Dr. William “Bill” Shea’s 2020 death was announced recently. Dr. Shea was a lecturer on archaeology and the Bible and a great friend to many researchers including Larry Crews, Bill Crouse, Rick Lanser, and Dr. John Morris. Dr. Shea had a great influence on Andrews University and other organizations. Dr. Shea also joined the Near East Archaeological Society (NEAS) 2007 debate on the area where Noah’s Ark may have landed between Bill Crouse and Rex Geissler.
John McIntosh Passes into God’s Hands…
IN MEMORY OF MY FRIEND JOHN MCINTOSH.
Heaven is even more wonderful as John is in the best hands ever!
After a Bible Study in 1976, John led an extremely dangerous solo trip
climbing the west and north and northeast sides of Mount Ararat in what he
called a spiritual odyssey. To understand the dangers and the difficulty of
climbing Mount Ararat, it was called a “mountain of bowling balls” by John’s
friend and Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin and John was temporarily held by
a group of terrorists! John’s chapter in the Book, The Explorers of Ararat, is located here.
John McIntosh was one of the most persistent, consistent, and respected
Ark searchers in the modern era. Hardly a summer went by without John at
least thinking about a chance to get on Mount Ararat or to keep the
research community updated with the latest news.
John was a friend to so many in our Noah’s Ark research community from
the late 1970s on that it is difficult to explain the impact he made over the
decades. He was friends to many research community giants and climbed
with many wonderful people including Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin, the 8th
person to walk on the moon, Bob Stuplich, Eryl & Violet Cummings, Doris
Bowers, Elfred Lee, Orhan Baser, Dr. John Morris, Don Shockey, Chuck
Aaron, David Balsiger, Bill Crouse, Dick Bright who is at John’s Memorial in
person, BJ Corbin, Dr. John Baumgardner, Dr. Randall Price, Randy
Hutson, and Don Patton. John collected, synthesized, disseminated,
debated and discussed many photos, satellite imagery, scientific research
ideas, and even alleged eyewitnesses like Ed Davis over the years that it is
hard to grasp his impact. John inherited the SEARCH Foundation archives
after it did so much scientific research in the 1960s and 1970s and then
after John Bradley’s death. I am grateful that John left all of his arkives to
me to categorize and research as well as the SEARCH Foundation and it is
an honor to carry on his legacy! Thanks again to Susan Lowell and to
Frank Elwell and to Karen Glass for driving his valuable arkives across the
West to Utah to meet me and hand them off!
In addition to his research, John constantly donated to many Christian and
benevolent organizations both locally and worldwide and never failed to
send greeting cards for birthdays and holidays, and to promote prayer
support.
True to his calling, John was working hard on a PowerPoint Presentation
for one of his church’s new ministers along with helping his great friend
Dick Bright on Dick’s new book when he died.
Here is a sampling of the many people John impacted over the decades:
“John’s death deeply saddened me.”
Ramazan Saltik, Kurdish Mount Ararat Guide
“John belongs in the Ark Research Hall of Fame for being so persistent and
committed for all those many years. His research was motivated for the
right reason, to point people to the one true God and His son, we call
Jesus. John will be missed!”
BJ Corbin
“One thing I know about John is that he had what most people desire — and
that’s a life-long quest to understand a great and worthy mystery. It
sustained him and gave him, his life meaning and also a circle of friends
that nurtured the same sense of wonder and awe. A sad loss. RIP John.”
Robin Simmons
“John repeatedly infected me with Ark Fever, which would consume much
of my thought life and research time for weeks or months at a time. Just as
life would start to get back to normal, he would call or send me new photos
of Ararat, and that Fever would fire up with a vengeance all over again!
Over time, I came to suspect Noah must have had a whole fleet of Arks that
the Bible doesn’t mention! I spotted convincing ghost ships in photographs
taken all over that mountain! Now, I’ll bet John McIntosh knows now
exactly where Noah’s Ark is. If only he could tell us!”
Jim Pamplin
“His was a ministry; extending
fellowship.
That grew to reach across the
globe..
…..His work stands sure; Converts
he brought to Christ will join him in
the Kingdom he went to be in.
…..A mighty work; Brother John”
DeWitt Hutson
“An African proverb says this: an old man who dies is a burning library!
