My Friend Ron Wyatt
by
Richard Rives
Back in 1990 I decided
to check out the claims
of not only Ron Wyatt
but also of others who
said that they had made
Biblical discoveries. I
planned to make a trip
to the Middle East to
see for myself, as
scripture says, whether
those things were so. I
also wanted to come to
some conclusion about
the things that I had
been hearing.
One night while watching
a Bible based television
news show I heard Ron
Wyatt telling of his
discovery of Noah's
Ark, not up in the ice
and snow where it would
be almost impossible to
get to, but in an area
where you could actually
go and check it out.
The person interviewing
Ron mentioned the fact
that Ron had written a
book. So, the next day I
went to a large
Christian book store
expecting to find a
shelf full of expensive,
professionally marketed
and cleverly written
books telling all about
Ron Wyatt and his
discoveries. Boy
was I surprised!
When the owner of the
book store finally got
the book for me, I found
that it was an
inexpensive, simply
stated, documentation of
the claims both pro and
con as to the discovery
of Noah’s Ark.
From the book I was able
to find out Ron's
address and from that
his telephone number.
After several tries, I
was finally able to
reach him and during our
conversation I asked him
if I could come and talk
with him about his
discoveries. He
said: "come on over";
and when he found out
that I would be flying
in he insisted on
picking me up at the
airport.
When I arrived at the
Nashville Airport he was
right there to meet me.
I was taken to his home
where I spent the day
and half the night
looking at video,
artifacts and other very
convincing documentation
as to the discovery of
Noah’s Ark as well as
many other things.
I told Ron that I
planned to make a trip
to the Middle East, and
before I left that
night, he asked: "When
are you going over?" I
told him when I was
going, and to my
surprise, he said "Well,
If you will help me work
on Noah's Ark, I'll just
go with you." I
couldn't believe it.
There I was trying to
figure out how to get to
all these places and now
the man that made the
discoveries was going to
personally take me
there. I don't
think that he really
expected much help with
Noah's Ark. That was
just a nice way for Ron
to say that he would
like to help me, without
saying so. In
other words, He was
going to help me but he
had turned it around
like he needed me to
help him. That is
the way Ron was if he
thought that you were
honestly searching for
the truth. He
would do anything to
help. He was a
little different if he
thought otherwise. Well,
maybe a lot different!
We made our trip to the
Middle East and I tried
my best to be of as much
service as possible.
I must have been of some
assistance, because he
has allowed me to help
ever since. I have
even had the honor to be
on hand as new
discoveries were made.
Please allow me to share
with you what I have
learned, not only
about the discoveries of
Ron Wyatt, but about Ron
Wyatt the man.
To begin with, the
discoveries of Ron Wyatt
"just don't fit in" with
"traditional thinking"
and when you go against
"tradition" you are
asking for it. Ron
knew that; and was
willing to take the
criticism. Over the
years he got it!
I am not saying that all
traditions are no good;
but I have found that
when you hear the word
"tradition" or
"traditional" you need
to check it out "real
good." As the
Bible states "Prove all
things; hold fast that
which is good"
The site Ron proclaimed
to be the remains of
Noah's Ark is not on
Mount Ararat. It
is on the mountain next
to Ararat.
Now, traditional
teaching says that
Noah's Ark landed on Mt.
Ararat; but when I began
to check things out, I
found that the Bible
does not say that at
all. It says that
Noah's Ark landed upon
the mountains of Ararat;
mountains plural.
In the Hebrew text, it
literally says the
mountains of Urartu:
that whole mountainous
region of Eastern
Turkey.
When I began to check
things out, I found out
that Mt. Ararat is a
17,000 foot volcano
which has erupted less
than 200 years ago.
I also found out that
where most people have
been looking for Noah's
Ark, on Mt. Ararat, is
in the Ohura Gorge, a
vast area that "blew
out" during the
eruption.
I found out that Mt.
Ararat has a glacier on
top of it that replaces
itself (flows down the
mountain) every 500
years or less.
Even so, people look for
Noah's Ark in the ice.
What is left of Noah's
Ark is not what
Hollywood would like to
portray. I had
seen television shows
depicting people
climbing ladders to the
top of the Ark which
looked like, as one
might say, "it just came
off the showroom floor."
We have been programmed
to believe that, if it
is on TV, it must be
true.
The television show,
that I had seen, had
people climbing around
on Noah's Ark in the ice
and snow on Mt. Ararat.
They also said that they
had found petrified wood
there. It was very
convincing; but I later
found out that the
person claiming to have
been there had never
even been to Turkey.
He was a paid actor who
had taken wood, soaked
it in juice, and baked
it in an oven to make it
look old.
By the way, I no longer
watch TV.
On the other hand, Ron
took me to Turkey and
showed me something that
you could look at, and
touch. What I saw
looked like the remains
of a giant ship.
What Ron was talking
about was really there!
He showed me a "boat
shaped object" composed
of material containing
organic carbon, which is
what is found in
petrified wood. He
pointed out metal
fittings, which contain
modern day alloys.
He showed me what appear
to be vertical and
horizontal deck support
timbers, rib timbers and
other features that are
evenly spaced.
The Bible tells us that
Noah's Ark was 300
cubits in length.
