Tag Archives: Mount Ararat

Report by Gordon Franz on the “International Noah and Judi Mountain Symposium” – Sirnak, Turkey

Gordon Franz sent me the report on his recent visit to southeastern Turkey and the “International Noah and Judi Mountain Symposium.” He said, “If you want to post it on your site, you are more than welcome.” This is an issue of much importance, and I am delighted to share it with our readers and help give it wide distribution.

Twice I have visited Eastern Turkey. In 2007 I was aware of the argument for Cudi Dagh (or Mount Judi), but was advised by my Turkish tour operator not to go to the mountain. Still hopeful of seeing the mountain someday.

Here is the first part of Gordon’s report:

Report on the “International Noah and Judi Mountain Symposium” – Sirnak, Turkey

By Gordon Franz

Introduction
The “International Noah and Judi Mountain” symposium was held in Sirnak, Turkey, under the auspices of Sirnak University. One of the purposes of this conference was to set forth the case for Cudi Dagh, the mountain just to the south of Sirnak, as the landing-place of Noah’s Ark in South East Turkey. This mountain is not to be confused with the (late) traditional Mount Ararat, called Agri Dagh, in northeastern Turkey.

Ararat (Agri Dagh) in north eastern Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Traditional Mount Ararat (Agri Dagh) in north eastern Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Interestingly, at this conference I learned of another mountain that allegedly Noah’s Ark landed on. It is located at Mount Gemikaya in Azerbaijan. By my count, that is the sixth mountain vying for the honors of this historical event: two in Turkey, three in Iran, and one in Azerbaijan. The Iranian and Azerbaijani sites are far outside the Land of Ararat / Urartu, and in the case of the Iranian sites, deep inside the Land of Media. We can safely dismiss these mountains as the place where Noah’s Ark landed according to the Bible. To be truthful, Agri Dagh must be dismissed as well because it is a post-Flood volcanic peak in a plain, and not within the “mountains (plural) of Ararat” (Gen. 8:4).

The Setting of the Symposium
The symposium was held at the Sehr-I Nuh Otel (translation: Noah’s City Hotel) in Sirnak, just north of Cudi Dagh (Cudi or Judi Mountain). This mountain is within the “mountains of Ararat” (Gen. 8:4) where Noah’s Ark landed. The facilities at the hotel were first class, the food was absolutely delicious, and we had a spectacular view of Cudi Dagh from the panorama view windows as we ate our meals.

Cudi Dagh (Mount Judi). Photo courtesy of Dr. Mark Wilson.

Cudi Dagh (Mount Judi). Photo courtesy of Dr. Mark Wilson.

Special thanks goes to Dr. Mehmet Ata Az, a philosophy professor at Sirnak University, for coordinating the speakers and making sure our needs were met. He truly has a servant’s heart and our best interest in mind. Thank you my friend!

— ♦ —

At this point Gordon gives a synopsis of select papers, including his own on the topic, “Did Sennacherib, King of Assyria, Worship Wood from Noah’s Ark?

Read the report in its entirety at Gordon’s Life and Land Seminars site. I think you will be profited, and perhaps enlightened, by doing so.

Text and Canon in Providence, RI

For the past few days I have been in Providence, RI, attending meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and the Near East Archaeological Society (NEAS). The theme for the ETS annual meeting was Text and Canon. I attended the four plenary session papers. These were extremely worthwhile. Here are the topics and speakers:

  • Old Testament Text – Peter J. Gentry
  • Old Testament Canon – Stephen Dempster
  • New Testament Text – Daniel B. Wallace
  • New Testament Canon – Charles E. Hill

Current, scholarly, material on these topics are needed among God’s people today.

I also attend several sessions of the NEAS. I heard Bryant Wood present evidence suggesting that Mount Sinai possibly should be identified with Gebel Khashm et-Tarif, and calling for more research in the area. This site is located about 22 miles north-northwest of the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat in the Wilderness of Paran on the current Egyptian side of the border. For more information check the Associates for Biblical Research website here.

In one session I heard Rex Geissler present some of the historical evidence for the area of ancient Urartu as the place associated with Noah’s Ark. Rex is president of Archaeological Imaging Research Consortium (ArcImaging). Over at the Biblical Studies Info Page I have several links to good photos by Rex in various parts of the world. You can get to his material at the ArcImaging page.

Bill Crouse presented material to bolster the case for an identification of the landing place of the ark with Mount Cudi in southereastern Turkey. I think Gordan Franz presented material in defense of this view also, but I was unable to be present.

There were two reports on the excavations this year at Tel Gezer in Israel.

