Putting the Fun into Fundamental
Episode 5: Raiders of the Misplaced Ark
In the final programme in Channel 4's Putting the Fun into Fundamental series, Elliott Gerner goes in search of the remains of Noah's Ark. According to legend, the remains of the Ark are to be found on the top of Mount Ararat, a snow-capped volcanic cone in north-east Turkey, 16km west of Iran and 32km south of Armenia. Despite the claims of Tsar Nicholas II and sundry Armenian shepherds that they have glimpsed the remains, no physical evidence of the Ark has ever been found. Genesis, the first book of the Bible tells the story of how Noah built an Ark, and, along with his family, filled it with a male and female of each species. As a result, they survived 40 days and 40 nights of a cataclysmic flood. This tale encourages belief in a God who secures the survival of humanity while at the same time having the power to destroying everyone and everything.
The Ark's remains are said to be guarded by a curse which brings misfortune on anyone who tries to find them. In actual fact, as Gerner soon finds out, the greatest obstacle to locating them seems to be the Turkish government, which is slow in issuing permits for archaeologists and academics to look for the Ark on Mount Ararat. Gerner prepares for his expedition by buying an Indiana Jones hat, but is disappointed by the delays in securing permission to search for the Ark.
Deciding to go it alone, and to seek proof that the biblical story is true, Gerner braves what he sees as inauspicious signs – rainstorms, earthquakes and his starting date of Friday the 13th. Unable to discover the depths of religious feeling in himself unaided, he searches for some external validation. Pointing out that Mount Ararat is known by locals as the Mountain of Pain, Gerner arrives at the Noah's Ark National Park, located at the foot of the mountain.
But when he attempts to measure the mound that is said to be Noah's Ark, he soon finds that it is smaller than the measurements given in the Bible, and declares it a fake. He has no success in climbing Mount Ararat, although he does meet some Mormons from Salt Lake City who believe in The Last Days. In the end, Gerner fails to crack the riddle of the Ark, and so is unable to realise one of the oldest of human desires – to make contact with God. Still, he does experience the compensation of becoming a father – and names his newborn son Noah.
