New Brunswicker joins Noah’s Ark expedition to Ararat

July 14, 2005
By Diane Trail
_ChristianWeek_ ()

MONCTON, NB — At his desk in front of a myriad of cords and server
engines that are the computer nerve center for _Atlantic Baptist
University_ () (ABU), David Graves seems an
improbable candidate for an archaeological expedition in search of
Noah’s Ark. He is the sole Canadian on the 18-member team with
_ArcImaging_ () , an evangelical Christian
archaeological research group preparing to scale Mount Ararat in
Turkey this summer.

Graves, director of computer services and a part-time faculty member
at ABU, is more than a little excited about the prospect of climbing
Mount Ararat. He is working on his doctorate in Biblical Studies from
the University of Aberdeen and Highland Theological College in
Scotland, and teaches archaeology as part of an ABU-Oxford program in
England.

The 48-year-old has visited many archaeological sites in Israel,
Turkey and Egypt, but this will be his first “dig.” Graves’ main task
on the mountain will be to run the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to
map slices of everything beneath the ice to the mountain’s volcanic
surface. Ararat is 17,274 feet high — the highest mountain in Turkey
and the largest mountain in the world by mass. The mountain’s peak
above 15,000-foot elevation is under an icecap of 200-300 feet.

“When [Rex] Geissler asked me if I would consider joining him on the
expedition, I said ‘Let me think about it. Yes!'” says Graves,
sporting a shy smile and spiked white hair.

Geissler is president of ArcImaging (Archaeological Imaging Research
Consortium), based in Colorado. Geissler and Graves only met in March
of this year when they were together on a tour of archaeological sites
in Egypt.

“We just hit it off,” says Graves. “We have a lot in common with our
backgrounds in computers. He owns a database company. We were both
very interested in Turkey and archaeology . . . Next thing I knew I
was director of operations and logistics for the expedition and in
charge of the GPR for the site.”

Graves is undergoing rigorous physical training to improve stamina and
cardiovascular fitness in preparation for the climb. He also hopes the
training will help him avoid altitude sickness, a potentially fatal
respiratory illness associated with oxygen-thin mountain air. Other
hazards of the climb and mountaintop work site include lightning; no
trees to protect from sudden snowstorms; steep, icy cliffs; plus wild
dogs and scorpions at lower elevations.

Graves is also endeavouring to raise $14,000 for his winter clothing,
specialized ice-climbing equipment, training and general expenses.

As a biblical scholar, Graves believes the _biblical narrative_
(;version=31)
of the Great Flood, which says that Noah’s Ark went aground in Mount
Ararat region. Faith and science can co-exist, he says and he believes
this expedition is about seeking scientific proof for biblical fact.

In defence of their search for Noah’s Ark, ArcImaging’s website
states, “Liberal scholars [have] criticized many things throughout the
Bible. Archaeology has shown many of these criticisms to be wrong,
from Genesis 12 through Revelation. But Genesis 1-11 is still viewed
as myth. If part of Noah’s Ark were substantiated, it would support
the Bible and Noah back to Genesis 5 . . .

Noah’s Ark would actually give support for all three major [Abrahamic]
world religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”

“This [expedition] is much more about adventure and raw research. It’s
not a holy pilgrimage,” says Graves.

ArcImaging is the first organization to receive permission from the
Turkish government to survey Mount Ararat since 1981. The
archaeological organization conducted previous research in 2001 on one
part of Ararat. The group is conducting its search in co-operation
with the Archaeology Department of _Ataturk University_
() and the Turkish
ministries in Ankara.

“ArcImaging does the research, but the artefacts remains in Turkey,”
says Graves. “If we find something, we melt a tunnel and take
samples.”

The team hopes the Turkish government will grant research visas for
the trip.

The threat of military manoeuvers — the cause of visa refusals for
the last couple of years — may prove their biggest obstacle. Mount
Ararat is on the border of Iraq and Iran, with Middle East tensions
posing danger to outsiders.

Although Graves is inexperienced in some ways, Geissler has great
confidence in him.

“What stood out was his organization and computer skills, and his
ability to put together plans,” Geissler told Times-Transcript by
phone from Colorado.

“He exhibited a real sense of excitement about the project as well,
and that’s one thing that attracts me to people when they’re excited
about being a part of it and helping out with it.”

“He becomes one of most valuable members of our team because of his
[GPR] training,” Geissler said.

The international team, including nine Christian archaeologists,
glaciologists, experienced Ararat climbers and photographers, is being
recruited to investigate the site sometime between July 15 and August
15.