Kamala, new accent?

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Scientists believe they may have found clues to the location of Noah's Ark on what could be the world’s oldest map. This 3,000-year-old Babylonian artifact has long baffled archaeologists, but recent breakthroughs suggest it may offer directions to the fabled ark.

 

 

The artifact, a clay tablet discovered in the Middle East and housed at the British Museum since 1882, displays map-like symbols along with paragraphs of cuneiform on its backside. These writings describe the Earth's formation and boundaries, portraying ancient Mesopotamia—modern-day Iraq—encircled by a “Bitter River,” a double-ring barrier marking the known world’s limits, an artifact often called the Imago Mundi.

 

 

Over the last month, researchers have decoded portions of these inscriptions, and now believe they reference Biblical tales. They propose that the tablet’s reverse side serves as a guide for a journey, detailing landmarks and potential hazards. One passage describes a vessel “thick as a parsiktu,” a measurement that hints at the size required for a boat capable of surviving a great flood. This interpretation stems from other ancient Babylonian texts, which detail the construction of such a vessel to survive a catastrophic deluge.

 

 

Another passage seems to give directions toward “Urartu,” the legendary resting place of an ark, believed to be situated in modern Turkey’s mountainous regions, where Noah and his family reportedly landed after the 150-day flood. Dr. Irving Finkel, a cuneiform specialist at the British Museum, suggests the tablet’s description aligns with that of Noah’s Ark. He explains, “Because it is the description of the Ark which was built, theoretically, by the Babylonian version of Noah.”

 

In the Babylonian version of the flood story, similar to the Biblical account, a god named Ea sent a flood to cleanse humanity, sparing only one family. The chosen survivor, Utnapishtim, received divine instructions to build an ark and fill it with animals. During six months of flooding, Utnapishtim and his family endured the storm, finally finding refuge atop one of Urartu’s peaks as the waters receded. 

 

 

Finkel notes that the Babylonian account meticulously details the ark’s construction, including the god's specific commands, with Utnapishtim replying, “I did this, this and this. I’ve done it!” He even describes building the vessel with the thickness of a “parsiktu” vessel, emphasizing the ark’s sturdiness.

 

 

The similarities between the Babylonian flood tale and the Biblical account of Noah’s Ark have long intrigued scholars. Babylonian stories, like the *Epic of Gilgamesh*, which also recounts a great flood, date back over 3,000 years. In contrast, the Biblical flood is believed to have occurred around 5,000 years ago. This recent analysis adds weight to the theory that both stories may share common origins.

 

Though debate continues over whether Mount Ararat in Turkey, mentioned in Babylonian texts, truly exists, the map’s inscriptions offer a fascinating new perspective. According to Finkel, “It shows that the story was the same, and of course that one led to the other, but also, that from the Babylonian point of view, this was a matter of fact thing. That if you did go on this journey you would see the remnants of this historic boat.”

 

While the claim of locating Noah’s Ark remains speculative, the discovery of an ancient map that might provide directions to its resting place offers an intriguing chapter in the ongoing search for historical truths behind ancient myths.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2024-10-31

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

Even if Noah's Ark remains undiscovered, they definitely found Santa Claus:

 

[oxo1947]

[bendejo]

Just wait until they find the inscription "Made in China" on the artifact.

 

 

[WDSmart]

What's next? The birthplace of Bigfoot? 😄

[Purdey]

I seem to remember that story. Isn't it the one where God murdered millions of people, evil and innocent, and aborted the fetuses of pregnant women? 

Or was that the one, true, true god, Ea? 

[pacovl46]

2 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

Well, while I don't believe in the greatest and most successful fairy tale of all time, there's tons of cultures who have a legend about a great flood. There was definitely one in the US at the end of the last ice age. 

 

Having said that, there's no way Noah was able to build a wooden ship large enough to accommodate 10 million animals, plus mankind, plus provisions for the animals and mankind. You wouldn't even be able to fit that on a modern oil tanker that's half a mile long...

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, WDSmart said:

What's next? The birthplace of Bigfoot? 😄

Mary’s hymen.