I measured it myself.
What Ron said was Noah’s
Ark was 300 cubits long.
Now, there are people
who say that there is
absolutely no evidence
that would support the
claim by Ron Wyatt that
this could possibly be
the remains of Noah's
Ark. I believe
that after you study the
pages of this web site
you will have a
different opinion.
Many damaging things
have been said about
Ron, which, through
first hand knowledge, I
know to be totally
false. Authors
have spent pages trying
to disprove his findings
and speakers without any
evidence of their own go
to great lengths to
discredit him.
Most of these people
have never taken the
time to check out the
things they are talking
about! Ron's
response "Well bless
their heart. If I
hadn't seen these things
for myself I would be a
skeptic too."
Ron Wyatt said that
"boat shaped object" was
Noah's Ark. The
Turkish Government and
their scientists agree.
They have declared the
site to be the remains
of Noah's Ark.
They have declared it a
National Park and a
National Treasure.
The site is now on the
Turkish map as Nuhun
Gemesi, Noah's big Boat.
A visitors center has
been built at the site
and full time security
is maintained there.
Can anyone honestly
believe that there is
absolutely no evidence?
You be the judge.
I could go on and on
about the discoveries of
Ron Wyatt but that is
what this web site is
all about. What I would
like to do now, is to
tell you what I have
discovered.
I discovered a man that
was truly concerned
about the salvation of
others - about the needs
of others - a generous
man that had love, joy,
peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, and
temperance: the fruit of
the Spirit. That
doesn't mean that Ron
was a weak man.
With those trying to
interfere, with the work
that Ron felt that he
had been called to do,
he could be as stubborn,
ornery and disagreeable
as a person could be.
Because of his
discoveries, he was
contacted by all types;
many with what have
seemed to be good
ideas. Ron was
always willing to give a
person an opportunity to
prove themselves.
It is sad to report that
most were found to be
opportunist.
I did not agree with Ron
on everything. He
accepted that, as he did
disagreement from others
whom he believed
honestly loved the
truth. On the
other hand, you did not
disagree with Ron just
to be disagreeable.
There is one thing for
sure: He would not allow
the negative comments
nor the destructive
actions of others to
interfere with the work
at hand.
I did not always agree
with the way Ron did
things. Sometimes,
I would wonder "why in
the world he was doing
something the way he did
it." I soon
learned to be patient;
for I knew that his
intentions were good and
that he would get the
job done, one way or
another. Even so, he did
not always demand to
have his way. If I
was in charge of a
project, he would do it
my way. I am sure
that he sometimes
wondered "why in the
world is he doing it
like that?" I
think that he knew that
I would get the job done
too.
Ron was always trying to
help others; not
expecting anything in
return. I have
seen him stop everything
and spare no expense to
help someone in need.
Books could be written
about Ron's efforts to
help others. He
truly practiced going
out into the "highways
and byways." Ron claimed
that he had talked with
angels and when we would
work he was always
picking up strangers,
both to help the
stranger and also
because he thought he
might be entertaining
"angels unawares."
Let me tell you, some of
them were no angels.
Even so, Ron loved to
help them anyway.
In working with Ron I
have seen things and
experienced events that
can be described in no
other way than
"supernatural." I
could tell you many
stories; but just let me
say, I know who Ron was
working for.
Ron’s main goal in life
was to "help somebody
get to heaven." When
considering an
archaeological project,
Ron’s main consideration
was "Will it help
somebody get to heaven?"
He would always say: "If
it won’t help somebody
get to heaven I don’t
want to do it."
Ron spent his life doing
the work he was given to
do. He made dozens of
trips overseas, spending
everything that he could
earn between, to work on
the projects at hand.
He always said "The LORD
is coming and it won’t
do any good to have a
bank full of money."
Ron Wyatt was a "Man of
God." Even so, he
was just a man, with
attributes and faults
just like you and I.
He would be the first to
tell you that there is
"none that doeth good,
no not one."
People would always ask
Ron why God had allowed
him to find "all those
things." Ron would
always give a humble
answer, not taking
personal credit for his
God given abilities.
I believe that the
reason God allowed him
to find "all those
things" is because he
was willing to look for
them. Most people
do not realize how much
hard work it takes to do
what Ron did. He
was willing to give his
life in the service of
his Creator.
God has always used men
like that.
In closing let us
consider words of
wisdom:
"To every thing there is
a season, and a time to
every purpose under the
heaven: A time to be
born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a
time to pluck up that
which is planted; A time
to kill, and a time to
heal; a time to break
down, and a time to
build up; A time to
weep, and a time to
laugh; a time to mourn,
and a time to dance; A
time to cast away
stones, and a time to
gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a
time to refrain from
embracing; A time to
get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a
time to cast away; A
time to rend, and a time
to sew; a time to keep
silence, and a time to
speak; A time to love,
and a time to hate; a
time of war, and a time
of peace."
......Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Ron understood these
things and spent his
"time" about his
"Father's business."
To sum it all up, I
guess you could say that
Ron Wyatt was about the
nicest, kindest, most
stubborn and ornery
person that you could
ever want to meet.
What better friend could
anybody ever want.
I loved him; and I miss
him.
Richard
Rives
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