

      ."".                           "NO STONE UNTURNED" 
    ."    ". R A R A T  REPORT       
  ~~        ~~ 
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 BILL CROUSE, EDITOR       FEB/MARCH 87      (c) 1987           NUMBER 2 
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                       POST WWII SIGHTINGS 

    The cold war began shortly after WWII. Turkey became one of the stages 
where this drama of confrontation between superpowers was played.  Along with 
Jupiter missiles, the Americans set up elaborate listening devices in Turkey 
to monitor Soviet activity.  Cat and mouse games to gauge Soviet readiness 
were played out almost on a daily basis.  The Americans sent fighter planes to 
the proximity of the Soviet border while the men on the ground checked the 
responses of the Soviet defenses. Captain Gregor Schwinghammer, now a Pan Am 
instructor and pilot, was one of the players in this game.  Since Ararat is 
near the Soviet border, there were many fly-bys around the mountain.  During 
one such excursion, a Turkish pilot participating in the maneuvers volunteered 
to show some of the American pilots Noah's Ark. Schwinghammer took all this in 
a light vein but went along. 

   The editor of AR discussed this incident with Schwinghammer about two years 
ago. The only thing really clear in his memory was that it definitely looked 
like a structure of some kind.  He likened it to the long rectangular chicken 
houses he had seen in the midwest.  It didn't really hit him that this could 
be Noah's Ark until he saw the movie In Search of Noah's Ark  on TV.  
Schwinghammer still is not sure what it was but he maintains it definitely was 
a structure. 

   An interesting thing to note here about Schwinghammer is that he later flew 
many bombing missions in Vietnam with the particular responsibility of 
spotting the targets on the ground.  We mention this to point out that the man 
was trained to spot objects from a plane. 
 
   To read more on the Schwinghammer experience, see Berlitz' first book 
Doomsday 1999 A.D. and the update in his latest book mentioned in this issue. 
Schwinghammer now claims that the object he saw looked like the Hagopian 
description as drawn by Elfred Lee. 

   Schwinghammer had a recollection of the U-2 pilots also seeing something in 
photos. They flew out of the same base in Adana. As you will recall from the 
Gary Powers' incident the Americans were flying reconnoissance missions deep 
into the heart of the Soviet Union.  On many occasions this took them right 
over Ararat. 

   In the spring of 1985, one Sunday morning, we received a phone call at 7:00 
a.m. with the caller excitedly telling us that he knew someone who had seen 
photographs of the Ark while in the Air Force.  After garnering some of the 
facts, we made an appointment to see this man to check out his story. 
  
   After his basic training, this man spent most of his four years in the Air 
Force in top security work at a large base in the midwest.  His job was to 
process film as it was brought into the lab from around the world.  
Apparently, our U-2's were surreptitiously filming the whole world, even 
friendly countries, in order to pin-point possible bomb targets when and if 
this action ever became necessary.  Our man remembers film coming in from 
eastern Turkey.  After he and others processed the film it was turned over to 
another crew who were responsible for the analysis. What he remembers is the 
perplexity these men had over a certain object high in the snows of Ararat.  

   It seems they could not figure out what the Turks could have built of that 
size at that extreme altitude.  What could it be?  Finally,  he recalled 
hearing one of them jokingly exclaim:  "It must be Noah's Ark!"  Being a 
Christian at the time, our friend pricked up his ears and went over for a 
closer look.  Basically, what he remembers is a barge-like object sticking out 
of the ice with most of it still buried.  Since he was in top security he told 
no one of the incident.  Being a distant event he apparently felt it was O.K. 
to now share the experience with the hope that it might yield some clue to the 
Ark's whereabouts. 

   Upon discharge from the Air Force this gentleman enrolled in a Baptist 
college near this Air Force base to prepare for the ministry.  While at this 
college, he recalls another incident while strolling around the student lounge 
one day.  To his surprise he noticed on the bulletin board a photo cut out of 
a newspaper with the caption "Could this be Noah's Ark?"  He did a double take 
when he realized it was from the roll he had processed only a few years 
previously in the lab.  He wondered who dared disclose the photograph because 
he remembered how his superiors drilled into them the subject of secrecy and 
the penalty involved. 

