Scholars Debate Exact Location of Noah's Ark on the Mountains of Ararat

Last week, on the 24th of Tammuz according to Rabbi Eliezer Hagadol's tradition, the dove returned to Noah with a fresh olive leaf, signaling the end of the flood. While Noah survived the flood, the precise location where the Ark rested remains uncertain. The Torah states the Ark came to rest on the "Mountains of Ararat," but the exact mountains referenced are debated.

Ancient Jewish tradition, including the translation by Onkelos and Jonathan ben Uzziel, identifies the "Mountains of Ararat" as the mountainous region of Kurdistan, specifically the ridge called "Jabal Judi" near the city of Cizre by the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey. This identification aligns with Islamic tradition, which also places the Ark's resting place at "Al-Judi." Conversely, the Crusaders popularized the identification of the "Mountains of Ararat" with the snow-capped volcanic peaks on the modern border of Turkey, Armenia, and Iran, known as Greater Ararat (5,166 meters) and Lesser Ararat (3,896 meters). These peaks are iconic in Armenian symbolism but were not traditionally linked to Noah's Ark before the Crusader period.

Historical accounts add to the complexity: Josephus wrote that Ark remnants were visible in his time; the Talmud recounts Assyrian King Sennacherib venerating a wooden beam from the Ark; and medieval Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela noted a mosque built from Ark wood near the Tigris. In 1959, an unusual ground formation resembling a ship was discovered at 1,625 meters elevation between two villages on Greater Ararat, and in 2022 a visitor center named "Noah's Ark" was inaugurated there with participation from Istanbul University professors and Israeli tourists.

Some scholars suggest that the plural "Mountains of Ararat" may refer to a broader region encompassing both the Kurdish and Armenian mountains, reconciling the differing traditions. The debate continues as historical, religious, and archaeological evidence is examined to pinpoint the Ark's true resting place.

Israel Shapira, a senior historian and lecturer specializing in the Land of Israel, authored several books on sacred and historical sites and invites further discussion and research on this topic.