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Granbury man joins archaeological expedition in search of Noah’s Ark Granbury TX / September 21, 2004 --- A Granbury man has been invited to join a Biblical archaeological expedition to Turkey in search of Noah’s Ark. Jeremy Wiles, age 25, is expected to meet the expedition team in Istanbul on October 4. He is the founder and president of Bible Treasures Films, an organization devoted to producing documentary films about Biblical archaeology. Wiles, who graduated last year from Tarleton University in Stephenville, said the expedition will spend 10 days doing scientific research in far Eastern Turkey near Mount Ararat. The team will also travel to Egypt and Israel. Wiles said the sudden invitation was an answer to prayer. “I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of finding evidence of Noah’s Ark,” said Wiles. “It would be the greatest archaeological discover in history. For the past two years, I’ve been thinking about making a documentary film about Noah’s Ark.” There has been reoccurring interest among archaeologists for over 20 years to conduct research on Mount Ararat. The most famous explorer was the late moon-walking astronaut James Irwin who led several abortive expeditions to Turkey’s towering Mount Ararat. Wiles, however, is convinced that researchers are “climbing the wrong mountain.” He points to the Biblical reference about Noah’s Ark. The Book of Genesis says the ark “rested upon the mountains of Ararat.” It is Wiles’ belief that the Scripture is referring to a mountain range, not a specific mountain. The upcoming expedition includes members from Sweden, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Team members will meet in Istanbul and travel over 900 miles to the desolate and rugged terrain of Eastern Turkey, near the borders of Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Instead of climbing Mount Ararat, the team will focus its research on a boat-shaped formation located 20 miles from the mountain, but still in the “mountains of Ararat.” The formation is 515 feet long, the exact dimensions noted in the Bible. To the naked eye, it looks like a fossilized ship buried in the ground. The research will be conducted at a site called Noah’s Ark National Park. The Turkish government declared the site a national park in 1987 after Ron Wyatt, a Biblical archaeologist who died in 2000, presented evidence substantiating his belief that it was truly the resting place of Noah’s Ark. The claim is hotly disputed among archaeologists. For more information: Visit www.TheQuestForBibleTreasures.com |
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