   To this day he does not know if it was Noah's Ark but he wonders what else 
it could have been.  This man (who wishes to remain anonymous) was once a 
pastor of a large Baptist church in Kansas City.  Today he is a marriage and 
family counselor in a large clinic in Dallas.  We know this man personally and 
can attest that his reputation is impeccable. 
  
   To add further authenticity to this story, in the summer of '85, Col. Jim 
Irwin met an American two-star General in Turkey who also claimed to have seen 
a file labeled Noah's Ark and a slide purporting to be the Ark while stationed 
at an Air Force base in the midwest (not the same base).  We are not privy to 
all the details of the General's testimony, but as far as we know, nothing new 
has turned up despite the General's promise to try and locate the photographs. 

   In 1953 an American employed by an American oil company not only claimed to 
have seen the Ark while flying by in a helicopter, he also took a number of 
photographs.  Upon returning to the states this man, George J. Greene, was 
unsuccessful in trying to raise support for a ground expedition.  Some time 
later he died, or was murdered in South America. Many people however, saw his 
photographs, too many in fact for this to have been a fictitious story.  A 
more complete account of Greene's discovery can be found in Noah's Ark: Fact 
or Fable by Violet Cummings (213ff). 

    For two very good reasons we are now 99% convinced that what George Greene 
saw was a large rock formation that is known to most Ark researchers.  The 
particular formation we refer to came to light in the mid-seventies as a 
result of an expedition led by Tom Crotser of the Holy Ground Mission.  The 
movie, In Search of Noah's Ark, which we refer to elsewhere in this issue, 
zooms in on the Crotser photograph and shows an object with planking clearly 
visible.  Ark researchers have looked this photo over carefully and have 
questioned its authenticity.  It appeared to have been retouched.  We now know 
for a fact that it was indeed retouched, but not with any fraudulent intent, 
so says  Mr. David Fry, of Cleburne, TX a former acquaintance of Crotser's. 

    Fry met Crotser in a photo print shop in Dallas where he noticed Crotser's 
scenic mountain photos.  When he was informed that the mountain scenery was 
Ararat, the two learned they had a mutual interest in Biblical history.  Fry 
agreed to assist Crotser in the analysis of the photo containing an 
interesting ship-shaped object.  Since they had shots of the object from 
different angles Fry studied it stereo-scopically.  While doing so, he noticed 
lines that seemed to run parallel length-wise on the object when viewed 
through a magnifying lense.  Fry simply enhanced these lines and presented the 
photo to Crotser who then proceded to publicly proclaim the lines as planking 
on a structure.  He also began announcing to the press that the structure was 
Noah's Ark.  

    The object in question is positively located on the eastern rim of the 
Ahora Gorge at approximately 12,000 feet.  It was photographed by Bob Stuplich 
from the air in 1983 and by expeditions on the ground. 

    There are two reasons to link the Greene and Crotser sightings.  Our first 
reason for concluding that Greene's and Crotser's objects are one and the same 
is their similarity to the sketch made by Fred Drake who claimed to have 
viewed Greene's photographs. 

    Mr. Fry was kind enough to lend us a photograph of the object which he 
said was made from one of the Crotser's slides.  The object was shot at eye 
level from the western rim of the gorge much the same as Greene would have 
done from the helicopter, only from further away. 

    To us the similarity is striking!  The object lies almost due north and 
south exactly as Greene described it.  The object is on a kind of rock shelf 
over-looking a shear drop-off.  When viewing Stuplich's aerial photos it 
appears that a side shot would also look just as Drake sketched it. Cummings 
also reports that Greene was flying over the northeastern side of the mountain 
(p.219). 

    The fact that the object is at about 12,000 feet also supports our 
contention. This is about the ceiling for a helicopter in the early '50s. We 
did some checking on this awhile back and found that there was a high 
performance French helicopter that could have flown to the summit of the 
mountain, but it is doubtful that Greene would have had one of these at his 
disposal. 

