Anybody acquainted with the Bible’s account of Noah and his ark may reasonably wonder what life was like onboard the gargantuan floating wooden vessel. How did the ark’s inhabitants eat, sleep, bathe, and ultimately survive the flood? How on earth did they stow a pair of every kind of animal aboard?
A 510-foot-long, 85-foot-wide, and 51-foot-high replica built in Williamstown, Kentucky, as park of a Christian theme park, Ark Encounter is aiming to answer such questions. Inviting visitors of all ages, the ark’s intricate interior offers a realistic portrayal of what life may have been like for the inhabitants of Noah’s Ark.
“Not Just Props”
The dimensions of the replica ark, likewise, are based on the cubit measurements God gave Noah in the biblical account of the great flood.
Referring to the numerous animal cages inside the 10-storey-high interior of the timber-framed vessel, Ham explained, “They’re props, but they’re not just props. You could actually use them as real cages.”
Indeed, each fully functional cage comes equipped with water and food receptacles and even a waste-collection system.
A Project With a Mission
In 2014, the theme park was offered Kentucky tax incentives worth an estimated US$18 million over 10 years, but the incentives were lost when it transpired that Answers in Genesis employees would have to sign a “statement of belief.” In January 2016, however, the ministry won a lawsuit to have their tax incentives restored.The total expenditure for the construction of Ark Encounter is estimated at over US$150 million.
At Ark Encounter’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ham referred to the attraction’s opening as “a historic event in Christendom.” The ark, he predicted, would become “one of the greatest Christian outreaches of this era of history.”
The ark, albeit the centerpiece of a recreational attraction, was not simply built to entertain the crowds.
The replica was constructed to “proclaim God’s word and the gospel,” Ham said. In line with the Answers in Genesis ministry’s creationist approach, the replica embodies a claim that the biblical flood account is historically and scientifically accurate.
“When people say, ‘What are you really doing here? What statement are you making?’” Ham continued. “Well, you know, in a world that we see becoming very secularized before our eyes, it’s really time for Christians to do something of this size, of this quality, that competes with the Disneys and the Universals to get a message to the world,” he said.
A literal reading of Genesis is important, Ham expresses the reason for Ark Encounter’s literal interpretation of biblical events, “When you take away the foundation of the absolute authority of the word of God, then anything goes. In other words, who draws the line?”
“While there are no public records of the Ark’s true total attendance that a reporter can access,” he wrote, “I can confirm that the Creation Museum (opened in 2007) and the Ark Encounter (with a July 2016 launch) have welcomed over six million visitors!”
“Even if they don’t share our biblical view,” Ham said, “they can’t help but be impressed by the structure, the craftsmanship, the attention to detail in the world-class exhibits inside.
“And, who knows? Maybe they’ll be challenged to even talk about the Bible as we do.”
