The Lost Ship of Noah: In Search of the Ark at Ararat

by Charles Berlitz

One of the world's foremost explorers of ancient mysteries provides proof of the historical validity of Noah's Ark and the Great Flood

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion

203 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Born in NYC, Berlitz was the grandson of Maximilien Berlitz, who founded the Berlitz Language Schools. As a child, Charles was raised in a household in which (by father's orders) every relative & servant spoke to Charles in a different language. He reached adolescence speaking eight languages fluently. In adulthood, he recalled having had the delusion that every human spoke a different language, & wondering why he didn't have his own like everyone else. His father spoke to him in German, his grandfather in Russian, his nanny in Spanish.
He began working for the family's Berlitz School of Languages, during college breaks. The publishing house, of which he was vice president, sold, among other things, tourist phrase books & pocket dictionaries, several of which he authored. He also played a key role in developing record & tape language courses. He left the company in the late 1960s, not long after he sold the company to publishing firm Crowell, Collier & Macmillan. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale Univ.
Berlitz was a writer on anomalous phenomena. He wrote a number of books on Atlantis. In his book The Mystery of Atlantis, he used evidence from geophysics, psychic studies, classical literature, tribal lore, archeology & mysteries & concluded that Atlantis was real. Berlitz also attempted to link the Bermuda Triangle to Atlantis. He claimed to have located Atlantis undersea in the area of the Bermuda Triangle. He was also an ancient astronaut proponent who believed that extraterrestrials had visited earth.
Berlitz spent 13 years on active duty in the US Army, mostly in intelligence. In 1950, he married Valerie Seary, with whom he had a daughter, Lynn. He died in 2003 at the age of 89 at University Hospital in Tamarac, FL.

Reviews

[Stephen Tuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Berlitz's exploration of the Great Flood and the search for Noah's Ark is much better than it should have been. It's a compact 187 pages but still gives the impression of covering significant ground at a slow amble.

The book is best described as an examination of different aspects of the tale of the Flood. Each chapter more-or-less stands alone. One covers Flood myths from around the world (and the different personages 'Noah' has taken). Another covers the difficulties of climbing Mount Ararat, and still another the verbal accounts of sightings of the Ark in the mountains of Armenia. This has a few drawbacks. The book seems fairly undisciplined and no real line of argument emerges. Sometimes information seems to be included simply because the author was aware of it rather than because it was relevant. I'm not sure why the final chapter discussed the prospects of the world ending in 1999 (pp. 171-187).

The author seems to have made a genuine effort to be objective. For example, he recounts that timbers brought which Fernand Navarra claimed to have recovered from Ararat were variously dated to 5000BC and 560AD (pp. 94-95). On the other hand, he studiously avoids commenting on how documentary evidence of Ark sightings can miraculously never be located. For example, the report of a Russian search for the Ark was apparently destroyed by Leon Trotsky (p. 33). People who have photographed the Ark will show the pictures to others but not release them to the press or allow them to be copied (pp. 41-42). A statement from an eyewitness is mysteriously destroyed in a house fire (p. 150). Newpaper reports can somehow never be found (pp. 42 and 150). He is also remarkably unselective about his material. He accepts as genuine an absurd claim by a man in Arizona to by the son of Tsar Nicholas II (p. 37). He quotes from a fourteenth century Ark sighting by Sir John Mandeville, despite Mandeville being a fictional character! (p. 18). And his account of flood legends from around the world seems to be drawn from secondary sources quoting secondary sources quoting secondary sources quoting ... you get the idea: what the primary source material might be is anyone's guess (pp. 129-136).

Fundamentally, this book is less history and more a collection of folklore. It's worth flipping through on a long train ride, but don't take it too seriously.

[Ted Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly couldn't put the book down! His wording, which gave me the conclusion that it would have been useless for the Ark to actually land on Mount Ararat itself, was wonderfully laid out! Especially since the Bible stresses that the Ark landed in the "Mountains" of Ararat - indicating the mountainous region, and not specifically Mt. Ararat itself. Then, after mapping this out for us, he then dedicates most of the back of the book to the findings of Ron Wyatt, who did find the remains of the Ark in the "mountains" of Ararat, but at a level where it would have been easier for many animals to vacate, rather than on the top of a very rugged and dangerous mountain... I highly recommend this book!