    This of course does not seal the case in concrete.  We will never know for 
certain until we actually see Greene's photos. However, we said that there 
were two reasons why we are convinced that Greene saw the same rock formation 
that Crotser photographed in 1974. 

    Rod Younquist, engineer and veteran of several trips to Ararat, related to 
AR that he once met members of Crotser's expedition who informed him that they 
had shown their photographs to people who had also viewed Greene's missing 
photographs.  Upon viewing the Holy Ground Mission photographs their response 
was: "Oh, where did you get George Greene's photographs?" Hence our second 
reason is the fact that Greene's friends mistakenly identified the Crotser 
photographs as Greene's. 

    When Fry saw some of our slides of this object from different vantage 
points he too became doubtful.  However, he said it really looks convincing 
when viewed stereo-scopically.  He would like to see more photographs to have 
added confirmation.  We agree.  Perhaps one of our readers may have a close up 
of this formation. 

(In subsequent issues we will continue our investigation of post WWII 
sightings.) 


EVOLUTION CONTRA CHRISTIANITY 

    Why are evolutionists so opposed to the subject of special creation?  Is 
it due to the overwhelming superiority of the evidence?  We think not.  The 
real reason these two positions are so at loggerheads is much deeper than 
evidence.  The conflict begins back at the presuppositional level. 
Presuppositions are those beliefs that are foundational; they are taken in 
faith and they dictate how one interprets the data of experience.  All world 
views rest on these presuppositions or assumptions.  What we have between 
Evolution and Christianity is a collision of world views.  We thought it would 
be helpful to our readers to pinpoint what some of these conflicting 
assumptions are.  First, we will list these side by side: 

 Christian                   Evolutionary 

 1. Man fell from a      1. Living things   
    higher estate.          are evolving    
    (devolution)            to higher forms. 
                               
 
 2. There is a qual-     2. Only a quant- 
    itative difference      itative differ-
    between man and the     ence. 
    animals. 

 3. God's providence     3. Chance. 
    in nature. 

 4. True moral values.   4. Only mores. 
 
 5. Open universe.       5. Closed universe. 
 
 6. Man needs re-        6. Man needs more 
    demption.               time. 

 7. There is purpose     7. No purpose. 
    in the universe. 

    In future issues it is our plan to expound on these assumptions point by 
point so our readers will know from whence the Creation-Evolution controversy 
arises. 

ARK MOVIES 

    We've had several responses to our inquiry in the January issue concerning 
the Bart LaRue movie, The Ark of Noah.  We now have  our own copy and have 
viewed it several times with great interest.  Our tape  library now contains 
quite a few hours of various Ark films and we thought it might be a service to 
our readers to review what we've learned about other Ark films and where our 
readers might have access to them. 

    What intrigues us is that more than four films about the search for Noah's 
Ark appeared in one year, 1976!  Incidentally, we know of at least eight or 
nine books on the subject of the Ark and the Flood that appeared between '72 
and '76.  Certainly this must have inspired film-makers to take advantage of 
the interest generated by the books. 

    We don't know who qualifies as being first, but two of the films produced 
that year are feature-length and were shown in theaters.  A videotape of the 
aforementioned Bart LaRue film can still be ordered from:  United 
Entertainment, Inc., 6535 E. Skelley Dr., Tulsa, OK  74145.  The cost is 
$39.95.  Their phone number is 918-622-6460. 

    This movie is of interest to Ark researchers because of its historic 
footage from Navarra, Search Foundation, and the Archaeological Research 
Foundation.  The movie itself plods along, contains many historical 
inaccuracies, and is anti-Turkish in tone.  LaRue himself is persona non-grata 
in Turkey due to his illegal climb of the mountain while filming for the 
movie.  Viewers will also have difficulty discerning the real thing from what 
is re-enactment. 

    Another major feature length movie, In Search of Noah's Ark, was made in 
1976 by Sunn Classic Pictures.  A major book of the same title was released 
the same year.  The authors of the book are Dave Balsiger and Charles E. 
Sellier, Jr.  Balsiger was the ghost-writer for the English version of 
Navarra's book: Noah's Ark: I Touched It. Sellier is also the producer of the 
family-oriented TV show "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams."  In Search of 
Noah's Ark has been seen by millions and is frequently shown on late night TV.  
A video of this movie can probably be ordered from your local video store.  
This is a better film, but it leaves you with the impression that the Ark has 
been found and that the evidence is more credible than we would allow. 

