Ken Ham’s Ark Encounters Deception

Please don’t ask me how I stumbled across this. It’s a complicated and convoluted story you likely don’t want to hear anyway. So let’s just blame Paulogia’s Ham and AIG News and leave it at that. Moreover, there’s no need to watch the entire video above, although you’re welcome to if you would like. However, my focus will be on a brief statement at around 26:55. Does Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter deception in this video? It appears so to me. Here’s the relevant quote.

So when people say “but you used iron in this ship”, well why not? Wouldn’t Noah have? Because long before Noah there were workers of bronze and iron.

Ken Ham

My point here is not to dispute his claim about Noah. Rather to share this interesting detail about the building of the Ark Encounter. This information is available in several places, but here it is on woodworking network.

In an effort to employ techniques used in the ancient time the Ark was said to have been constructed, one hundred Amish craftsmen built the replica using ancient timber framing techniques, such as manually bending the wood for the rudder rather than steaming it to make it more pliable. Most of these techniques were utilized, but some had to be altered to adhere to modern building codes (builders originally planned to hold the ark together with wooden pegs, but had to change to steel fasteners).

Woodworking Network

Why he didn’t just say that on the video is beyond me. Not that he lied exactly, but it comes across poorly to act as if this was the plan all along when you’re on the record otherwise. Then there’s this statement from the Ark Encounter website.

But is it really according to dimensions? Here’s some more info on the building.

AiG considered twelve different possible lengths for the biblical cubit, and AiG chose to use a length of 20.1 inches (51 cm); this produced plans for an ark measuring 510 feet (155 m) long, 85 feet (26 m) wide, and 51 feet (16 m) high.

Again, not exactly a lie, but a little shady. If you don’t know the actual dimensions, should you claim to have built it to the Biblical dimensions? It just seems a bit dishonest.

More weirdness from Ken Ham.

If you watch the video, Ken Ham seems to be the master of strange assumptions. From his claim that fossils with abscesses have to be after the “fall” to his observation that Adam must’ve written a book became Genesis says “the book of the generations of Adam”. Hence, he puts Noah’s library on the ark. It’s unclear Biblically where he gets any of this stuff from.

If I follow his logic, since death came from the fall, disease can’t predate the original sin. Following this thought process to it’s logical conclusion, I guess Adam and Eve couldn’t have fingernails, hair, or an outer layer of skin since these require dead cells. Unless, of course, I pursued that logical trail too far?

Either way, I don’t want to come off too harshly here. Whether you believe in the flood or not, it’s a cool thing that Ken Ham has built here. I wouldn’t mind checking it out. Moreover, I find a bit of amusement knowing that Gilgamesh must feel a bit slighted.