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Why Build The Ark

The biblical account of Noah’s Ark in Genesis is one of the most questioned sections of the Bible. The Ark Encounter provides solid answers to people’s questions about the feasibility of the Ark, and its world-class teaching exhibits inside cover a wide variety of topics to help people understand that the Bible can be trusted in its history. Most of all, the Ark of Noah is a picture of salvation, which allows us to share with visitors that Christ is our Ark of salvation today. Visitors will be presented with the powerful message that the history in the Bible is true and that the gospel based on that history is also true.

Why Build the Ark in that Shape?

The Bible leaves open the details regarding the shape of the Ark—anything from a rectangular box with hard right angles and no curvature at all, to a ship-like form. While box-like has the largest carrying capacity, a ship-like design would be safer and more comfortable in heavy seas. Our design of the Ark was found to carefully balance the conflicting demands of stability, comfort, and strength, including a study of ancient ship-building

It was designed as a wooden vessel but constructed as a building for millions of people to experience.

Why Build the Ark So Quickly?

First, we don’t know from Scripture how long Noah took to build the Ark. The 120 years reference in Genesis 6:3 is not in the context of Noah building the Ark. Plus, Answers in Genesis is building the Ark for an entirely different purpose from Noah’s. For one, there’s never going to be another global Flood (Genesis 9:15; Isaiah 54:9), so our Ark doesn’t need to float. There will indeed be another judgment, but next time it will be by fire (2 Peter 3:10). We are constructing a life-size Ark to remind people of the truth of God’s Word and the gospel. Accordingly, we want to build it as quickly as possible to get out some vital Bible truths. And we will use whatever tools are available to us today to build the ship.

Why Build the Ark with Modern Tools?

We don’t know what tools Noah may have had available during his lifetime. Many people think Noah must have been a primitive person who may have used primitive stone tools. But when God made humans, they were obviously highly intelligent. Genesis 4:21 tells us that within a few generations people were making musical instruments and were craftsman of bronze and iron. Noah may have had tools and other impressive technology to build the Ark that we would be jealous of even today!