by Tim Chaffey
Encounter This
Since we worked on the Ark Encounter project, we had the unique opportunity to include details in our story that can be seen in various exhibits. We were also able to influence the design of certain elements so that they connected with our story. If you visit the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, you will be able to see the following items that were included in the story.
Chapter 3: As Noah looks over the family farm, he recalls memories of daydreaming at the top of Sacrifice Hill as he watched boats travel the river. An illustration of young Noah watching a boat on the river while carving a small boat out of wood is shown in the Who Was Noah? exhibit on the second deck. This illustration also includes some earth shakers (sauropod dinosaurs) on the other side of the river. In Chapter 9, Noah told Aterre that he had occasionally seen earth shakers when he was younger.
Chapter 4: Meru, Lamech’s pack animal, called a lunker in the story, is an extinct animal known as a macrauchenia. Two theosodons, a smaller variety of this kind of animal, can be found in an animal enclosure on the second deck.
Chapter 5: Noah’s father, Lamech, and grandfather, Methuselah, appear early on in the story, and Lamech appears later as well. Portraits of these two men can be viewed in Noah’s Study on the second deck.
Chapter 6: In our first scene from Naamah’s point of view, we learn that her father, another man named Lamech, has married a second wife. In the Pre-Flood World exhibit on the second deck, there are six large panels depicting the world’s descent into darkness. The second panel depicts a man with two wives and includes the Bible verse that mentions Lamech’s polygamy. Later in the same exhibit, this king and his wives can be seen in a large diorama depicting a drunken feast.
Chapter 10: The knife Noah and Aterre fashioned from the large tooth can be seen hanging on a wall in the Library on the second deck of the Ark Encounter. Although Noah and Aterre never see the animal it came from, the description of the scene and the details provided by the Varelk make it obvious that the “dagger tooth” creature is a type of Tyrannosaur. Two juvenile tyrannosaurs are on display in an animal enclosure on the second deck.
Chapter 14: After Noah and Aterre leave Zakar, a large animal lumbers across the path in front of them on their way to the river. This awkward creature, unnamed in the story, is called an anisodon. This creature can be found in a large animal enclosure on the second deck.
Chapter 18: Noah travels to Iri Geshem to become an apprentice shipbuilder. After months of frustration, he finally gets his opportunity. The Who Was Noah? exhibit on the second deck includes an illustration of Noah learning the trade of shipbuilding from Ara. In The Interview film, Noah mentions learning the trade from Emzara’s father.
Chapter 20: In the chapter where Noah proposes to Emzara, he hands her a carved animal called a keluk in our story. This carved animal can be found in the Library on the second deck of the Ark Encounter. A keluk is what we named the pre-Flood version of the giraffe, and we made it Emzara’s favorite type of animal. This fact is mentioned by the animatronic Noah in Noah’s Study on the second deck, and there is a picture of her guiding two of these animals into the Ark in the Doors of Bible exhibit (part of the Why the Bible Is True exhibit) on third deck.
Chapter 30: During her wedding, Emzara’s father hands her a letter he had written when he offers his blessing on her and Noah. Emzara can be seen reading this letter in Noah’s Study on the second deck. Three of the items used in the wedding ceremony can also be seen on a shelf in that exhibit: the blindfold around Noah’s head at the start of the ceremony, the engagement armband Noah made for Emzara, and the cord used to wrap the couple at the end of the ceremony.
Chapter 36: In the final scene of the first book, the massive idol of the serpent is revealed in Havil. Each of the following exhibits include artwork showing a version of the serpent idol in pagan cities: The Pre-Flood World (second deck), Who Was Noah? (second deck), and Flood Geology (large mural on third deck).
These statements are accurate as of the opening of the Ark Encounter. Exhibits may be modified in the future, so certain details may change.
Borrowed from the Bible
Since the Bible does not give us details about Noah’s early years, we needed to use artistic license to tell the story. To keep the story more closely tied to the Bible, we decided to borrow and slightly adapt some of the concepts found in the novel from other portions of Scripture. The Question and Answer section explained that we borrowed aspects of the Apostle Paul’s personality in our depiction of Noah’s personality. Here are some other examples where we borrowed ideas from other portions of Scripture.
