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National Geographic
30-06-2025
- General
- National Geographic
Where is Noah's Ark? Here's why it will never be found
A painting of Noah's Ark. The Old Testament tale has not only inspired countless generations of artists, but also more than a century of 'scientific' attempts to locate remains of the fabled vessel. Painting by Simon de Myle via Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty For more than a century, people have sought the precise location of Noah's Ark. Archaeologists say it's a fool's errand. Noah's Ark is among the best known and most captivating of all Old Testament stories. After creating humans, God became so displeased with them that he struck Earth with an all-encompassing flood to wipe them out. But there was one noteworthy (and seaworthy) exception: the biblical patriarch and his family. Accompanied by pairs of each of the planet's animals, all rode out the deluge in an enormous wooden vessel. For people who accept the religious text as a historically accurate account of actual events, the hunt for archaeological evidence of the Ark is equally captivating. It's inspired some intrepid faithful to comb the slopes of Mount Ararat and other sites in eastern Turkey for traces of the wooden vessel among the rock formations. In 1876, for example, British attorney and politician James Bryce climbed the mountain, where biblical accounts say the Ark came to rest. There he claimed a piece of wood that 'suits all the requirements of the case' was in fact a piece of the vessel. More modern 'discoveries' exclaiming 'Noah's Ark found' take place on a regular basis. Most recently, a group called Noah's Ark Scans, led by Andrew Jones, claims that soil samples taken from the Durupinar site in eastern Turkey contains organic matter that differs from the surrounding area. However, many argue the boat-shaped site is a natural geological formation. A shepherd tends his flock near Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. Many people have looked for evidence of the Ark on the mountain's slopes, despite the fact that the Book of Genesis describes the Ark as coming to rest in a yet-unidentified range of mountains in western Asia. Photograph by John Stanmeyer, Nat Geo Image Colllection Such searches for the Ark site draw everything from exasperation to disdain from academic archaeologists and biblical scholars. 'No legitimate archaeologist does this,' says National Geographic Explorer Jodi Magness, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, of modern searches for evidence of Noah. 'Archaeology is not treasure hunting,' she adds. 'It's not about finding a specific object. It's a science where we come up with research questions that we hope to answer by excavation.' (Which animals were on Noah's Ark? Here are a few theories.) Was the Old Testament flood fact or fiction? Stories of destructive floods and those who survive them predate the Hebrew Bible, the oldest parts of which are thought to have been written in the 8th century B.C. Legends about a deluge that destroys civilization at the behest of a supernatural deity appear in multiple Mesopotamian texts. They run the gamut, from the Epic of Gilgamesh written around the early second millennium B.C. to a recently deciphered Babylonian cuneiform tablet from about 1750 B.C. describing how the ark was built. Flood and ark accounts very similar to that of the Old Testament predate biblical accounts. One from the early second millennium B.C. Epic of Gilgamesh, shown in this Assyrian depiction, was recorded more than a thousand years before the Bible. Photograph by CM Dixon, Print Collector/Getty Could these flood myths be based in fact? 'There does seem to be geological evidence that there was a major flood in the Black Sea region about 7,500 years ago,' says National Geographic Explorer Eric Cline, an archaeologist at George Washington University. But scientists disagree on the extent of that event, just as historians of the era differ on whether real life inspired writings about a deluge. It seems likelier that floods were simply experienced in different places and at different times—and that those events naturally made their way into the world's oral and written lore, like the Genesis flood narrative. (What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about the origins of Christianity?) Where is Noah's Ark? It's complicated. Scholars differ on the precise location of Noah's Ark according to the Hebrew Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the ark came to rest 'upon the mountains of Ararat' located in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, an area that now includes Armenia and parts of eastern Turkey and Iran—not the single, iconic peak that bears its name today. 'There's no way we can determine where exactly in the ancient Near East it occurred,' says Magness. Both Cline and Magness add that even if artifacts from the Ark have been or will be found, they could never be conclusively connected to historical events. 'We have no way of placing Noah, if he really existed, and the flood, if there really was one, in time and space,' says Magness. 'The only way you could determine that would be if you had an authentic ancient inscription.' Even then, she points out, such an inscription could refer to another Noah or another flood. That hasn't stopped the proliferation of pseudoarchaeology that upholds the Bible as literal truth. The fruitless searches are often aligned with adherents of 'young-earth creationism,' the belief that, despite evidence to the contrary, Earth is only thousands of years old. (Inside the search for the oldest pieces of Earth) Same evidence, very different conclusions Such groups use secular archaeological evidence to bolster their literal interpretation of Scripture—and simply disregard or attempt to disprove evidence to the contrary. But they don't all share the same tactics. Answers In Genesis, a self-described apologetics ministry that focuses on scientific issues and even runs a Noah's Ark-themed amusement park in Kentucky, acknowledges the ubiquity of flood-related myths beyond the Old Testament story of Noah, and even concedes that the Ark could never be found. 'We do not expect the Ark to have survived and been available to find after 4,350 years,' says Andrew A. Snelling, a geologist and Director of Research for Answers In Genesis who has spent decades attempting to prove Earth's youth. Snelling differs from archaeologists, however, about why the vessel's remains will never be found. 