 2012 that they had not found the Ark, but only some wooden beams that could have been from a structure built by humans. He also said that the team had used deception and manipulation to raise funds and promote their claim, and that they had destroyed some of the site’s geological features in the process.

The Lessons and the Challenges

The alleged discovery of Noah’s Ark in Iran illustrates some of the challenges and pitfalls of dealing with controversial and sensational claims in the internet age. On the one hand, such claims can generate a lot of attention and interest, and can lead to important discoveries and insights. On the other hand, they can also spread misinformation and confusion, undermining the credibility and integrity of legitimate research and scholarship.

As consumers of information, it is therefore important to exercise critical thinking and skepticism and to check the sources and credentials of the claims we encounter. As producers of information, it is important to adhere to ethical and professional standards, and to subject our work to peer review and constructive criticism.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the claim that Noah’s Ark has been found in Iran by a Chinese-Turkish team is not supported by the available evidence, and has been discredited by experts in various fields. While it is natural to be curious and fascinated by the story of the Flood and the search for the Ark, we should be cautious and discerning when evaluating claims that lack scientific and scholarly support.

MoBible is committed to promoting sound and rigorous research on biblical archaeology and providing accurate and accessible information to our readers. We hope this article has helped clarify some of the issues surrounding the alleged discovery of Noah’s Ark, and to encourage a deeper and more informed understanding of this important topic.