Ark Tracker Updated

Claim Debunked What does “Debunked” mean?

Fernand Navarra says he recovered Ark timber from Ararat

· by Fernand Navarra

Fernand Navarra said he and his son recovered a hand-hewn beam from an ice-covered structure on Ararat, later published in his book J'ai trouvé l'Arche de Noé.

Mount Ararat seen from Doğubayazıt (site photo, not of this event)
Site photo, not of this event. Iskan21 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

What is claimed

The wood came from Noah's Ark; early non-radiocarbon tests were reported to suggest an age of about 5,000 years.

What is established

Later radiocarbon tests by several labs dated the 1955 samples to roughly 1,200-1,700 years old, far too young for the Ark. The New York Times reported in 1970 that Navarra nonetheless remained convinced the timbers came from the Ark. Per Wikipedia, Sehap Atalay said in 1962 that Navarra gave him the wood, and Jean de Riquer accused Navarra in 1970 of trying to buy old wood from villagers in 1952.

Claimant
Fernand Navarra
Site
Mount Ararat

Sources (3)

  1. Noah's Ark: I Touched It (Fernand Navarra)
    Internet Archive (Logos International edition) · published
  2. Searches for Noah's Ark
    Wikipedia · published
  3. Experts to Study Ruins Linked to Ark
    The New York Times · published

Referenced by

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