Dutch artist finishes life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark
Dutch artist Johan Huibers poses next to the 150 metre-long Noah’s ark he created at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers’ dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah’s ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality.
When Dutch artist Johan Huibers had a nightmare about a devastating flood, he turned it into a real life-dream – a life-sized Noah's Ark.
Huibers, a Christian, spent 20 years designing the replica, which he built using the Bible as his guide, reports AP.
He said he followed the detailed instructions that God passed down to Noah in Genesis down to the last cubit, ditching only one minor detail – gopher wood – since no one knew what it was.
According to the Huffington Post UK, Huibers instead used a mixture of steel frames and American Cedar and Pine. The finished product measures 427 feet long, 95 feet across and 75 feet high.
The ark is half the size of the Titanic and is currently moored in the Dutch city of Dordrecht, just south of Rotterdam.
Huibers, a builder by trade, told the Daily Mail that he got the idea for the ark in 1992 after he dreamt that the Netherlands was submerged in a flood like the one featured in the Book of Genesis.
Huibers said that he thinks new floods are a real possibility, citing a New Testament passage prophesying that “the cities of the coast shall tremble” near the end of times.
In 2004 he built a half-scale version and floated it along Dutch canals. Huibers started construction on the full size version three years ago and spent roughly $1.6 million.
Though the ship features a restaurant, a movie theater and exhibitions on ancient Middle Eastern history and dress, scenes from the life of Noah, and games for kids, Huibers said his motivation to build the ark was religious.
"I want to make people question [their purpose on Earth] so that they go looking for answers," and ultimately find salvation through God and eternal life, he said.
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?