Noah's Ark Returns to Ocean
Noah’s Ark — or, at least, a faithful facsimile thereof — is hitting the high seas.
According to MANA, Inspired by that biblical vessel, Dutch carpenter Johan Huibers built a 2,500-ton replica of it in 2012. Dubbed “Johan’s Ark,” it’s been open since then to the public in the Netherlands. This summer, USA Today reports, the ark with the help of a barge will cross the Atlantic ocean to Brazil, stopping afterward at ports in Long Beach, Calif., San Francisco and Seattle.
Huibers’ foundation, Ark of Noah, has been raising donations on its Web site to fund the multicountry tour, but it still has a long way to go: So far the foundation has received just $1,244 of its $2.5 million goal.
The 33-year-old carpenter was inspired to build a half-size model of Noah’s Ark in 2004 after he dreamed that the province of Noord-Holland in the Netherlands was flooded like the story in the Old Testament. This new model is larger than a football stadium at 410 feet long, 95 feet wide and 75 feet tall, and can hold more than 5,000 people.
Huibers hopes the biblical cruise will be flooded by South Americans and other tourists later this year.