[Ross Blocher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read other books by Charles Berlitz, I get the feeling that his heart wasn't into the search for The Lost Ship of Noah. Scion of the Berlitz language learning company, Berlitz put that work largely aside to focus on promoting fringe beliefs: Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, the Philadelphia Experiment, Roswell, and the coming doomsday in 1999. A decade into producing these works (1987), this book feels pro forma, and perhaps cynical: cashing in on the Creationist craze for credulous documentaries like In Search of Noah's Ark (1976). Berlitz clearly doesn't believe in the literal story of Noah and the flood, and I'll give him credit for not pretending he does. In 1972's Mysteries From Forgotten Worlds, he treats the topic with detachment: "There seems to be no linguistic connection between the names of the survivors of the flood with that of Noah of Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. In Babylonian legend he was Ut-Napishtam; Yima in ancient Iran; Deucalion in Greco-Roman legend; Baisbasbata in Hindu mythology; Coxcox or Tezpi in Aztec and preAztec legend; and Tamandar in the Guarani legends of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina."

Traditionally, the search has centered on Mount Ararat, which is located in Turkey. And of course, Berlitz relays stories from various pilots and expedition members who claim they have spotted the preserved frame of Noah's massive 300-cubit-long ship (a cubit being the variable distance from one's elbow to one's fingertips) on that mountain. The sightings have numerous incompatibilities, from size, to shape, to location. Sometimes the ark is in one piece; sometimes it has broken in two (one side having slid down the mountain). Sometimes it's buried, sometimes it's fully exposed. A few accounts placed the ark at the edge of a large frozen lake. There are various explanations for how a 4000+ year old wooden boat has survived: it has been fossilized into stone, or frozen, or only left telltale fragments. The reasons the researchers can't return change as well: the Turkish government won't let them, the weather is prohibitive, they need more funding. One thing that is always consistent is that no photos exist. It becomes a comical refrain, as each purported image mysteriously goes missing:

- "The Roskovitsky account and corroborative statements from a variety of sources have understandably been discounted as lacking in essential proof such as photographs, official reports, or certified substantiations. It is fruitless for defenders of these reports to point out that the disappearance of records and photographs would be a natural result of the ensuing revolution and civil war in Russia."
- "This Stars and Stripes photo is only one of a number of pictures allegedly taken of the Ark during World War II by US, Australian, and especially Russian airmen. A number of people remember seeing them, but the photographs share a common feature — they cannot be produced."
- "Some of the mysterious disappearances of photographs lend a James Bond flavor to Ark investigation. In 1952 an oil engineer named George Jefferson Greene, a passenger in a helicopter reconnaissance flight for an oil company, flew around Mount Ararat ... He was murdered ... in 1962, presumably in a robbery. His valuables, which may have included the close-up photographs of the Ark, were never located. Although a number of persons who stated that they had seen Greene's photographs were contacted ... no copy of any of the photographs has ever been located."

There are three photo insert sections in the book with dozens of images. Hilariously, none of them are of the ark. Well, okay, there's one purported, identifiable ark... but it's just as disappointing as the others. As many searchers do, Berlitz reminds us that the biblical account simply says "the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:4b). So it could be on any of the mountains in that range! In 1959, members of the Turkish Air Force saw a shape at 10,000 feet that looked like a long oval with pointed ends, located 17 miles south of Mount Ararat. Berlitz details the efforts of a team that came in with ground-penetrating equipment to detect what's in the soil. They discovered seams of metal they suspect may have provided structure for an ancient boat. It's not quite the dimensions specified in the Bible, but close enough if you're willing to fudge. Now referred to as "the Durupinar site", many have investigated and determined it conclusively to be a natural geologic formation composed of limonite, which contains iron. That doesn't stop various breathless articles (and Berlitz) from selectively presenting features that could indicate an ancient ship... while downplaying the preponderance of evidence that suggests otherwise.

