Dutch building contractor, carpenter, and creationist Johan Huibers had the idea of building his own replica of Noah’s Ark since 1993 when he was reading a bedtime story to his kids about Noah.
Thirteen years later, he created his first version of the Ark but wasn’t completely satisfied since it was only half the size of the one in the Bible. Huibers was determined to go further so in 2008, with the help of eight helpers, he began constructing a life-size replica of the Ark. It was completed and opened to the public in 2012. The ship cost almost $1.6 million to build with Huibers admitting, “We’re not professional boatmakers. A lot of stuff here is a bit crooked.”
The Biblical Ark features animal models, including cows, penguins, a crocodile, and a giraffe. It became a tourist attraction in Dordrecht, Netherlands, but unfortunately been closed to visitors due to some disagreements between Huibers and town authorities.
Originally, Huibers was planning to sail the ship to Brazil for the Olympic Games, but due to safety concerns, the plan was put on hold. Today, he said that his “preferred destination for the ark is Israel. This is a copy of God’s ship. It only makes sense to take it to God’s land,” according to Bored Panda.
Huibers is seeking for donations from good Samaritans to help him take the Ark to Israel. Huibers will need to rent tugboats in order to sail it as the ship has no motor, requiring around $1.3 million to complete the expedition.
