Noah's Ark has been found!
<BACK
One of the most
interesting feature of this site was two large stones, one sitting upright and one lying flat on
the ground. Carved on these stones were a most exciting picture:
across the top of each was a very simple arc-shape which looked like a
simple representations of a three story boat; below this was a
curly-cue which looked like an ocean wave, and walking away from this boat and wave were eight people --
the first and the largest was a man; next and second largest was a
woman; the next three were all the same size and all smaller than the
largest woman, and they were men; and the last 3 and the smallest,
were three women.
A reasonable explanation
for why eight crosses were chiseled on most of the anchor stones is
that they undoubtedly represented the eight people on the Ark.
There is the possibility
that these crosses were chiseled in these stones by the Knights of St.
John between 1085 and 1522. One of their tasks was to safeguard
holy sites and the routes pilgrims took to these sites.
All but one of the stones
had eight Maltese crosses carved on them, and the crosses have eight points on
them. The Maltese Cross's 8 points are said to symbolize the 8
Beatitudes and the Beatitudes' associated obligations. This honored symbol originated with a group of eleventh century
knights who were serving in a Jerusalem hospital. They became known as
the Order of Knights Hospitaller and later became the Knights of St.
John. This charitable organization cared for the ill with great
compassion.
The Knights of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem (to give their full name) was originally established in 1085
as a community of monks responsible for looking after the sick at the
Hospital of St. John in Jerusalem. They later became a military order,
defending crusader territory in the Holy Lands and
safeguarding the perilous routes taken by
medieval pilgrims. The Knights came to Malta in 1530, having
been ejected from their earlier home on Rhodes by the
Turks in 1522.
The Maltese crosses and the depiction of
the Ark and its crew on these stones gives the distinct impression
that this was a Christian pilgrimage site sometime between the years
1100 and 1500. But I have not found any
historical account yet that proves it. And if the stones
were a pilgrimage site, it does not prove that the Ark was also a
pilgrimage site. We can call this
"enticing evidence," but it is not "verifiable proof" yet. More
research needs to be done.
Pictures of displays inside the tourist pavilion
<BACK
Contributions for
study of site are tax
deductible through: Mission Service Ministries
16261 Pin Oak Rd.
Fayetteville, Ark. 72704
(479) 443-2135 |