    Ken Anderson Films of Winona Lake, IN produced the film Noah's Ark and the 
Genesis Flood.  Jack Dabner, now with Seven Star Productions, in Long Beach, 
CA  headed up the research effort and narrated this film. It appeared first in 
1976.  It is approximately an hour in length and rents for $52.  
Unfortunately, it is not available on videotape.  The film can be rented 
through local rental agencies who handle Ken Anderson films. 

    Films for Christ, distributes a film mainly dealing with the Genesis 
Flood.  It has been translated into many languages and is still used 
frequently in churches and by missionaries.  The emphasis is apologetic and 
evangelistic.  Its title is The World that Perished.  It contains an excellent 
presentation of the many flood stories found in cultures on all the continents 
of the world.   On the whole, it is a very instructional film.  It is about 35 
minutues in length.  A video of this film can be rented for $27 from Films for 
Christ, 2628 W. Birchwood Cir., Mesa, AZ 85202.  We were told that this film 
is based on a book of the same name authored by Dr. John Whitcomb of Grace 
Theological Seminary.  We are acquainted with this book, and can attest that 
it is a work of high quality.   We highly recommend it to our readers. 

    Last summer, a Dutch film crew joined the Irwin team for the purpose of 
making a documentary for Dutch television.  A video (VHS) of this is available 
from High Flight Foundation, Box 1387, Colorado Springs, CO 80901.  Purchase 
price is $20, or $10 to rent.  The title of this video is: Waar is De Ark Van 
Noach?  Some of the dialogue is in Dutch but the majority is English.  It 
contains footage from a rare flight over the mountain, has a sense of drama, 
and contains clear gospel testimonies by Col. Irwin and his team members. 

    We are also aware of another film released in '86  produced by Montana 
Film, a German Company.  This film is 43 minutes in length and has been shown 
on German television.  This company films mountain-climbing events all over 
the world and the fact that they included footage about the search for the Ark 
was incidental to their purpose.  Dr. John Baumgardner and Ron Wyatt are 
interviewed on the film.  It also apparently contains some spectacular footage 
shot on the summit of Ararat and the Parrot glacier area.  It leaves you with 
the impression that the ship-shaped formation southeast of Ararat is likely 
the Ark of Noah.  An English-version video cassette is available, but we are 
not aware of any U.S. distributors at this time. Inquiries can be sent to 
their German address:  Montana Film, Am Fort Elisabeth 15, D-6500 Mainz, W. 
Germany. 

    We have knowledge that a Canadian film crew was present at Ararat in '85 
with the intent of making a documentary for Canadian Broadcasting, however, we 
have no details at this time as to whether or not one was made or shown in 
Canada. 

    To our knowledge, these are all the "Ark Movies" formally "published."  If 
any of our readers are aware of others please let us know as we would like to 
share that information. 


GOPHER WOOD---A PROCESS? 

submitted by 
 Dr. Don Shockey 
 Albuquerque, NM 

    When asked what the Ark of Noah was constructed from we all immediately 
know the answer.  We can respond without hesitation by replying--"gopher 
wood." That is correct, and is exactly what the KJV of the Bible states.  
Genesis 6:14: "make thee an ark of gopher wood."  The New International 
Version says it a little differently: "So make yourself an ark of cypress 
wood."  The footnote tells the reader that cypress would be more likely the 
wood of choice since the Hebrew meaning of go'phir is uncertain.  Still no 
problem since we know without reservation that whatever God told Noah would be 
the absolute best to sustain the craft during the deluge to follow.  One of 
the primary objectives of the re-discovery of the Ark will be to 
scientifically examine the wood and attempt to resolve once and for all what 
type of wood was used in its construction.  All seem to agree that it would be 
some type of hard wood.  Guesses have included white oak, cypress, etc. even a 
type of tree no longer on earth has been suggested. 