Older people deserve increasing respect with age and, laden with
experience and wisdom, consideration as a living library. You listen to them
and this stimulates them to continue to be alive, active. They do not wait for
death to arrive parked on the side of the road, sitting in the sun. They live,
to their last breath, with the dignity of feeling more respected and integrated
into their living environment every day. I entered John’s life late, we made
a parallel journey in one of the most daring and courageous searches of
the modern era in search of absolute truth (not because of physical
difficulty, but moral, which goes against all common sense if we listen to the
scientific world alienated from God). And it has been a beautiful journey so
far. John is in God’s memory, in the best hands possible.”
Gius Por
John finally got his wings… I first met John when I was flying a helicopter
and met him at the bottom of Mt. Ararat with Astronaut Jim Irwin in 1989. I
can’t say enough good things about him. He was a Stabilizer for all of the
Ararat teams through all the years and kept everyone informed about
everyone else who looking for Noah’s Ark. He was a true Legend in our
circles. God has certainly blessed him with Heaven! Hope to see you on
the Other Side John.
Chuck Aaron
John’s research story from BJ and my book can be found here:
https://www.noahsarksearch.com/The_Explorers_Of_Ararat_1976-
2010_John_McIntosh.pdf
Best Regards in Christ,
Rex Geissler
TO THE MEMORY OF MY FRIEND JOHN THOMAS MCINTOSH.
John Thomas McIntosh is a good friend and inspiration in my life. I
consider John’s friendship and inspiration in my life to still be here with me –
even though he has left this earth for his place in Heaven. I know he was,
(and is) very well respected by all people who knew John and this includes
many high profile people in their own respected professions, who were, and
are involved in the search for the ark of Noah.
I met John at the Ararat Hotel in Dogubeyazit Turkey on August 15th, 1985.
I was with retired airforce pilot and astronaut colonel Jim Irwin. John had
already climbed the mountain called Ararat just a couple weeks earlier and
was sent down the mountain by a group of armed PKK terrorists. But not
being afraid, he was ready to climb again which he did with the Jim Irwin
team of which I was a part. John had climbed with Jim in 1982 which was 2
years before my 1st climb in 1984. John’s 1st climb was in 1978 which he
did solo, being all alone, but for God.
John and I have been friends ever since our 1st meeting, and there were
other expeditions to follow.
In 2005 John fell on the ice and slid down the mountain still he stopped his
slide by hitting the rocks which caused him to break a couple ribs and an
ankle. He was in that shape on the mountain for nearly 2 days until
members of his team managed to get the authorities involved and they
rescued John by helicopter.
Before that experience, and since that experience, John has been a good
Christian friend to multitudes of people not only in his church or with
members of teams involved in the search for Noah’s ark, but also with his
ministry on the computer to thousands of people. John has also impacted
the lives for some folks living in different countries. I personally saw him
baptize a young Kurdish man in the Murat River (also called the Eastern
Euphrates) near Dogubeyazit, Turkey on September 6th, 1988. John
introduced the young man into a new life in the belief of the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. I consider it an honor to know, or to have
known John McIntosh as my friend.
John began his research on the existence on Noah’s ark about 45 years
ago. His 1st climb on the mountain was about 43 years ago from the time of
this writing. That climb was a solo climb in 1978. John was a leader in the
search effort of this generation, and well educated regarding studies about
the biblical Flood and the Holy Scripture. He was also a teacher of science
in the educational system in California.
In the last few months before his departure to be with the Lord (and
knowing that he was always there to help if help was needed), I asked John
if he could help with a few things in a book I am writing; which includes an
account of some of John’s work on Mount Ararat. He was happy to help
and did so with first reading the book, then to help with some of the editing,
discussion of the scriptures, and work with the index of the later chapters of
the book.
Let it be known too that it was John who took the photograph which I later
enlarged and found the photo to be more than just a photo of part of Mount
Ararat. With the enlargement included, his photograph is at this time to be
the front cover of the book. I trust the chosen publisher will not change it.
The reason for this is that in 1978 John McIntosh took a photo which
includes part of a structure which could be a part of the ark. He didn’t
realize it at the time, but I bet he knows it now. Thank you John.
By the way, as I promised John, his name will be included on the cover of
the book along with mine.
It is my belief that since his leaving here on February 19th of this year 2021
to be with the Lord, that he certainly has treasure in Heaven and even
knows the location of what remains on the mountain of Noah’s ark.
Thank you Lord.
From the heart and mind of Richard (Dick) Bright.