Last time I wrote about the radar survey at the Durupınar formation in eastern Turkey. Now the team has shared photos and video of what they call charred wood pulled from about 30 feet underground.
What’s new
The fragments are dark and cracked, and some look like they have grain and growth rings. They’ve been sent for carbon-14 dating and species identification. Archaeologist Cenker Atila, who leads the work, calls them “very ancient” in his opinion, but he admits the results aren’t in.
He’s also honest about the open questions: are the room-like shapes actually parts of a ship, and does the wood belong to it at all?
My take
I love this stuff and I believe the Genesis account. But until the lab results come back and other researchers can check them, this is a photo of old wood, not proof. Our faith doesn’t hang on a dig site. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). I’ll post again when the dates come back.
God Bless, and Needs Garlic!
