Wealthy Dutch builder John Huibers responds to a dream about apocalyptic flooding by building an ark much like Noah's in the Book of Genesis. Photo: www.catholic.org
Quick now, How much is a cubit? If you said 18 inches-about the length of a man’s forearm-go to the head of the class!
Now multiply that by 1.5 feet by 300 and you get the length of the massive modern ark made by Dutch builder John Huibers to recreate Noah’s ship in the Book of Genesis. Add the dimensions of 50 cubits in width and 30 in height and you have a substantial seagoing vessel.
The wealthy Dutchman told the Today show that the project was sparked by a dream he had of apocalyptic flooding. His principal purpose is to point people to God and the Bible, but it will doubtless make money as a tourist attraction.
The ark is currently being finished in a Dutch shipyard and, like its ancestor, is built to house both animals and people. Dordrecht, a small rural town in the Netherlands recently plagued by farmland flooding, hopes to be home to this latter-day rescue ship. Several years ago, Huibers built a smaller ark that opened its doors to tourists in 2007 and attracted more than 600,000 visitors.
Texan investors have asked Huibers to bring the ark to Galveston, but Huibers’s destination of choice is London. He hopes to float the boat down the Thames in time for the Olympic Games next summer.