NOAH "S ARK ;

In the first half of the program, author and publisher, Larry Stone , discussed his extensive research into Noah's Ark. He stressed that the tale of Noah is not merely a Biblical story, since it can also be found in the Koran, and that there are huNOAHndreds of similar accounts of the legend throughout ancient cultures around the world as well. To those who believe the story happened as it is told in the Bible, he said, the event is suspected to have taken place around 5,000 years ago. Regarding the animals on the ship, Stone noted that researchers of the Ark story have surmised that approximately 16,000 creatures would have been required to satisfy God's orders to save "two of every kind," since 'kind' may not have necessarily meant specific 'species.' Since most of these animals would have weighed less than 200 pounds, he argued that the logistics of such a project were actually not as complex as it might seem.

Stone also detailed various instances, in the modern era, of people looking for the Ark at Mt. Ararat in Turkey, where it is believed to have settled after the flood. He shared one particularly intriguing story about an oil explorer, named George Green, who commissioned a helicopter to fly him over Ararat in search of the ship in 1953. Allegedly, the mission was a success and he took high quality pictures of the ancient boat resting on the mountain. Green would go on to show these photos to prospective investors in the hopes of funding a future expedition to the mountain. Later, on a trip to Guiana, Green was found murdered and the contents of his briefcase, which were likely the Noah's Ark pictures, went missing. While it remains increasingly difficult to travel to Mt. Ararat in search of the Ark, Stone noted that locals claim that "God will reveal the Ark to an unbelieving world" just prior to the End Times.