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7/14/05

CanadianChristianity.com: Canadian New Brunswicker joins Noah's Ark expedition to Mount Ararat in Turkey

CanadianChristianity.com

Canadian New Brunswicker joins Noah's Ark expedition to Mount Ararat in Turkey

David Graves seems an improbable candidate for an archaeological expedition in search of Noah's Ark. He is the sole Canadian on the 18-member team with ArcImaging, an evangelical Christian archaeological research group preparing to scale Mount Ararat in Turkey this summer. Graves, director of computer services and a part-time faculty member at ABU, is more than a little excited about the prospect of climbing Mount Ararat. He is working on his doctorate in Biblical Studies from the University of Aberdeen and Highland Theological College in Scotland, and teaches archaeology as part of an ABU-Oxford program in England. The 48-year-old has visited many archaeological sites in Israel, Turkey and Egypt, but this will be his first "dig." Graves' main task on the mountain will be to run the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to map slices of everything beneath the ice to the mountain's volcanic surface. Ararat is 17,274 feet high -- the highest mountain in Turkey and the largest mountain in the world by mass. The mountain's peak above 15,000-foot elevation is under an icecap of 200-300 feet. Graves is undergoing rigorous physical training to improve stamina and cardiovascular fitness in preparation for the climb. He also hopes the training will help him avoid altitude sickness, a potentially fatal respiratory illness associated with oxygen-thin mountain air. Other hazards of the climb and mountaintop work site include lightning; no trees to protect from sudden snowstorms; steep, icy cliffs; plus wild dogs and scorpions at lower elevations. Graves is also endeavouring to raise $14,000 for his winter clothing, specialized ice-climbing equipment, training and general expenses. As a biblical scholar, Graves believes the biblical narrative of the Great Flood, which says that Noah's Ark went aground in Mount Ararat region. Faith and science can co-exist, he says and he believes this expedition is about seeking scientific proof for biblical fact.The team hopes the Turkish government will grant research visas for the trip. The international team, including nine Christian archaeologists, glaciologists, experienced Ararat climbers and photographers, is being recruited to investigate the site sometime between July 15 and August 15. The threat of military manoeuvers -- the cause of visa refusals for the last couple of years -- may prove their biggest obstacle. Mount Ararat is on the border of Iraq and Iran, with Middle East tensions posing danger to outsiders.

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