Researchers from the British Museum in London have deciphered a map etched onto a clay tablet dating back approximately 3,000 years. The scientists discovered that the cuneiform symbols indicate the geographical location of Noah’s Ark.
This Babylonian artifact, known as Imago Mundi, was unearthed in the Middle East in 1882 and subsequently acquired by the British Museum. For many years, its research team has been working to decode the cuneiform symbols on this rare find. Ultimately, the scholars determined that the clay tablet, dated to around the 9th century BCE, represents a map of Mesopotamia.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
And that was just the beginning of their findings. A deeper analysis revealed references to a well-known story mentioned in the Bible.
The reverse side of the tablet served as a sort of guide for ancient travelers. The engraved symbols explained how to reach various landmarks. For instance, it mentions that one must walk “seven leagues to see something as thick as a vessel of parsikhtu.”
The term “parsikhtu” has also been found on other ancient Babylonian tablets. It was used to denote the size of the vessel that helped save lives during the Great Flood: namely, the biblical Noah’s Ark.
The researchers decoded the instructions on the ancient map and found a route to Urartu (Mount Ararat). According to ancient sources, this is where the rescued family disembarked from the ark that had saved their lives.
In addition to these astonishing details, the scholars identified the Euphrates River, Babylon, and other cities on the clay map. They also discovered the so-called “bitter river,” which encircles the landmarks known to the ancient Babylonians over three thousand years ago. Beyond the river, they depicted unknown lands.
Dr. Irving Finkel, curator at the British Museum and a renowned Assyriologist, noted, “This describes the Ark, which, theoretically, was built by the Babylonian version of Noah.” In other words, Utnapishtim.
In the Babylonian version of this story, the god Ea sent a flood that destroyed all of humanity except for Utnapishtim and his family. He built an ark and saved his family along with many animals.
It is worth noting that this story was echoed by a cuneiform tablet that is about 3,000 years old, while the biblical flood is believed to have occurred around 5,000 years ago. The Bible recounts that the ark came to rest on Ararat after a 150-day flood, during which the Earth and all living things not aboard the wooden vessel were submerged. The location at the mountain’s peak, where it came to rest, corresponds in shape and size to the bottom of the ark.
According to Dr. Finkel, anyone who travels the path to Urartu should theoretically see wooden ribs of the vessel “similar to those described in the Bible.”
A mountain formation resembling a boat on Mount Ararat
Any Scientific Theory Is Open to Debate
The idea that the ark docked at Ararat has long sparked discussions within the scientific community, as reported by the Daily Mail.
A team of researchers from Istanbul Technical University has been excavating the mountain for many years. In 2023, scientists uncovered clay and seafood remains, indicating that people were present here 5,000 to 3,000 years ago.
However, Dr. Andrew Snelling from the University of Sydney stated that Mount Ararat could not be the location of the ark, as it formed after the floodwaters receded.
While the story of Noah’s Ark is considered significant, most scientists do not believe in its literal interpretation.