Noah's Ark will arrive from Holland to Israel

Making ship models is a popular hobby all over the world. But there are people who understand such modeling in their own way, for example, like the Dutchman Johan Huibers, who built an exact replica of Noah's Ark. Now that the work is completed, the master is looking for a way to deliver his offspring to Israel.

The idea to create an exact copy of the biblical ship was visited by a resident of Krimpen aan den Ijssel back in 1993, when he was reading the story of Noah to children. Johan's wife did not take her husband's idea seriously and said that after the construction was completed, the family would be able to go on vacation to the moon. Despite his wife's jokes and lack of experience, Habers got to work and launched his brainchild 13 years later.

The first ark did not completely satisfy the author, as it was exactly two times smaller than the one described in the Old Testament. Therefore, Johan sold the ship and in 2008 started building a new one.

To make his dream come true, the Dutchman had to attract assistants to work. At first, three of his acquaintances became builders of Noah's Ark: a butcher, a teacher and a hairdresser, then, in the process of work, five more lovers of working with wood joined the team.

None of their amateur carpenters had any shipbuilding experience, so the creators of the copy admit that not everything in their work is perfect and I would like to fix a lot. But, in spite of everything, a colossal wooden vessel, with a displacement of 2500 tons, 125 meters long, 22 meters high and 29 meters wide, was built.

If the first version of the bible ship cost Habers $ 1 million, then the second option has already cost him $ 4 million. According to the author, the ark can accommodate 5,000 people and, looking at the grandiose structure at the pier, it is readily believed.

The authorities of the shipbuilder's hometown of Krimpen aan den Ijssel, perceived the new attraction without enthusiasm. The vessel, which received the unofficial name "The Ark of Johan", was inspected by the inspection and its use as a tourist attraction was prohibited, despite the modern fire protection system.

Before the authorities banned visits to the ark, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world managed to visit it.

In order for Noah's Ark not to be empty, Habers populated it with life-size animal models made of wood and plastic. There are elephant, giraffes, crocodile and many different smaller animals on board. There is also an aviary with live birds on the ark.

When asked what inspired him to do such a difficult job, Habers replies that he and his companions were motivated by love for God and a desire to prove to the whole world that the events described in the Bible are not fiction and took place in reality. Today the ship is located in Dordrecht (Netherlands, province of South Holland), at the pier on the Meuse River.

The idea of using the biblical ship for sea travel has not left Johan since the moment when the ark was launched. During the Olympic Games in Brazil, Habers wanted to cross the Atlantic Ocean and visit this country, but was forced to abandon this venture for technical reasons. The fact is that Noah's Ark was conceived as a rescue capsule provided to the will of the elements, and the Scriptures do not say that it can be used as a full-fledged vehicle.

Ark Of Noah Foundation from Ark of Noah Foundation on Vimeo.

Today, Habers is thinking about a way to deliver his ship to Israel, but the lack of a motor and the inability to sail on the ark is the main problem. The only real way to carry out such a voyage is to hire tugs, but it will cost the owner $ 1.3 million. At the moment, Yohan is not ready for such expenses, and the reaction of the Israeli side to this action is not known.