Chapter 12: When the Zakari develop a plan to rescue the children, Erno tells them to spread around the camp and pull out two torches to make the kidnappers think there are more people in the woods than there really were. This plan is loosely based on Gideon’s strategy for defeating the Midianites found in Judges 7. With an army of only 300 men, Gideon’s men spread out into three companies, surrounding the Midianite camp. Each man held a trumpet and a torch hidden inside a pitcher. When Gideon blew his trumpet, the 300 men blew their trumpets and smashed the pitchers. The cacophony confused and scared the Midianites and the Lord used Gideon to win an important battle.
Chapter 20: Noah agreed to work for Ara for more than five years, at which point he could marry Ara’s daughter. While we set up Noah’s working relationship with Ara as an apprenticeship, the concept was borrowed from Genesis 29. Here, we read the account of Jacob working seven years for Laban for the right to marry Laban’s daughter, Rachel. Of course, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah instead, so Jacob agreed to work another seven years for Rachel. Another similarity to this account is the fact that Jacob traveled far to stay with a relative. In our story, Noah travels a long distance to work with Ara.
Chapter 21: Naamah’s visit to the seer is loosely borrowed from 1 Samuel 28 where King Saul consults a medium in order to find out from Samuel what his future will be. At this point in our story, Naamah knows some things about the true God, but she does not have a good understanding of His ways. She desperately hopes that the seer will tell her that she will not always be under her father’s rule, which she has grown to despise. His words will play a huge role in her life as she seeks to find the one who will fulfill them. Saul’s visit to the medium would end in tragedy as Samuel appeared and told him that he would die later that day. Readers will need to wait to see how this encounter turns out for Naamah. For a detailed explanation of this passage about Saul and the medium, please read my two-part article, “King Saul, a Witch, and an Elohim,” at http://midwestapologetics.org/blog/?p=1273 and http://midwestapologetics.org/blog/?p=1382.
Chapter 30: Some of the wording and symbolism found in the marriage ceremony is taken right from the creation of Adam and Eve. As Noah’s father explained, the cloth over Noah’s face represented the deep sleep Adam was put into by God. Emzara repeats God’s words about the woman being a helper for the man. The use of the cord to bind husband and wife together at the ribs is drawn from the fact that Eve was made from Adam’s rib.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing this book. We hope you’ve enjoyed the story so far and are looking forward to the next installment in the series.
In the novel, Aterre had plenty of questions about God. While trying to make sense of our world, perhaps you’ve wondered about many of the things Aterre questioned. Noah did not have all of the answers for his friend, but he trusted in God and believed that answers could be discovered. And he was right. The answers are available if you are willing to search for them.
Today, we have access to details about God and His plan that were unavailable in Noah’s time. We have the Bible, God’s written Word that tells us all we need to know about God and His plan for our lives and this world. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned against God. In other words, we have rebelled against our Creator. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. That is, what we have earned throu
gh our sin is God’s judgment. We need His mercy and forgiveness.
If you really want to know what God is like, then look at Jesus Christ. The Bible explains that Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth as a man and lived a perfect life. He died on the Cross and rose again to life to pay the penalty we owe for all our sins. In order to be right with the Most High, you need to acknowledge that you have failed to live up to God’s expectations — you’ve sinned and stand in need of a Savior. Trust that Jesus’ sacrificial death and Resurrection are enough to cover you, and ask God to forgive you of your sins.
In light of what God has done for you, commit yourself to living for Him. Read the Bible to learn more about our Creator and how to follow Him faithfully.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).
About the Authors
Tim Chaffey is the Content Manager for the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. A former pastor and teacher, Tim is also a leukemia survivor and competes in half-marathons with his wife and son while his daughter cheers them on. He has earned advanced degrees specializing in apologetics, theology, and church history. Tim maintains a popular blog (www.midwestapologetics.org/blog), contributes regularly to Answers magazine and the Answers in Genesis website, and has authored over a dozen books, including The Truth Chronicles series and In Defense of Easter: Answering Critical Challenges to the Resurrection of Jesus.
K. Marie Adams has an obsession with words that once resulted in her being grounded for reading too much. Later, it served her well as she worked for many years at a bookstore and as a literature and grammar instructor. Now, as a graphic designer, her love of language goes by the fancy name of typography. K. Marie also volunteers for several ministries dedicated to rescuing young girls from modern-day slavery.
