Who doesn’t think that a year-long cruise traversing the high seas in a ginormous wooden ark, accompanied by a boatload of cool animals, would be a unique—and fun—way to escape a sin-saturated world? Well, kind of. As endearing and amusing as animals can be, for Noah and his family, it was more laborious than uproarious as they were tasked with feeding some 7,000 animals daily, not to mention being responsible for an all-hands-on-deck, 24/7 cleanup.
To the modern mind, it’s nearly impossible to conceive of such a fantastical event—hence the standard questions: How big really was Noah’s ark? Exactly how many animals were on board; what were they fed; and how was all that food stored? And here’s the kicker: How in the name of physics did two of every kind of animal in the entire world even fit on the ark?
Fortunately, boarding a time-travel capsule to get the lowdown on the logistics, is unnecessary. Instead, Answers in Genesis—a nonprofit organization devoted to enabling Christians to defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ effectively—hosts the live interactive Noah’s Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. Ark Encounter satisfies natural curiosities with both science and proof text, while offering visitors a boatload of fun. It features a full-size Noah’s ark replica of biblical proportions. Spanning 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high, this modern engineering marvel is longer than one-and-a-half football fields. It’s also the largest timber-frame structure in the world.
Ark Encounter’s self-guided tour spans the time from pre-Flood to post-Flood and takes the average person about 5–6 hours to completely navigate its three levels. Some of the exhibits include replicas of rhinos, dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs!) and some humanoids. But it’s not just science museum exhibit-style animals (representing many extinct species) that visitors can see on the tour … there’s a real zoo too!
In contrast to the Noah’s ark replica, the animals found at The Ark Encounter’s Ararat Ridge Zoo are not fake, but very much alive. (It even includes a “zorse”—a cross between a zebra and a horse.) In addition, any one of the Ark’s replicated creatures is distinctly different from its modern, living counterpart. The Ark’s featured creatures include a thylacosmilus (saber-toothed tiger), an entelodont (a pig-like predator) and a chalicothere (a horse–rhino combo), making it clear by comparison that the cats and dogs of today (not to mention just about every other animal currently roaming the earth), would have looked very different in Noah’s day. On that point, evolutionists and creationists can agree.
Toward the end of the Ark’s interactive experience, visitors will see a “frozen-in-time” Noah releasing a dove—the bird that famously delivered the message to all on board that it was finally safe to leave the ark. After a year spent afloat their watery vessel, terra firma was a welcomed sight for the prophet-turned-ship captain and his family.
This immersive ark experience offers visitors a wealth of information about the flood, Noah’s family, the fascinating animals and the ship that bore them away from a world full of wickedness.
Board a life-size Noah’s Ark and imagine what it would have been like to be the only ones saved from a doomed world, while realizing you and your family represent the only hope for humankind. Email Cindy at cindy@israeladvantagetours.com orvisit www.israeladvantagetours.com to make your trip of a lifetime a reality!
Originally posted at israeladvantagetours.com