These ramps were how you went from floor to floor in the Ark.
Obviously, Noah and his family had carpentry skills enough to build the Ark but they must have been talented in many other things as well. Everything from animal care to midwifery and healthcare to farming to making things like soap, blankets, and bread. Stone-working and metal working. Probably writing and artistic abilities as well.
Directions for the Ark in Scripture!
The center of the ark was open so that light could come down from the windows above.
Wow, was this an incredible piece! It was a timeline of world history, broken off by different civilizations and cultures. It would take hours to go over the entire thing. After we got home a friend told us you could buy a copy in the gift shop.
The yod-hey-waw-hey. YHWH in Hebrew.
Before seeing the beautiful living quarters I had sort of pictured Noah and his family huddled together in the dark surrounded by animals, with sleeping bags, and maybe a pot of soup. But there's no reason to believe they would not have put care into designing their own living space. They spent six months on the Ark, possibly longer if they lived on it for any time before or after the flood.
Seriously - what craftsmanship! Interesting to think about too is that they chose all the relics that survived the flood. Practical things like tools and clothing were on board but they were also entrusted with the entire library of their age, hence Noah's library.
The kitchen area. They would have brought along produce that stores well. See those carrots on the left? Orange carrots are actually a pretty recent creation in the world so I was pleased to see they had the older red variety.
Who ever thought of there being a kitchen on the Ark? Of course they would have needed a space to prepare meals for themselves and maybe even to break down vegetables for the animals. They even included something similar to a tandoori oven on board.
Potting bench with space for drying herbs.
I absolutely loved this - indoor gardening! There was an explanation that the light that came in from the top of the Ark could have been used to grow foods like lettuces for Noah's family. Or even just to keep plants alive for replanting after the flood.
Explanations of other culture's flood legends.
The proposed methods of survival in the legends. There were many details about why these would not have worked but the Ark in Scripture would have!
There was a special exhibit of various Bible manuscripts when we visited.
Near the end this exhibit explains salvation.
The dove coming back with the olive branch.
To give you a better idea of the massive size of the Ark - the first floor is underneath the structure! It was so moving to see the Ark built to scale and like I said, there are so many things I didn't even get pictures of. There are more exhibits, two theaters, pony rides, a zoo, restaurant, and a huge gift shop. I am so glad we had the opportunity to visit!
See part one photos here.
See part one photos here.