There's one passage that had me cracking up for hours. There's a legend that the last Tsar of Russia, Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, commissioned a 1916 expedition to find the ark. They were successful! We don't have the photos, of course, but Charles Berlitz was able to find Nikolai's living son in exile, at 81. Wow, Alexei Nikolaevich survived execution! Berlitz talks to this man on the phone, who shares memories of his father exulting over the discovery of the ark, but without providing any new information. And so I couldn't help but laugh out loud when Berlitz revealed that this Romanov heir was living... wait for it... in Phoenix, Arizona! How desperate do you have to be to even include such a story in a book? Berlitz sheepishly concludes: "The above memories are offered only as a possible corroboration of the expedition to the Ark from someone who considered himself to be the son of Russia's last Emperor and may have been so or perhaps a relative." For anyone not aware, there is a long history of people pretending to be heirs to the deposed and murdered Romanovs - usually as a get-rich-quick scheme, or as a result of mental illness. Alexei's remains were conclusively found - in Russia - in 2007.

Just one more unsubstantiated anecdote in a book full of just-so stories. Forty years later, there have been many more documentaries about, and expeditions searching for, Noah's ark. None of them have produced anything of substance. Even the Creationist organization Answers in Genesis, who built their own life-size replica of the ark in Kentucky, advise their readers not to repeat rumors of the ark having been found.

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE LOST SHIP OF NOAH was a fascinating book. No matter your level of spirituality, one will want to keep on reading. I for one couldn't help but wonder, "Is the Ark really there?"

The Bible, as interpreted, states the Noah's Ark rested on the "mountains of Ararat" as the flood waters receded. The author points out that despite the local legends passed down through generations, the Ark might possibly be on another mountain. However, Mount Ararat, a dormant volcano, is the highest peak around. Rising over 15,000 feet, the top is snow covered and often obscured by clouds or fog. So if the Ark is up there, if it exists at all, why doesn't somebody just go up there and find out? But they have tried.

To begin with, getting a permit itself seems to take an act of The Almighty Himself just to get started. And if luck is against you, by the time you get it, the season changes making the attempt far too dangerous, even for the locals. But if one did succeed in starting out, as one ascended up the mountain, one would encounter poisonous snakes and scorpions. Going a little higher, as one leaves those nasty critters behind, one can encounter packs of wolves and wild dogs. Continuing up even higher, there are ferocious bears. At any level, one could encounter bandits and terrorists. And straying a little too close to the border can get you killed by trigger happy soldiers who shoot without warning. Even if you dodge those threats a fog can come up and hide dangerous crevices that could be covered with a thin layer of snow. Yes, some of those threats can be found on other mountains, and even though those mountains can be thousands of feet higher, it is like some unearthly presence will ensure that you don't succeed. Pack animals have been spooked off carrying supplies. Deadly lightening storms appear without warning. Sudden gusts of wind have carried the unwary away. But I am a cynic, and as I sit here in front of my computer screen, in my warm home, drinking a nice beverage, I am thinking, "I am not afraid."

So has anyone ever seen it? Some have, and photos have even been taken. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, they have always disappeared. In 1916 a Russian pilot and his observer reported what they saw on the mountain. The Tsar realized the importance of the Ark would be to his soldiers fighting in the war, so he sent two engineer companies up the mountain. What they found were indications that it was indeed the Ark. All the reports and photos were sent back to St. Petersburg only to be destroyed by the godless Communists. The pilot who originally found the Ark went into hiding. Another expedition went up there decades later with the intention of disproving that the wooden ship, if it was even there, was really the Ark. The expedition actually made it there, and according to one of the team members, the two leading scientists huddled together for a moment and then after threatening everyone with death should they ever speak of the moment, headed back down the mountain and said they never found it. There were other stories too. 

Is the Ark really there, preserved in the ice? Read this book and decide for yourself.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a child at a Christian daycare, the story of Noah and the flood fascinated me. Indeed, it’s followed me even as an agnostic adult decades later. It is, after all, a story that could rightfully be called universal with variations of it appearing across cultures and continents. Does that mean that there might be more than a grain of truth to it and that there might be an actual ship high upon Mount Ararat in Turkey? It’s a question that’s fascinated many, including linguist and author of the paranormal Charles Berlitz who turned to this topic for this 1987 book.

