by Gordon Franz
How Accurate and Reliable are Robert Cornuke’s Claims?
Introduction
Bob Cornuke has written seven books and produced several videos about his claims to have found the real Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia, the real mountains of Ararat in Iran and what he think might be the remains of Noah’s Ark, the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia, the anchor stocks from Paul’s shipwreck on Malta, and promotes an inscriptional object that he claims has the name of the Lord, “Yahweh,” on it from Jebel al-Lawz where he locates Mount Sinai.
Professor Hoffmeier’s Assessment of Cornuke’s Work
When the respected evangelical Egyptologist Professor James Hoffmeier critiqued Cornuke’s “Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia” theory, he wrote in his Ancient Israel in Sinai (Oxford 2005:132-136) that Cornuke was an “amateur” and “dilettante” whose work “lacks academic credibility.” Hoffmeier then itemizes the “monumental blunders” that Cornuke and his colleagues have made that “trained archaeologists and biblical scholars would not make.” Hoffmeier ultimately concludes:
“I concur with Gordon Franz’s devastating critique of Cornuke’s theory and his conclusions that ‘Mt. Sinai should be located in the Sinai Peninsula right where the Bible places it, not in Saudi Arabia.’ ”
No Credible Evidence for Any of His Claims
I have followed the work and claims of Robert Cornuke and have examined them in detail and have come to the same conclusion with each “discovery.” He has produced no credible, historical, geographical, geological, archaeological, or Biblical evidence for any of his claims. What he presents as evidence has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and in some cases manipulated by Cornuke and his associates.
His books and videos are in the public domain. Ideas presented to the public invite public review, comment, and critique. I have reviewed his books and videos and critiqued his ideas. I have not personally attacked Bob Cornuke, although I have produced some reviews that point out what I think are factually incorrect data and conclusions that I believe are also incorrect. This type of discourse is the nature of scholarship, but they are not personal attacks.
An Invitation to the Reader
I have written critiques of the ideas expressed in Mr. Cornuke’s books and videos, and one critique I collaborated with the two leading experts on the search for Noah’s Ark. I would invite any interested readers to explore these critiques for themselves. The readers will find that the articles have been carefully researched, reasoned, and fully documented, and will also find Cornuke’s research and conclusions are lacking in scholarly corroboration.
General Questions
Questions About Cornuke’s Ph. D.
Where are Bob Cornuke’s Peer Reviewed Scientific Publications?
Unposted Response to the Creationrevolution Website
Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia?
Mount Sinai is NOT at Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia Part 1
Mount Sinai is NOT at Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia Part 2
Mount Sinai is NOT at Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia Part 3
“Moses Stone”?
Yahweh Inscription Discovered at Mount Sinai!
Was an Archaelogical Forgery Mistakenly Portrayed as Authentic?
Noah’s Ark in Iran?
Mount Suleiman, King Solomon-and-Noahs-Ark
Did the BASE Institute Discover Noah’s Ark in Iran?
Critique of the video “A Search for Noah’s Ark”
Paul’s Shipwreck on Malta?
Does “The Lost Shipwreck of Paul” Hold Water?
Searching for Paul’s Shipwreck on Malta”: A Critique of the 700 Club’s February 26, 2010 Program
“The Lost Shipwreck of Paul”: A Critique of the Video
Mark Gatt’s Critique of The Lost Shipwreck of Paul Video
Bob Cornuke: The “CSI Investigator” of Paul’s Shipwreck on Malta
Why the Shipwreck of Paul Was Not on the Munxar Reef on Malta
Cornuke’s Computer Model of Paul’s Shipwreck On Malta
Why Were the Sailors Afraid of the Syrtis Sands (Acts 27:17)?
Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia?
Was the Ark of the Covenant Taken to Ethiopia?
About the author
Gordon Franz is a Bible teacher who holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Columbia Biblical Seminary, SC. Since 1978, he has engaged in extensive research in archaeology and has participated in a number of excavations in and around Jerusalem, including Ketef Hinnom and Ramat Rachel; as well as the excavations at Lachish, Jezreel, Hazor, and Tel Zayit. He has taught the geography of the Bible and led field trips in Israel for the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies, the Institute of Holy Land Studies, and the IBEX program of Master’s College. He also co-teaches the Talbot School of Theology’s Bible Lands Program. Gordon is on the staff of the Associates for Biblical Research.