'With no mature trees available for Noah and his family to build shelters after they got off the Ark, there is every reason to expect they dismantled the Ark (which they didn't need anymore) to salvage timber from it,' he says. While the ministry does not rule out the potential of one day finding the Ark, Snelling rues what he calls 'questionable claims' by Ark-seekers that 'blunt the potential impact of a true discovery.' For Magness, who currently leads excavations at a late-Roman synagogue in Galilee. the search for Noah's Ark not only confuses the public, but diminishes excitement about actual archaeological finds, even ones that offer support for parts of the Bible, such as the existence of the House of David. Cline says when he was younger, he attempted to rebut the purported biblical evidence that enchants the public year after year. Eventually, he quit. Now he focuses on both his expeditions and translating his research for those willing to accept the results of the scientific process. 'People are gonna believe what they want to believe,' he sighs. That won't change any time soon. For now, he's focused on unearthing an 18th-century B.C. Canaanite palace at Tel Kabri in what is now northern Israel. 'For us, [the floor] is incredibly important, because it shows international relations and contacts from almost 4,000 years ago,' he says. 'It's not Noah's Ark, but it's a painted floor,' the archaeologist says, 'which is good enough for me.' This article originally published on November 22, 2022. It was updated on June 30, 2025.
Scotsman
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
The 12 UK cities where house prices are rising fastest - including one clear winner
But while prices have begun falling in certain parts of the country, there are some areas where they are still shooting up. The latest Zoopla House Price Index, published today, Monday, June 30, shows that the average UK house price rose by 1.4% during the year to May 2025, and now stands at £268,400. The average time taken to agree a sale is 45 days, according to Zoopla, and the 14% rise in the number of new homes being listed means it is a buyer's market. The areas where prices are rising fastest tend to be those where homes are more affordable, while prices have fallen slightly in places where a typical home costs more than £500,000. The picture in the UK's biggest cities is very varied, with house prices falling by 1.8% in one area and soaring by 6.2% in another - nearly double the next biggest annual rise recroded. Below are the 12 UK cities where the average house price has risen fastest in the last year, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. They are listed in reverse order, with the city which has seen the biggest increase last. 1 . Edinburgh: +1.1% In Edinburgh, the average house price rose by 1.1% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £277,000, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint 11th highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales 2 . Nottingham: +1.1% In Nottingham, the average house price rose by 1.1% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £205,600, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint 11th highest in the UK. | Heritage Images via Getty Images Photo: Historic England Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Leicester: +1.2% In Leicester, the average house price rose by 1.2% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £227,700, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint ninth highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Darren Staples Photo Sales 4 . Bristol: +1.2% In Bristol, the average house price rose by 1.2% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £341,500, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint ninth highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Julian James/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images Photo Sales
Scotsman
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
The 12 UK cities where house prices are rising fastest - including one clear winner
But while prices have begun falling in certain parts of the country, there are some areas where they are still shooting up. The latest Zoopla House Price Index, published today, Monday, June 30, shows that the average UK house price rose by 1.4% during the year to May 2025, and now stands at £268,400. The average time taken to agree a sale is 45 days, according to Zoopla, and the 14% rise in the number of new homes being listed means it is a buyer's market. The areas where prices are rising fastest tend to be those where homes are more affordable, while prices have fallen slightly in places where a typical home costs more than £500,000. The picture in the UK's biggest cities is very varied, with house prices falling by 1.8% in one area and soaring by 6.2% in another - nearly double the next biggest annual rise recroded. Below are the 12 UK cities where the average house price has risen fastest in the last year, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. They are listed in reverse order, with the city which has seen the biggest increase last. 1 . Edinburgh: +1.1% In Edinburgh, the average house price rose by 1.1% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £277,000, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint 11th highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales 2 . Nottingham: +1.1% In Nottingham, the average house price rose by 1.1% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £205,600, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint 11th highest in the UK. | Heritage Images via Getty Images Photo: Historic England Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Leicester: +1.2% In Leicester, the average house price rose by 1.2% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £227,700, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint ninth highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Darren Staples Photo Sales 4 . Bristol: +1.2% In Bristol, the average house price rose by 1.2% during the year to May 2025 and now stands at £341,500, according to the latest Zoopla House Price Index. The annual percentage increase in house prices there is the joint ninth highest in the UK. | Getty Images Photo: Julian James/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images Photo Sales
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