Having read Berlitz’s books on The Bermuda Triangle, the alleged Philadelphia Experiment, and the Roswell Incident, I had some sense going in what to expect from Berlitz. Namely some interesting nuggets of information buried among tangents and perhaps dubious sourcing. The Lost Ship of Noah offered all of that as it wandered from exploring the folklore around the Ark, reporting on reputed sightings of it both on and near Mount Ararat, accounting for how a worldwide flood might have taken place, and finally offering an examination of predictions of the end of the world at the then forthcoming turn of the millennium.

To his credit, Berlitz knew how to create something immensely readable. Chapters fly by with chunks of information and discussion aimed at giving the reader something of a crash course on a variety of topics. The sections exploring the variations on the flood story are where the book is at its strongest, being somewhere that Berlitz’s experience as a linguist and student of cultures played toward. It’s also to Berlitz’s credit that he attempts to reconcile those contradictory accounts and reported final resting places for the Ark, suggesting the possibilities of either multiple events influencing the myth or a single event survived by multiple ships. Even after nearly forty years, the book is readable for these sections and informative (though an even earlier account has since come to light).

It doesn’t stay that way, however. When Berlitz gets into trying to verify that the Ark exists in Turkey, the book becomes unglued. All too often, accounts are vague and contradictory. Or, as with the case of an alleged Russian expedition to the mountain during World War I, Berlitz allows himself to get into dubious sourcing such as a man who claimed to be the surviving son of Tsar Nicholas II (a claim since put to rest by DNA testing). There are also tangents that feel like travel guides to Turkey or an extend piece for anyone who might be tempted to climb the mountain for themselves in search of the Ark. By the time the final chapter goes into doomsday prophecies for 1999 where Berlitz quotes from his own earlier book Doomsday, 1999 A. D. (a book that, for obvious reasons, has not been reprinted as an eBook), the Ark becomes well and truly lost among a dated mess.

Which is a shame because there’s parts of The Lost Ship of Noah that remain engaging even for a skeptic. Like so many of Berlitz’s books on the paranormal, the lack of focus and dubious sourcing undermine it. Though with something like the Ark, perhaps it remains a question of faith over evidence and, as a result, how you feel about this book will depend on where you stand going into it.

[Patricio Cornejo Ibacache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un interesante libro documental que nos lleva a analizar las diferentes teorías y evidencias sobre la ubicación del Arca de Noé. Con foco principal en entregar una descripción geográfica y las principales expediciones al monte Ararat que sostienen una teoría sobre su ubicación. Describe históricamente cómo las diversas culturas coinciden con argumentos para ratificar el diluvio y en contrapartida argumentos científicos que las descartan. Considerando que el libro es de los años 70/80 es un excelente relato que invita a investigar si en los últimos años donde el desarrollo tecnológico ha sido mayor o si continúa restringido el acceso a esa área geopoliticamente compleja.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff about a very old ship found in the mountains of Ararat in Eastern Turkey. Where did the ship come from? Was it really the legendary ark as described in the bible? Is the ship proof for the Great Flood? This is a big find and of interest for every Indiana Jones fan here. Well written, intriguing with great photos. Really recommended!

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, although I expected better from the author.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry, but interesting.

[Davy Bennett]

Go see the Ark near Cincinnati!

[Air Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely written but dated compendium of the legend surrounding the Ark, covering the multiple expeditions made to mount Ararat and testimonials of finding the Ark, the reasons why doing these searches is so difficult (the geopolitical context at 20th century and the conditions of the mountain in particular) and the diverse accounts of ancient civilizations about a flood or a disaster that kills nearly every species on earth. At least until the last chapter done with enough rigor to make it a pleasant and not sensationalistic read.

Nothing has been really proven yet and some of these accounts are now known as deliberate hoaxes but the added context and neutral tone makes it passable at least.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've known the Ark was out there somewhere. According to history it had to be near Ararat on the side of Turkey. Phenomenal, and I believe definitive proof they've discovered it's location. I've read other books prior to this one, but this added a few more interesting facts. Great book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book at the time I read it, but now I think it's outdated.

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's old, from the 80's but full of fun facts I didn't know. Holy evidence, "Hey everyone, there really was a flood!" Fun and informative.

[Marko]

I have the german edition.