The declassifying of a four page CIA document entitled “Report Re: Noah’s Ark” revealed that for several years America’s secret service studied a location thought to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark, the Daily Mail reports.

According to the Biblical record, God judged the world with a great flood. He preserved Noah and his family, along with two pairs of animals, birds and reptiles in a large ark to restart life on earth.

As the waters subsided Noah’s “ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4 NASV). We notice that the text reads mountains. It means that it rested somewhere within the Ararat mountain range. It does not say that it rested on a specific mountain.

For nearly ten years (1974-1982), the CIA actively searched for the ark. It focused on one particular formation with its boat like feature that many believe is the ark’s final resting place. The physical dimensions of the site actually match the size of Noah’s ark.

Referred to as the Durupınar formation, it is found on Mount Tendüek in Eastern Turkey. According to reports, the site, located near the town of Agri, is 2,000 meters above sea level.

Senior officials with the CIA requested that satellites be positioned to take photos of the site. They even ordered the U-2 spy plane be sent over the site to take pictures.

During this eight year period, the CIA received over ten requests by senior government officials for more information on the site. There is no indication in the four page report on why the officials were requesting this information.

Though, the CIA did not find any evidence of Noah’s ark from its high level photographs, the Daily Mail reports a ground examination of Durupinar by researchers from Istanbul Technical University, Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, and Andrews University in Michigan uncovered some tantalizing results.

An analysis of the soil and rock found evidence of ancient marine life. It meant that at one point this site which is 1.2 miles above seal level was once covered with water. It also revealed that these ancient remains were between 3,500 to 5,000 years old putting them within the time frame of Noah’s ark.

This is not surprising, because marine fossils are often found on top of earth’s mountains, including the world’s largest mountain, Everest. While geologists suggest this was caused by tectonic activity, the Bible provides an alternative theory that the mountains were once completely covered in water.

A study of the area around the Durupınar Formation also uncovered evidence of ancient human settlements.

Stories of a world wide flood abound in ancient cultures around the world

It is estimated that there are approximately 300 stories of a worldwide flood found in ancient cultures around the world.

This includes among the aborigines in Australia, Indian tribes in America like the Pueblo, Hopi and Cheyenne.

In his book, Mythology of the Blackfoot Tribe, D. C. Duvall relays the interesting story of a great flood from the Blackfoot Tribe who inhabited the Northern American state of Montana and Western Canada. During the great flood and the people climbed a giant mountain to escape the rising waters. While they were there a god, called Napi, gave them water and food. When they drank the water, the people began speaking in different languages.

This parallels the Biblical record which tells us that shortly after the flood, God divided people into different language groups after they started building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11).

There are also stories of a great flood in the Hindu religion in India. In their ancient accounts dated to around 700 BC -300 BC, they tell of people and animals being preserved in a great boat and protected by a god during a massive flood that covered the mountains.

Stories of a great flood are found in Latin America and South America among the Inca, Aztecs and Mayans, Stories abound in Asia of a great flood including China, Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand.

One story out of China states that Fuhi, his wife, three sons and three daughters, survived the flood and repopulated the world. In the Biblical account we have the same number surviving, including Noah, his wife and three sons and their wives.

The Greeks also have stories of a great flood as do several ancient European civilizations.

While these stories are typically written off as myths, many are puzzled as to why we find world-wide flood stories around the world.

The Bible offers an explanation. In fact, we should not be surprised that flood stories pop up in different cultures.

The Bible states that God divided the world into different language groups and nations at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Though they would create their own unique histories from this point onward, everything before this, including the world wide flood, was common history to all.

Though these accounts passed down from generation to generation were distorted over time, they still tell a similar, ancient story.