    The following is offered to our AR readers and Ark researchers as a 
possible interpretation of the term "gopher wood." 

    Recently, during a professional seminar in Texas a doctor approached me, 
and a conversation began when I learned he was born in Israel and has a mother 
who is 94 still living in Jerusalem.  I asked him what gopher wood, as stated 
in Genesis, really meant?  The following is his reply: 

    "From a certain kind of resinous tree, when one makes an incision into the 
bark and collects the resin or sap, he can use it as glue by applying it at 
the joint between two pieces of wood.  After letting it dry over-night, he 
will not be able to break the joint.  The wood will break before the joined 
seam.  This has been used in our area of the world for centuries, although it 
is not used very often in modern times since this sap will discolor any wood 
it happens to come into contact with.  This is what Noah used to construct the 
Ark.  `Gopher wood' or `gophering' is a process not a particular tree." 
(Emphasis mine). 

    He further suggested that Noah used the "gophering process" to fashion the 
large timbers from many different pieces of hardwood that could have been some 
type of hard oak tree.  What, specifically, we can only guess.      This 
information turned on a light within my thinking.  What he described would be 
like our process of making plywood.  If this is a valid assumption, then Noah 
could have constructed large timbers needed of any size, thickness, or length, 
without being dependent upon single, mammoth trees to accomplish God's 
command.  The original meaning should be traced back to determine if a gopher 
wood process has any validity.   As of this writing, a minister from 
Albuquerque is to visit the Holy Land and will attempt to secure information 
about this resin which we will test.  I will update AR on this project. 


BOOKS 

   In the November issue we noted that Charles Berlitz, author of the Bermuda 
Triangle would be authoring a book on Noah's Ark and the Flood.  We are 
pleased to announce that this book is now available in major bookstore chains.  
The book is titled The Lost Ship of Noah.  It is published by G.P. Putnam's 
Sons, and sells for $17.95 (hardback), 187 pp. 

   Berlitz is an author of the Erich von Daniken mold.  He is particularly 
interested in the myths and symbols of ancient cultures.  It is his thesis 
that behind them are actual historical events from which they arose. 

   This new book by Berlitz is an elaboration of a former book--Doomsday 1999 
A.D. published in 1981.  He believes there was not only a great world-wide 
catastrophe in the past, i.e. a world-wide flood, but that there will likely 
be another.  He bases this prediction on two things:  the course of modern 
events whereby man seems to be destroying his environment, and the numerous 
prophecies from a variety of cultures and religions.  He sees the majority of 
these prophecies as being authentic revelations that are this very moment 
moving toward fulfillment. 

   In The Lost Ship of Noah Berlitz seeks to bring his readers up-to-date on 
the search for Noah's Ark on Mt. Ararat, and sets forth the cases for a 
previous world-wide deluge, and the probability of future global destruction.  
Since most of the previous books on the Ark were written in the 70s Berlitz 
does those who are interested in the search a service.  He is not writing from 
a scholarly perspective. However, he is a reporter who digs into his subject 
and writes well. In addition we must point out that Berlitz is not necessarily 
writing from a Christian perspective.  He believes that there were probably 
many arks that saved representatives of their respective cultures from the 
catastrophic flood-waters.  In fact, he cites evidence of other ships being 
found in mountains and anticipates that more will undoubtedly be uncovered 
(see p. 166ff). 

   All Ark enthusiasts will appreciate the many photos by Ahmet Arslan and Jay 
Bitzer, who was this editor's photographer in a 1985 expedition. While most 
Christians will not accept his multiple ark theory we commend him for making a 
clear case for a universal flood. SUMMER OF '87 

   About this time of the year, the Ark Grapevine is humming with news about 
expedition plans, new objects spotted in old photos, and new theories about 
location, etc. 

   Permits are generally applied for in January.  Plans are being made to 
raise funds.  Intense research is being carried out.  Regular calls are made 
to the Turkish embassy, and there is an "air" of secrecy. 

   AR is not a "tell all" sheet.  If someone informs us about their plans or 
research in confidence, we don't print it. Right now we are aware of some 
pretty exciting research going on and some interesting developments that we 
hope to report to you at the right time. 

