ROBERT BALLARD: BLACK SEA
WAS THE PLACE OF THE BIBLE FLOOD
WAS THE PLACE OF THE BIBLE FLOOD
Robert Ballard. Black Sea was the place of Bible flood.
Robert Ballard with his "Hercules"
On the Black Sea bottom
The famous researcher of sea depths the American Robert Bollard, who had discovered in 1985 the sunk "Titanic", suggested his own point of view about riddle of Noah's Ark.
According to his theory, 10 thousands years ago the Black Sea was a freshwater lake in the centre of large lowland. This fertile region with luxuriant pastures gave the fine possibility for neolithic residents to prosper and go over to more effective kind of the living – to the agriculture.
But there happened a catastrophe.
About 7500 years ago the last ice age had finished, the world climate became warmer, and the seas level began to increase. The narrow strip of land because of earth-quake had been burst by waters of the Aegean Sea, and the huge mass of water had gushed forth into present Black Sea's basin with the power of two hundreds Niagara Falls.
Reverberations of this event were responded in all religions and myths of world, so it was remain in the descendants memory, including the authors of Bible, as the Great ("world-wide") Flood. At the Bollard's thought, this grandiose inundation covered temporarily all shore hills, to one of which Noah's Arc was came .
The researcher set himself the task to prove, that namely in the coastal regions of present Black Sea it is possible to find out the tracks of ancient settlers and the remains of Noah's Arc.
For fairness sake we ought to say, that not all geologists and archeologists share the Ballard's point of view. Their main argument – not high rating of Ballard as scientist. However Ballard is glorified with remarkable findings, including the sunk ancient ships, belonging to Romans and Phoenicians. Moreover, how it was remarked, he had found "Titanic" and also the torpedo-boat "PT-109", on which John Fizjerald Kennedy was fighting in the time of Second World war.
At the same time there are serious scientific groups (particularly in USA and Bulgaria) which stand up for the idea of Black Sea's flood.
AFTER THE DISINTEGRATION OF SOVIET UNION
In 1991 the Black Sea became accessible for sea archeologists of foreign States. Among them was also Robert Ballard.
The scientists were attracted by the remote past of Black Sea, when it was the animate place of intersection of navigators ways from Mesopotamia, Scythia, Phoenicia and others States. The cases of ships wrecks were not rare in that times, and the poor with oxygen Black Sea's water facilitated their well preservation. Ballard speaks:
"In the Black Sea are preserved the relics of such great value which surpass all the treasures of world's museums ".
At first time Robert Ballard had appeared on the Black Sea in 1997 and found here the new arguments to affirm his point of view on the Great Flood and on the destiny of Noah's Arc. For instance a lot of Caucasians and Armenians also in present time believe that they are the descendants of Noah, and on the ancient painting canvases the mountain Ararat with Noah's Arc on top was often represented. This myth troubles Ballard not at all, for it was always usual for the man to adjust the historic facts to his own imagination.
Ballard found on shoal-water the remains of fresh-water molluscs, which had extincted 7000 years ago. Also the signs of erstwhile human inhabitation at these places were discovered. To them are related ceramic crocks, stone tools and photos made by underwater camera, on which are visible wooden joists and rectangular stone laying of size 10 on 12 meters.
The sea biologists Wolter Pitman and William Raien, who share the Ballard's views on ancient history of the Black Sea, had determined that ancient sea shore line which can keep the tracks of erstwhile human habitation, is on the depth of 150 meters. Such a depth was not in the power of divers, therefore the researchers were able to hope only on their distantly managed underwater apparatuses.
"THE HERCULES" COMES AT HELP TO SCIENTISTS
Robert Ballard is not only skilled underwater researcher with much years service, but also the gifted designer of underwater apparatuses. Also now he had brought at the Black Sea his new unpiloted apparatus with distant managing, which had promising name "Hercules".
The sonar's imitate the echo radar of dolphin, who is able to find easy the way in turbid water. But on the big depth in the Black Sea, how it is known, the zero visibility has place. "Hercules" was supplied with two "two-finger's hands". The left "hand" was powerful, adjusted to lifting of the heavy objects and the right “hand” – is more tactful, having so called feedback.
THE NOAH'S FLOOD WAS ON THE BLACK SEA
Robert Ballard in this autumn had produced to the world still more sensational discovery. With the help of his underwater robots he located the tracks of human settlement in about twenty kilometers of Turkey shore. It was the first evidence of giant inundation, which had happened on the Black Sea near seven thousands years ago. This event, how the scientists considered, was described in Bible in the myth of Noah's Flood.
The antediluvian Black Sea was a large freshwater lake without any connection with other seas. Then in the finish of ice-age, the Europe glaciers began to melt very quickly, the level of the World Ocean was increased and one day a great mass of water had poured in this lake. These streams washed away all the living, including tens thousands of people dwelling there.
The Mediterranean salt water had ruined a huge mass of freshwater plankton, which rotting resulted in poisoning of the Black Sea by hydrogen sulfide. According to scientists calculations, a half thousand years was needed for the nature to regenerate anew the life in the upper layers of the Black Sea. And it is just not a hypothesis. Namely Ballard had discovered last year at the Black Sea bottom the freshwater shells, which age was seven thousand years, covered with the layer of saltwater mollusks which is dated on six hundred years later.
The water without oxygen covers the Black Sea bottom also today – it is a reason why the building discovered by Ballard has preserved so well. It is the destroyed rectangular construction of size 11,7x3,9 m, made of clay and wooden beams – the typical for stone age edifice.
After detecting the ancient building by special "scanning" sonars, lowering the "robot" and fixing it on video camera, Ballard had left his discovery in peace. Now he intends to search other signs of civilization.
His sonars found out along the supposed line of ancient shore hundreds of suspicious places which still ought to be investigated. Only after this, Ballard intends to begin the withdrawal of specimens for determination the exact time of Flood.
Obtshaja gazeta, 10 nov. 1999. ROBERT BALLARD: BLACK SEA WAS THE PLACE OF THE BIBLE FLOOD
E. Krilov, rewrite by L. Regelson.
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