How Scotland's Land Reform Bill could fatally damage tenant farming
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish Government's ambition to make Scotland 'the best that it can be', as laid out in its Programme for Government, is laudable – but does it really help rural areas thrive? From the Borders to the Highlands, there are enterprising rural businesses putting their shoulders to the wheel to deliver for people, jobs and nature, but all too often they are left feeling frustrated or forgotten. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are many causes for their frustration and the current Land Reform Bill proceeding through the Scottish Parliament illustrates perfectly how government policies can end up having the entirely opposite effect to what political leaders envisage. The Scottish Government is wedded to an ongoing land reform agenda despite the clear evidence the vast majority of the public – according to government research – do not see it as a priority. Scotland's estates are responsible for significant social, economic and environmental benefits (Picture: CM Dixon/Heritage Images) | Getty Images Benefits of large estates The Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Bill, Mairi Gougeon, knows well the passionate and often polarised positions adopted on this issue, given she serves as MSP for North Angus and Mearns. She will also know, however, from her days as development and enterprise convenor on Angus Council, about the need for and value of investment and economic growth. And this is where the rub is with this current Land Reform Bill. On one hand, the Scottish Government seems committed to breaking up large rural landholdings in the name of diversity of land ownership but has there really been enough thought given to what the outcome will be? It doesn't appear so. Again, we are facing a situation where ideology and practical outcomes collide. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Large estates are actively involved in helping to deliver housing, renewable energy, employment and business opportunities, food and drink, whilst tackling climate change through peatland restoration and tree planting as well as improving nature. All of these are government priorities and ministers are aware these activities need investment from sources including private enterprise. So why pursue and frame legislation that targets the very rural businesses currently delivering those benefits on the ground? The answer for many is the need to rectify perceived historic wrongs. But we are now living in a different time and surely land reform today should be about the future, not the past. Those of us involved in land management are already hearing noises that the uncertainty created by proposals in the Land Reform Bill is disincentivising both local investment and interest from further afield. The more a business sector is penalised, the less likely people will be willing to invest. Taxpayers face hefty bills I don't believe that this is a desired outcome by the Scottish Government but there is a very real chance of that happening because of proposals like giving ministers the power to interfere with land sales and force estates to be sold off in lots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Do taxpayers, who may have to foot hefty bills for compensation for the loss of value, really want this? And considering such interference may be fraught with legal difficulty and creates unwarranted problems for those people working on estates, does that make it worthwhile? A similar situation arises in the part of the Bill which deals with tenant farming. The government is adamant that it wants to see a thriving tenant farming sector. However, there are very few agricultural landlords who are keen to let land because of the proposed retrospective changes to contracts that have the potential to hamper a landlord's ability to get his own property back without having to pay even greater compensation. Again, the outcome of a stagnant sector is the exact opposite to what the government say they want to achieve. All of us who work in the land management sector understand the land reform agenda. While some people claim land managers oppose land reform, that is simply not correct. We have no problem with greater transparency of ownership, opportunities for communities to acquire land where it becomes available, and the need for productive community engagement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A great many examples already exist where estates are working harmoniously as part of their local community and the continuous implementation of further legislation only serves to jeopardise that. No shortage of land reform laws As well as numerous willing sales to communities, extensive legislation is already in place enabling communities to acquire land where it has been abandoned or neglected, or where the landowner is acting as a barrier to sustainable development. Like many legislative measures already in place in Scotland, their use to date has been limited perhaps due to unawareness. Lack of use doesn't mean that more legislation is needed. There has been no shortage of land reform legislation since the Scottish Parliament was established. This is now the third bill to go before the parliament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As things stand, there is a widespread view beyond the interests of landowners that the Land Reform Bill in its current form is unworkable. We would appeal to the Cabinet Secretary to take heed of these genuine concerns and consider seriously amending the Bill rather than deliver flawed legislation which will risk the delivery of local and national benefits. The government has already shown its willingness to improve legislation during its passage through Holyrood, as it has done with the Housing Bill and it should act similarly to make the Land Reform Bill work. We all know from experience that leaving so much detail to secondary legislation tends to store up trouble for all in the future. We understand the SNP, in particular, is committed to a land reform 'journey' that is far from ended. However, we fervently hope that, at some stage along the way, there can be some recognition that estates are significant social, economic and environmental contributors to rural Scotland and that politicians will take this seriously before bringing forward policies which discourage investment and fatally damage tenant farming.