   Currently we are aware of about 7 or 8 groups that are applying for 
research permits for Mt. Ararat.  Foreign groups are also getting involved.  
We are aware of French, Norwegian and Japanese groups who are interested in 
the search for the Ark. There is the possibility that a helicopter will be 
used this summer for the first time.  They will need adequate financing and 
much prayer to pull this off. 

   It is also our hope that the ship-shaped formation southeast of Ararat will 
be properly excavated this summer.  We will also endeavor to keep you up-to-
date on this strange shape which the Turkish government is claiming to be the 
Ark of Noah. 
  

POLITICAL AND WEATHER WATCH 

   We are still getting unconfirmed reports of a horrendous winter in Eastern 
Turkey. We have news reports stating that areas in Turkey and Greece have 
received snow where it has never snowed before! 

   On the political side we are happy to report that the U.S. has signed a new 
five year treaty with Turkey.  Our government will be paying $1 billion for 
the privilege of maintaining our military bases. 

   The following article appeared in Insight, Mar. 30, 1987: 

    "A report from Ankara's Security Department has accused Libya and Syria of 
supplying arms and logistic support to Kurdish separatist terrorists in Turkey 
and Iraq.  The allegation was made during the trial of five persons accused of 
smuggling arms into Turkey from Syria for the Kurds.  Most of the insurgents 
are members of the Kurdish Labor Party, a Marxist-Leninist organization with 
headquarters in Syria. 

   The groups said to be receiving the supplies are the Kurdish Democratic 
Party, Kurdish Workers Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. 

   According to Western analysts, following the Turkish bombing of Kurdish 
camps in Iraq last August, the flow of arms (some believed to be a gift of 
Libya's Col. Muammar Quaddafi) across the Syrian border is beginning to 
increase in numbers and sophistication." 

   This one appeared in the Rocky Mountain News, 3/9/87: 

   "Assailants believed to be Kurdish guerrillas raided a Turkish village near 
the Syrian border, killing six children and two adults, the Anatolia news 
agency said yesterday. 

   The assailants fired automatic weapons and hurled hand grenades at two 
homes in the village of Acikyol on Saturday night, the news agency said. 

   Most of the guerrillas operating in the region are linked to the Kurdish 
Labor Party, which wants to set up an independent Kurdish state in eastern and 
southeastern Turkey." 

   A note of interest with regard to the previous news article:  The incident 
referred to took place very close to one of the traditional resting places of 
Noah's Ark--Nisibis.  We will be doing a major article on the other 
traditional resting places of Noah's Ark in a future issue. 

BITS AND PIECES 

   In the November issue, we mentioned another forthcoming book by Rene 
Noorbergen which would defend the thesis that the ship-shaped object south of 
Ararat is the Ark.  We have been informed that this book will not be out until 
June. 

*  Back issues of ARARAT REPORT are available on the same donation basis. 

*  A continuously updated outline and bibliography is available on the search 
for Noah's Ark.  Please send $2.00 for postage and copying. 

*  A comprehensive bibliography on the subject of "Kibowtology" (Ark research) 
is under preparation.  Target date: early summer. 

*  Christian Information Ministries, International, which publishes the ARARAT 
REPORT, is a faith ministry.  That is, we depend on the gifts of God's people 
to sustain us.  The ARARAT REPORT is sent as a free gift to those who enable 
this ministry to continue through their giving.  If you own a personal 
computer equipped with a modem and are interested in knowing more about THE 
INFORMED CHRISTIAN NETWORK, write or call to receive a password.  All back 
issues of ARARAT REPORT are downloadable from our database.  THE INFORMED 
CHRISTIAN NETWORK is a growing library of Christian Information that we are 
seeking to make available to the Body of Christ. 

*  We would like to make our readers aware of Origins Research & Information 
Service, 137 Oak Crest Dr., Lafayette, LA 70503. For $1.00 they will send an 
introductory packet of Creationist material. 

*  We invite letters to the editor.  We will print those that will make a 
contribution to the overall discussion. 


