"Noah's Ark Found 100%?" Interview w/The Team

Main Ideas

The interview concerns an ongoing investigation at the Durupınar site in eastern Turkey. Lauren Witzke, a member of the Noah’s Ark Scans team, argues that a large, buried, boat-shaped structure there may be Noah’s Ark. She describes the work as unfinished and says further testing—and eventually excavation—are needed.

Evidence Cited by the Team

The team’s claimed evidence includes:

• A boat-like outline and dimensions that they say correspond to the biblical Ark’s proportions: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
• Radar and other scans that the team says show an organized pattern of rooms, corridors, and multiple levels rather than natural geology.
• Core and soil samples, along with reports of hard internal layers that the team suspects may be petrified wood. At the time of the interview, the samples were still awaiting laboratory analysis.
• Several dozen large stones in the surrounding area that the team identifies as ancient ship anchors. Witzke says some have holes for ropes and that some were later used as burial markers.
• Marine fossils and shells found in the region, which Witzke interprets as evidence of a relatively recent flood. This is her interpretation, not an independently established conclusion in the interview.

Methods and Next Steps

The team says it plans to use non-destructive techniques where possible, including radar scanning, core drilling, soil sampling, and cameras or small drones inserted through openings. It also plans to send samples to independent laboratories for analysis, including tests for wood composition and possible ancient animal DNA.

Witzke describes the project as an international collaboration involving Turkish government, university, and archaeological supervision. The team is seeking permission and funding for a larger excavation while trying to preserve the structure from further damage.

The Team’s Position on Certainty

Witzke says the Daily Mail supplied the “100%” headline and that the Noah’s Ark Scans team did not announce that the Ark had been proved. The team’s stated confidence is that the scans indicate an artificial structure rather than a natural formation. Whether that structure is Noah’s Ark remains a further claim requiring evidence.

Responses to Objections

• “It is a natural geological formation.” Witzke says earlier dismissals were not based on the current scanning and sampling work. She cites radar expert Dr. Bakhtar’s interpretation of the scans as showing organized, repeated anomalies. These are the team’s claims; the interview does not provide an independent review of the data.
• “The Ark would have been dismantled or decayed.” Witzke argues that the Bible does not say Noah dismantled it, that the family could have lived in tents, and that the Ark’s resin coating may have helped preserve it. She also refers to accounts of travelers visiting the site and taking pieces away, and to an earthquake in 1948 that she says exposed it.
• “The Ark would have been a rectangular barge.” Witzke says a vessel with the biblical dimensions would need a seaworthy shape. She refers to a shipbuilding engineer who reportedly argued that a simple rectangular box would not survive severe seas.
• Earlier investigations and reports. Witzke disputes the value of a past test involving dynamite and criticizes a report that she says did not involve direct sampling at the site. She also says a Chinese team’s previously publicized Ark footage was false. These assessments are not independently verified in the interview.
• “100% proven” framing. The hosts note that Christians should be cautious about claiming certainty before the evidence is fully tested. Witzke responds that the headline was written by the Daily Mail, not issued as the team’s formal conclusion.

Why the Project Matters to Witzke

Witzke sees the research as a way to support belief in the Bible’s historical claims and reach people who want physical evidence. She frames the work as evangelistic, while the hosts emphasize that Christian belief does not depend solely on archaeological discoveries.

Funding and Safety

Witzke says the project relies on crowdfunding and asks supporters to help pay for independent laboratory tests. She also asks for prayers for team leader Andrew Jones, describing a reported burglary during an expedition and expressing concern for his safety. Her suspicions about who was responsible are not substantiated in the interview.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Lauren Witzke — Noah’s Ark Scans team member and principal interview guest.
• Jeff Coleman and Luke Bear — identified in the subtitles as Apologia Radio hosts; the auto-generated names may be inaccurate.
• Andrew Jones — Noah’s Ark Scans founder, heard in a prerecorded video about the radar findings.
• Dr. Bakhtar — described by Witzke and in the video as a radar specialist; the subtitles render his name in several different ways.
• Brief unrelated program excerpts: Jeremiah Roberts and Eli Ayala appear in promotional snippets, and Greg Bahnsen is mentioned in a course promotion.
• Promotional and sponsor material: Dominion Wealth, Ion Layer, and Amtac Blades.