Crossway, publisher of the English Standard Version of the Bible, has been sponsoring a special lecture for the past few years. The lecture this year featured Gregory K. Beale of Wheaton College on The Authority of Scripture: A Biblical Theology According to John’s Apocalypse. This was a great paper. Beale is author of The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary). I had heard Beale speak before, but it was a pleasure to hear him again and visit for a few moments. I am honored that my The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation is mentioned in a footnote of this commentary.

Ferrell Jenkins and Gregory K. Beale at ETS Annual Meeting. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Ferrell Jenkins and Gregory K. Beale at ETS Annual Meeting. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

The book display at ETS has grown substantially over the years I have been attending the annual meetings(since 1975). The professors and others who attend get an opportunity to buy the recent publications in biblical studies at a sizable discount. I buy very few these days, but I have taken advantage of this opportunity over the years.

Well, its on to Boston for more meetings.

For a Florida guy, I must say that it is cold up here.

From the mountains of Ararat to the island called Patmos

Or, from Genesis to Revelation. I did not make an intentional plan to do so, but within the past twelve months I have visited areas of the Bible world, from the mountains of Ararat to the island of Patmos. What a blessing to have the opportunity to spend about four weeks in Turkey, covering most of the sites mentioned in the Bible, about 10 days in Greece, more than a week in Israel, and a week in Jordan.

This means that I have been able to visit some of the most significant portions of the Bible world. Better than visiting the area alone, I have been able to share the area with other teachers (both men and women) who will be incorporating this information into their lessons for years to come.

When I first reflected on the past year and realized that I had been to Mount Ararat, in the mountains of Ararat, and on the Island of Patmos, I realized that this covers from Genesis 6 to the book of Revelation. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I have visited every place in between, but it does give a sense of comprehensive overview.

Here are a couple of photos I trust you will find helpful. The first is of a shepherd with his sheep in the mountains of Ararat. Remember that the book of Genesis records that Noah’s ark rested “upon the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4).

This photo was made at the entry to the cave of the Apocalypse on “the island called Patmos” (Revelation 1:9). John was exiled here during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. Whether the book of Revelation was written on Patmos, or after John’s release, we can not say with certainty. The mosaic over the entry to the cave shows John dictating the revelation given to him by the Lord.

It is my conviction that Bible land travel can enhance one’s Bible study and improve one’s understanding of the text. This, in turn, needs to be converted to action in obedience to the will of the Lord, and in service to Him.

Biblical Sites in Eastern Turkey

For the past two weeks I have been working on a presentation for a class at the Florida College Annual Lectures (February 5, 2008 at 9 a.m. in Puckett Auditorium). I plan to make a similar presentation at the Citrus Park Church of Christ, 5105 W. Ehrlich Road, Tampa, FL, Sunday evening January 27 at 5 p.m. If you live in the Tampa Bay area I would be pleased to have you present for this lesson.

I have visited biblical sites all over Turkey for many years. Two personal study trips have been made to the eastern part of the country, one in 1995, and another in June, 2007. Check the June archives for those blogs.

Our presentation will cover the land of Urartu (biblical Ararat), Mount Ararat, Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Harran, Carchemish, and a few other places. We will be looking at the biblical, historical, and geographical information that makes these places important in Bible history.

Here is a photo of Mount Ararat from June, 2007. The mountain is located near the Turkish border with Iran and Armenia, and many think it was the landing place of Noah’s ark (Genesis 6-9).

Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins

Where did Noah’s Ark land?

Bible and Spade has made the Fall 2006 issue available in PDF. The entire issue deals with questions of current interest to scholars about the landing of Noah’s Ark. Some recent claims that the ark might have landed in Iran are discussed. The evidence for the two main sites (or regions) in Eastern Turkey are discussed in detail.

One of the main sites is on, or near, Mount Ararat. The mountain is located just a few miles from the Iranian border in eastern Turkey. Here is a photo I made at Mount Ararat earlier in the summer.

Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins

The other location is Mount Cudi in southeastern Turkey near the border with Iraq. We were unable to visit this site due to the issues between Turkey and the PKK (very much in the news lately).

The Bible says the ark came to rest on the “mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4). Either of these sites fall within that description.

You may download the Fall 2006 issue of Bible and Spade here in PDF (2.0 MB).

Bible and Spade - Fall 2006

I recommend Bible and Spade. I subscribe and have the back issues in Logos Libronix format for easy searching. Go here for more information about subscribing or securing the back issues. Dr. Bryant G. Wood is the editor of Bible and Spade.