My brain hurts. Here’s why: Yesterday, I received an email that told of a Dutch creationist named Johan Huibers, who got it in his head to build Noah’s Ark to the same specs that God gave Noah in the Bible. Of course, when I see something like this, I start asking questions. Here’s a sampling:
1. The email clearly states that Huibers is a Creationist. From this, I’d think it should be relatively safe to say that Mr. Huibers believes in the Bible as the literal, revealed, and perfect word of God, that ought not to be altered by one jot or tittle. I don’t begrudge him that belief, but if you’re going to approach the Bible in this way, then why alter God’s plan(s)? Huibers’ ark is, the email states, 150x30x20 (cubits). The King James and New International versions, on the other hand, pretty clearly state that God told Noah to build the Ark at 300x50x30. What gives?
2. Huibers used “modern tools.” Kinda nervy, don’t you think? I mean, if we’re going to do this, again, we ought to have done it right, using only materials and methods available in Noah’s time.
3. If you built a smaller Ark, where in the hell were you planning to put the animals? I mean, I know we’re killing off species like they’re going out of style, but I think that you’re going to find a startling lack of elbow room before you even get to the crawlies.
4. The new Ark has a theater on one of its decks. Blasphemers. Show me where it mentions Ham’s Netflix queue, or Japheth’s membership at Blockbuster. Whatever else they may’ve had in those days, I don’t remember seeing “film” mentioned anywhere. Not in the New Testament, and not even the Gnostics (there’s no “Treatise of the Great Louis B. Mayer.” I checked).
5. Here’s the big question, though. What do you think it cost, in terms of lumber, tools, and labor to build a boat that size? Not counting the fiberglass giraffes, the movie theater, the staff, the fire supression, the plumbing, and the movie theater? How many houses do you think could have been built with a similar quantity of raw material and labor? Had that money been put to other use, how many families might Huibers have sheltered, clothed, fed, and comforted?
Huibers’ purpose–and really, there’s no reason we shouldn’t take him at his word–says that he hopes the Ark will revive the visibility and fortunes of Christianity in the Netherlands, where church membership apparently isn’t as robust as it used to be. I can’t help but wonder what might have happened to Christianity in the Netherlands, and elsewhere, had Huibers lavished the same time, effort, and (okay, let’s be fair) love–albeit less ostentatiously–on his fellow man.
Hey there.
1. I have received several copies of an email with photos of the ark which was built back in 2007 – it is called “to scale” without mentioning that it is half the size of Noah’s Ark. A few seconds internet research would have shown you this. However Johan’s is now using the funds received from this ark model, as well as a big loan, to build a full-sized ark – according to the dimensions given in the Bible.
2. We don’t know what sort of tools they would have had in Noah’s time. Metal working had been around for several hundred years so it would not be a stretch to think they may have used hammers and nails etc, or tools that we don’t even have!
3. Crawlies don’t take up a lot of room!
Besides Noah’s ark only specified pairs of land animals & birds – but for sure crawlies would have been inadvertantly on the ark (hard to keep them off!). Many would also have survived on floating vegetation etc.
4. It doesn’t say whether Noah & his family spoke to each other on the boat also – so I think they were mute the whole time. ;P
5. According to BBC – Mr Huibers said his wife was not very keen on the idea. “She always says: ‘Why don’t you go dig wells in Ethiopia?’,” he said. “I’ve been involved in projects there before but she understands this is my dream.”
How many wells in Ethiopia have you dug Paul?
Building a boat to the dimensions of the Bible is a grand answer to the cynics who say – the animals couldn’t fit, or a boat that big wouldn’t float etc. It shows the Bible true.
Kerryanne, thanks for stopping by and for a thoughtful response. To address a few of your points:
1. It’s precisely because I did the research that I was able to pull not only Mr. Huibers’ ark’s dimensions, but also those of the original.
2. The same research uncovered the fact that he used power tools. I should, perhaps, have been more explicit on this point.
3. Point well taken re: crawlies.
4. I don’t know about your family, but if Noah’s family was like anybody I know, I’m sure there was plenty of talk. It’s easy enough to get a bit cross after a long car ride, to say nothing of weeks bobbing around in a large boat, so I can also picture Noah yelling to/at one or more of his family, “Don’t make me come back there!”
5. I’ll confess that I haven’t dug a single well in Ethiopia. But if I had the kind of money that’s already been spent on these projects… Let me be clear on something: I don’t take exception to someone wanting to witness to their faith. But let me be equally clear on something else, by way of repetition: I think that using the same time, effort, and money that’s built an ark (and the additional funds that will now, apparently, go to building yet another as if the point wasn’t made the first time) could’ve gone to anything from digging wells in Ethiopia to providing drinkable water in India, or even just helping the less fortunate in, say, Rotterdam.
Finally, you say, “Building a boat to the dimensions of the Bible is a grand answer to the cynics who say – the animals couldn’t fit, or a boat that big wouldn’t float etc. It shows the Bible true.”
It might do that, but if someone’s that cynical (ie. they’re going to pin the veracity, or lack thereof, of the Bible on a single point), one gets the feeling they’d just find some new thing to nitpick. What do you do then? Reconstruct the Tower of Babel?
We don’t need such grand gestures, cynics be damned.
I, too, received the aforementioned e-mail. In an effort to find out a little more I ended up here.
This man has built an educational display for the purpose of enlightening people on the prospects of God’s intervention in the affairs of man. God is apparently important to this fellow, and he chose to spend his own money and resources to express that fact.
I venture he spent less money on it than is spent every week on porno, drugs and gambling. However, the right to “do as they will” with their own would never be questioned for those pursuits.
Noah had a wife, 3 sons and their wives to help build the ark. Perhaps a few power tools equalled the playing field a bit.
The roughly 1.5 million cubic feet could have easily housed the 30,000 species of mammals, ampibians, reptiles and birds described as passngers on the ark. A large majority of the animals are smaller than 50 pounds in weight, and 10,000 of the species would have been birds.
Yes, the Bible is an interesting book, full of outlandish stories. However, the history and future of man is plainly written there. As we approach our single global governance and a single currency (news stories abound regarding these two facts) the words of Revelations 13:16,17 are seemingly much more possible than we ever imagined.
Do not be afraid. Yeshua lives.
With all due respect, you seem to be missing the point. The point was not to prove that the ark could have been built by Noah. I think most people would accept that if a person had enough time and enough money (even back in Noah’s day) that such a task could be completed. so really power tools, exact dimensions, fitting all the animals, and even having a theater on board really don’t matter. The man was trying to renew interest in the Almight God of the Bible and lets face, the ark he built is just cool and its a decent (albeit in no way perfect) representation of what Noah built and a great reminder to the people in the Netherlands. Now as far as the was it a wise use of the Lord’s money, I would have to disagree with you. I think it was. Here I am 5 years after this man was building this ark and I’ve been greatly encouraged all the way here in the United States by this ark building. True, he probably could have built a few houses or met the physical needs of a few people in Netherland but instead he peaked the spritual interest of thousands in the Creator of the Universe. You even looked up some Bible verses to find the dimensions of the original ark. And I know that God cares more about the eternal need or people to come to Him then He cares about the temporary physical needs of people. Now a person can argue about how to met a persons eternal need for Jesus Christ but this at least sparked peoples interest in Him in a way that a few houses never would have done.