In 2008, Johan Huibers, joined by amateur carpenters, started to build a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark
It was completed and opened to the public in 2012. The Biblical boat cost nearly $1.6 million to build. Huibers later admitted “We’re not professional boatmakers. A lot of stuff here is a bit crooked.”
It is hard not to be amazed by the size of the ship and its beautiful details. The Ark is complete with wooden animal models, including gorillas, elephants and rhinos – just like in the Bible. The life-sized interpretation of Noah’s Ark was a popular attraction in Dordrecht, Netherlands, but unfortunately it’s been closed to visitors due to disagreements between Huibers and town officials.
The builder constructed the vessel in accordance with specifications laid out in the Hebrew Bible. The life-sized replica of the Biblical ship has a steel frame, and was built with American cedar and pine wood.
The height of the vessel is similar to that of a five-story building (75 feet). The ark is 95 feet wide, 410 feet long, weighs 2,500 tons and can fit over 5,000 people at once. Originally, Huiber was planning to sail it to Brazil for the Rio 2016 Olympics, but due to safety concerns, the plan fell through and was placed on hold.
Now, he says that his “preferred destination for the ark is Israel,”This is a copy of God’s ship. It only makes sense to take it to God’s land,” he added. Huibers had planned to take the ship there soon after its completion, but wildfires in Israel forced him to postpone the journey.Now, he says that his “preferred destination for the ark is Israel,”This is a copy of God’s ship. It only makes sense to take it to God’s land,” he added. Huibers had planned to take the ship there soon after its completion, but wildfires in Israel forced him to postpone the journey.
At the moment Huibers is seeking donations from good Samaritans to help reach his goal of taking the vessel to Israel. As the ship has no motor, Huibers will need to rent tugboats in order to sail it, requiring approximately $1.3 million to complete the voyage.
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