The Deluge Ends

The waters of the Flood remained on the earth unabated for 150 days. At the end of this time we are told that God caused a wind to begin the evaporation process. Also, the fountains of the deep were stopped, indicating that the subterranean aquifers were refilled, perhaps by a reversal of the tectonic forces that originally emptied them. At the end of the 150 days, the waters began to abate. After about 2 1/2 months the waters had substantially declined. After another three months, the water had disappeared from the land, and after another nearly two months the land was suitable for habitation.

The ark, we are told, came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat. Many spectacular claims have been made that a large, box-like, wooden object now rests atop Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. Several expeditions have been made to the alleged resting place of the ark, and several pieces of worked wood have supposedly been retrieved from the area. Some have claimed to see the ark embedded in ice and snow. For all the curious interest about Mount Ararat, however, Scripture simply does not tell us the precise place where the ark came to rest. It simply says that “the ark rested…upon the mountains [plural] of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4). That leaves a large area of possible locations, for Ararat is simply an ancient name for Armenia, a territory covering much of far eastern Turkey and western Iran. Mount Ararat is only the traditional site. More recently, there has been a great deal of interest in a massive boat-like formation in the hills near Mount Ararat, though some geologists regard it as simply a natural anomaly. In any event, the claims of adventurers to both sites have not been verified with any certainty. If the ark has endured these nearly 4,000 years, it would be a remarkable find. But God always mixes a need for faith into His revelation, and an “ark tour” might be too convenient.