Metro
08-05-2025
- General
- Metro
How the royals celebrated VE Day back in 1945
The royals made eight Buckingham Palace appearances (Picture: The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images) The Royal Family's appearance alongside war hero Winston Churchill on the Buckingham Palace balcony is one of the iconic moments of VE Day in 1945. But what is less well known is that the monarch greeted the packed crowd on the Mall eight times on the historic day. Their schedule did not stop there, they were busy marking the German surrender 80 years ago today with royal events. There was even a secret trip to join the wild celebrations as Londoners celebrated Victory in Europe. The King and Queen were cheered on as heroes in their own right. Their refusal to evacuate London during the Blitz earned them adoring respect across the country as they made a point of visiting bomb sites in the capital. Crowds gather waiting for the appearance of the royal family and Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Picture: by Central Press/) Eighty years since the King and Queen led the UK's VE Day party, Metro traces how they spent the momentous day. A royal investiture for military heroes The King kicked off off Victory in Europe Day with a celebration of Britain's war heroes. The Royal Family held an investiture, awarding military medals to more than 270 recipients. These medals, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Military Medal, were handed out in Buckingham Palace's Ballroom. The King handed out military medals (Credits: Noonans / SWNS) The first to be presented was Dr John Beeston, who was awarded a George Medal by the King. The doctor with the Civil Defence was being honoured for his courage helping a woman trapped in debris after a devastating bombing raid. The George Medal was for civilian acts of bravery not on the battlefield and the Distinguished Service Medal is given to those who have shown bravery and resourcefulness in active service. Lunch with Churchill before their big speeches The country's two much-loved leaders held a lunch at Buckingham Palace before they both gave addresses to the nation. It was their final lunch of the war, as the pair had regularly met over meals on Tuesdays to discuss the progress of the war. Churchill rolled up in a civilian car at Buckingham Palace to meet the monarch. The King and Winston Churchill became confidantes during the war (Photo) But well wishers in the Mall soon realised who was arriving and the police had to hold back cheering crowds. The wartime PM then left to the palace and returned to Downing Street to deliver his famous speech confirming Germany's surrender at 3pm on VE Day. The first appearance in front of jubilant Londoners Moments after Churchill declared a 'brief period of rejoicing' in his 3pm speech, the Royal Family came out onto Buckingham Palace's balcony to greet Londoners along the Mall. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret all walked out in front of a crowd numbering up to 100,000 people. The King was wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet and Princess Elizabeth was wearing her khaki uniform of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), which she joined earlier in 1945. The Mall was packed waiting for the arrival of the Royals (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/) Television cameras, which were mounted on vans in the Palace's forecourt and were filming the Royal Family as they waved down the Mall. This appearance was the first of eight visits to the balcony by the Royals Churchill joins the royals on the Palace balcony Sorry, this video isn't available yet. The Mall crowd were surprised with a special twist as the Royal Family stepped out next to the wartime PM onto Buckingham Palace's balcony at 5pm on VE Day. They made the historic appearance minutes after the King met Churchill and members of his war cabinet in the Palace's Bow Room. Churchill could be seen chatting with the King and Queen, smiling as onlookers let out repeated cheers. King thanks 'Almighty God' for victory in nighttime address Sorry, this video isn't available yet. At 9pm it was the King's turn to the nation, as well as Commonwealth citizens across the globe. The King told millions of people worldwide that Germany has 'finally [been] overcome', but warned that more fighting was still in store in Asia. In the 15 minute broadcast, the King said the UK was 'the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny' and paid tribute too all of those who lost their lives fighting for Allies. He said: 'Today we give thanks to Almighty God for a great deliverance. 'Speaking from our Empire's oldest capital city, war-battered but never for one moment daunted or dismayed – speaking from London, I ask you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving. 'Germany, the enemy who drove all Europe into war, has been finally overcome… 'In the darkest hours we knew that the enslaved and isolated peoples of Europe looked to us; their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith. The King broadcast many addresses over his reign (Picture: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES) 'We knew that, if we failed, the last remaining barrier against a world-wide tyranny would have fallen in ruins.' The Royals returned for another trip to the balcony just after the King had wrapped up his speech. The Princesses join the Mall's celebrations Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret left Buckingham Palace and joined the throngs of people partying in London. The heir to the throne and her sister, aged just 19 and 14, were given permission by their father to leave as part of a small group from the Royal Household. The pair cheered for their parents and mingled in with Londoners. Elizabeth and Margaret blended in to the London masses (Photo by Toronto Star Archives/Toronto Star via Getty Images) The future Queen said of the evening in a BBC interview: 'We were terrified of being recognised – so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes. 'A Grenadier officer among our party of about 16 people said he refused to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed. 'So I had to put my cap on normally.' The excursion took them to Whitehall, the famous Ritz and the Royal Parks. Queen Elizabeth later recalled: '[There were] lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: VE Day 1945 live: World wakes up to victory after Germany surrenders to the Allies Arrow MORE: I lived in a post-war 'flatpack' home – prefabs were built for heroes Arrow MORE: 'How Churchill's VE Day speech reached our Nazi camp from a hidden attic radio'
