NO STONE UNTURNED

BILL CROUSE, EDITOR FEB/MARCH 87 (c) 1987 NUMBER 2

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.

PLEASE NOTE: IF THE DATE ON THE LABEL IS THE SAME AS THE DATE OF THIS ISSUE

IT IS YOUR LAST UNLESS WE HEAR FROM YOU.