Another "tall tale"

One of the biggest frustrations we experience is the total vulnerability people have to any tale that comes along. Another example is the 1993 documentary that was shown of CBS entitled "The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark". One of it's featured stories was that of George Jammal who showed a piece of wood he claimed came from the ark. His tale began with he and his companion, "Vladimir" climbing Mt. Ararat in 1984 and finding the ark. They even made photographs, but unfortunately, "Vladimir", while making photographs, fell into a crevice (with the camera) and of course, died.

George Jammal's story was recommended to the producers by a well-respected educator in the field of creation science who vouched for Jammal and the integrity of the story. However, it turned out that Jammal had never even been to Turkey. His wood was not from Noah's Ark, but was just a piece of contemporary wood he had cooked in teriyaki sauce and other juices. The hoax caused quite a stir and rated a full page in the July 5, 1993 "Time Magazine".

The point is that Jammal's story was accepted at face value by a man who is supposed to be a "careful scientist", yet, he didn't even ask Jammal for any evidence that he'd ever been to Turkey- not even his visa stamp in his passport. And Jammal did not perpetrate his hoax alone- he was coached by a member of the Skeptics Society for the sole purpose of exposing "the shoddy research of Sun International" (Time Mag.)

Sometimes tall tales are innocently repeated by people who sincerely but mistakenly believe they are true; but sometimes, as we have seen, they are purposefully concocted. Sometimes, they are accepted as fact without the proper research to verify if there is just cause to believe they may be factual, as we have also seen. When God reveals things for His people, the evil one and his fallen angels are right there, ready to do whatever it takes to take away what He has given us, and to TRY to turn His Truth into a lie. But remember His promise, that "the Spirit of truth" and NOT man, will "guide you into all truth:..." (Joh. 16:13).