Why does Noah's ark look different?

A supporter wrote in and asked why the mural of Noah’s ark in Noah’s Café looks somewhat different to the rectangular box-type ark biblical creationists have been using for years. Well, the “new” ark certainly gets people talking! I have reprinted David’s email below with my comments. Also, later this year, we will be offering a free booklet that explains the new ark (keep watch for this offer in our monthly letter). And by April next year, we will have a special video documentary completed that will fully explain this as well. (My comments are italicized.)

I noticed in the Museum blog for July the picture of the mural in the café area shows Noah’s Ark? Why is it the mural does not match with what Ken Ham and others say the ark looked like?

Actually, none of us know exactly how the ark looked. We have the dimensions from Scripture which give the overall perspective, which is why for many years biblical creationists have used the rectangular box shape that has become so well known.

Why is it showing the ark in that way? Are people not going to wonder about the consistency of your teachings?

Our teaching is no different—the dimensions of the ark are the same as what we’ve been teaching, and with three floors, door, etc.

I was just surprised to see the mural being different from the Noah’s ark DVD and the Noah’s ark model you sell.

Yes, it is different looking in some respects, and we will be producing a different model consistent with the “new look.”

I know they may say it is an artist rendition of Noah’s ark but then is not the little tub boat that is in so many Sunday schools also just the “artists rendition” of Noah’s ark?

One of the MAJOR differences between the “little tub boat” and the ark as we depicted it is that the “little tub arks” are NOT drawn using the dimensions of the real ark as our ark picture is. The “little tub arks” would not have been big enough to fit the animals and people and would not have survived a flood! “Little tub arks” make Noah’s ark look like a fairy tale. The ark depicted in our mural is drawn to scale based on the dimensions of the real ark.

The mural would have looked just as nice if the ark looked the way most of AiG’s models showed it to look.

When Dr. Henry Morris published his book The Genesis Flood in 1961, he was using the best creationist research of his time. Although the book is a classic, some of the material is now out-of-date as more research has been done, but it doesn’t change the thrust of the book at all.

The same holds true for the ark. Over the years, creation scientists have done more and more research on Noah’s ark. An engineer from Australia (Tim Lovett—who is now on staff with AiG–USA and working in the Creation Museum) worked for years with naval architects to test the model of Noah’s ark based on the Bible. Years of research found that if the front was flat, the forces from waves could cause major damage, but if shaped like the bow of a ship, then this solves the problem. Also, Tim found that a number of ancient ships were known to have a fin at the back. Tim did real water-tank experiments and found that when an enormous wave was generated, the old model of Noah’s Ark would turn sideways, and this could cause major problems. With a fin on the back, the ark then faced the wave which made it more stable. Thus, using the SAME dimensions and the SAME basic shape, Tim came up with some modifications that he has proposed, based on real-life experiments.

No one knows for sure, of course, but this is our new model of Noah’s ark, based on the dimensions and description given in the Bible (nothing in the new ark contradicts Scripture), with some modifications as a result of observational research.

I am just commenting and don’t wish to be mean as I love everything AiG is and stands for but I just was a bit surprised and confused as to why the ark was different in the mural. Aside from the ark being different, the mural is absolutely beautiful and the artist did a marvelous job!!

We hope this helps you understand the new shape. And yes, the mural is phenomenal! Our muralist is extremely talented and is so thrilled to use his talents for the Lord.

I have also included some photographs of the landscaping work. The pictures are of the work being done on the tropical forest area.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying.