Have Hong Kong evangelists found the biblical Noah's ark?

New evidence, including wood specimens dating back 4,800 years, discovered by a Hong Kong-Turkish team 4,000 metres above sea level, may suggest the existence of the biblical Noah's ark.

The team of 15, which included six Hong Kong evangelists and cameramen, said they had excavated and ventured inside seven large wooden compartments on snow-capped Mount Ararat in Turkey last October. The whole process was also videotaped for the first time.

The team, which announced the expedition in Hong Kong yesterday, brought back samples from the sites, including wooden specimens, white seedling-like particles and remains of rope, which they believe was used for keeping animals.

Yeung Wing-cheung, one of the team members, said a piece of wood 0.46 metres long, obtained from the site, was dated as 4,800 years old by a carbon-dating method in Iran. This matches with the range of years stated in the Bible, suggesting when the vessel was built.

Yeung said initial findings suggested the wood was a kind of cypress, whereas the Bible stated that Noah's Ark was built of gopher wood. Further tests were needed to see if the two woods matched, and laboratory tests were being carried out on other specimens.

The team, the first of its kind endorsed by the Turkish government, is a joint effort between Hong Kong-based Media Evangelism, Noah's Ark Ministry International and the Turkish government.