Biblical History of Man: The Mountains of Ararat

Genesis 8:4
⁴ In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.

I want to call your attention to the words in this verse. 
The ark rested on the mountains (plural) of Ararat.  It refers to a region of mountains (plural) not a single mountain.

The mountain that is now called "Mount Ararat" is Agri Dagi.  It is located in a remote area of eastern Turkey near the borders of Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. 







It is a single volcanic cone that rises out of a vast plain.  Nearby is a smaller volcanic cone named "Little Ararat" but there are no other mountains nearby. In addition, while the lowest portions of the mountain are truly old basalt, the upper portions of these mountains are the result of relatively recent volcanic activity, not of an age to be a phenomena of the flood.



This mountain did not become known as "Mount Ararat" until about 1200 AD.  It is only since that time that the mountain has been thought to be the resting place of the ark. 

Genesis 8:5
⁵ The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible.

This verse indicates that there were other mountains (plural) nearby that became visible as the flood waters receded.  I have to question whether the mountain we currently call Ararat really meets the description of the situation in Genesis 8.

But what is the option?  Or where should we look?

Genesis 11:2
² It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. [NASB]
² As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. [NIV]
² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. [KJV]
² but after some of them moved from the east and settled in Babylonia, [CEV]
² And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. [RSV]
² And it came to pass as they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Senaar, and they dwelt there. [Septuagint]

Shinar has been identified as the area of the Tigris and Euphrates valleys by all but the most fringe Bible commentators.  Travel from the traditional Mount Ararat to this plain would be from the north or from the northwest (following a gentler route), rather than from the east.  There are no mountainous regions to the west of the plain of Shinar for them to be able to travel "to the east" from a range of mountains.  And the route to the southeast in order arrive at a point to be able to enter from the east is a grueling journey.

An alternate location for the resting place of the ark has been suggested by the BASE (Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration) Institute in Colorado Springs.  It is a location in the Elborz Mountains along the south coast of the Caspian Sea.  While it is only several hundred miles away from the traditional Mount Ararat, it does fit the biblical description much more accurately.  Travel from the mountain down to the valleys below is short, albeit rugged, and a direct route down the Diyala River leads through the Zagros Mountains directly to the plain of Shinar.

The photo at right is of the Elborz Mountains on the south coast of the Caspian Sea.  There are 15 peaks above 14,000 feet and many, many more above 13,000 feet.  It reminds me of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado.

The left photo is of a portion of the Takht-i-Suleiman (Throne of Solomon) massif that has been proposed as an alternative location for the landing place of the ark.

If you would like to read more about this  location for the resting place of the ark of Noah in the mountains of Ararat, I would refer you to this page: The Ark of Noah in Iran or to the book Ark Fever by Bob Cornuke of the BASE Institute.