How big was Noah’s ark?

Torah is very specific: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.

A cubit measures the distance from a person’s elbow to the tip of her middle finger, for a human average of about 18 inches.

So, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Or, about 137 meters long, 23 meters wide, and 14 meters high.

Which makes it just about the size of the BC Ferries boat Queen of Alberni. The Queen of Alberni has room for 1200 passengers, 290 cars, a restaurant, gift shop, children’s play area, pet play area, video game room, work study stations, elevators and accessible washrooms.

That’s a fun thought, isn’t it? Perhaps Noah’s ark had room for 50 small-but-livable animal habitats, each housing multiple species; generous human living quarters; food growing and storage areas; a kitchen; children’s play area; staircases and more.

The Queen of Alberni is a big boat, and not so easy to pilot. In its 40-year history of sailing with skilled captains and crews, it has run aground, smashed into a dock, collided with another ship, and weathered a terrible storm. Property was damaged, humans were injured, and a horse died.

That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? Perhaps Noah’s ark, afloat for 380 days with an inexperienced crew, had its share of mishaps, too. Perhaps humans were injured. Perhaps animals died. Perhaps stairs or ceilings collapsed.

What an adventure, what a leap of faith, what a commitment! Surely the family knew they would grieve their friends and former life. But did they imagine the creativity that lay ahead? The fun? The challenge? The risks?

How does this mixed story live in you? When you look ahead to impending change, what do you see? Grief, creativity, challenge or risk? How does your perspective help you prepare?

For more perspectives on Parshat Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32), click here.

Image: Queen of Alberni, bcferries.com