Noah’s ark in Armenia’s religious imagination

When I was growing up, the story of Noah’s ark with its great flood, floating zoo, and new beginning atop a spectacular mountain always seemed to me, as it does to many, far-fetched—a colorful fable from the Old Testament which, like the tales of David and Goliath or Jonah and the whale, was too improbable to take seriously. As I matured, my growing appreciation for the complex nature of any great text inspired me to plumb the depths of the ancient stories of my faith, and integrating the church of my ancestors—the Armenian Apostolic Church—into my spiritual life awakened in me a renewed interest in the story of the ark.

Noah’s legacy is deeply ingrained in Armenian culture, where he is revered as a central biblical figure and holy ancestor, intimately attached to the soul of the nation. To understand why this is so, it’s essential to recognize that his significance is rooted in the notion of sacred land.

In this essay, published in The Christian Century, I explore the place of Noah's ark in the cultural and spiritual history of the Armenian Church and how it's reflected in its architecture.

Relief of Noah's Ark

Portal of upper chapel, Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France; chapel completed 1248