Lost Ship of Noah

This is a fascinating look at the mythical Ark of Noah the history of its reported sightings during the last century. A relatively new development was the discovery of a ship-shaped volcanic formation on Mount Judi, seventeen miles from Mount Ararat. The author makes a strong case for this location by pointing out that the Koran gives the resting place of the ark as Judi, simply meaning "heights," and that the Bible really says the "mountains," not mountain, of Ararat. This formation is found on the Akyayla Range and Berlitz speculates that the ship was petrified by a process of siliconization. It used to be buried but earthquakes in the area have caused it to rise and the ground around it has eroded away, leaving a more evident Ark shape. It certainly looks very interesting from the photographs. Another mystery is the occurrence of stone anchors on the Ararat plain - similar anchors are also found in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast of Spain, France, Ireland, and off the coast of California. Another interesting fact I learnt from this book, is that many types of animal life, species and genera, disappeared at the time that the glaciers melted and the climate changed. Some eleven to twelve thousand years ago something deadly modified all forms of animal life, causing whole species to vanish in gigantic hecatombs. These drowned animals have been found in vast numbers in high mountain caves and crevasses and in great bone yards in various parts of the world, like Wales, Devonshire, Southern England, Dakota, Nebraska and the Florida Everglades. He also discusses the frozen mammoths of Siberia. In the last chapter, The Ark and Reality, Berlitz looks at the myths of various peoples and quotes sections from the Mahabharata, where modern weaponry and bombs are mentioned. This chapter, after spelling out the problems facing the world, concludes with a plea to humanity to look after that other Ark - the earth. There are 42 black & white plates, illustrations, and hand-drawn maps of Mt. Ararat and of the larger area showing the above-mentioned Ark shape. The book concludes with a bibliography and index. I found it a riveting read!