Conquering the Sea

A Biblical Ship: Noah’s Ark

The story of Noah can be found in the Bible. The God of Israel was saddened by the wickedness of mankind, so he decided to destroy what he had created and start again with the righteous Noah. He ordered Noah to build a large vessel to save his family and the animals of the World from the flood.

Today a ship is just a mean of transport, but in ancient times it also had spiritual significance: a symbol of salvation, giving hope, helping the soul to avoid danger, and a safe place to keep and protect our valuables. It is debated whether Noah’s story is true or just a legend, but this legendary ark could have been the forerunner of today’s
huge ships. If it really did exist, it was the very first ship on Earth,
and a very big one at that; after all, how else could it have accommodated one pair of each of all species of animals?

Dimensions

According to the Bible, the vessel was sealed with pitch inside and outside. It measured 140 m in length, 23 m in width and 14 m in height (or 300
by 50 by 30 cubits, according to the Bible). It had decks divided into compartments, where the
animals were housed. However, judging by the estimated number and size of all the animals on
the ark, it should have been at least 800 m long.

Hull

God ordered Noah to take the animals on board the ark,
which was divided into three decks. The decks were supported by enormous wooden columns
and the animals were tethered
with ropes.

Material of the hull

According to the description in the Bible, the hull of the ark was built from gopher wood, then sealed with pitch inside and out to make it waterproof. Gopher is a type of cedar that resists rot.