NOAH AND HIS ARK STILL POPULAR FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS

The images comes on everything from fabric to foam toys for children. Noah's ark hasn't gone out of style since the story was written for Scripture, and its popularity isn't likely to fade any time soon.

The biblical account of Noah and his ark is found in Genesis 6-10. It's the story of a man, Noah, who was asked by God to build a large boat and collect two of every animal on the earth to be put inside. When God sent floods to destroy the earth, Noah, his family and the animals were safe aboard the ark. After 40 days of rains, the water receded and the humans and animals repopulated the earth.

The story offers an adventure with the hint of near disaster. It's the stuff movies are made of.

While Noah's ark and the myriad of animals contained therein offer marketing gimmicks galore, the story is still a biblical one.

It is a story of God's mercy, not just his plan for how to shove every animal and every species onto a big boat, said Dr. Alan Gathman, a biology professor at Southeast Missouri State University.

And it would have to be a HUGE boat to hold the nearly 10 million species of mammals, insects, birds and fish on the planet around that time.

From his stand as a biologist, Gathman said it would be nearly impossible to gather two of every species and put them into a boat. There simply wouldn't be enough room since there are at least a half million species of beetles alone, he said.

"I don't think that he literally stuffed them onto a boat," Gathman said.

But if Noah did, it boggles the mind as to how he accomplished it.

Gathman, who along with the Rev. Dr. Andy Pratt teaches a course on science and religion, said people miss the point of the story if they are worried about an exact count of creatures aboard the boat after 40 days of flooding.

"It's a story of god's mercy and grace, not a factual, historical account," Gathman said.

Robyn Hosp of Jackson likes the story of Noah because of its message and symbolism. She has a collection of Noah's ark figurines, wooden animals, water globes and plates.

"I've always just loved the story," she said. "I love the story of the rainbow and I've gravitated to anything that was Noah's ark."

She even decorated her youngest son's nursery with a Noah's ark theme. "It helped him learn the animals," she said.

Noah's ark was also the theme Susan McClanahan chose when decorating a bedroom for her children, Ross, 5, and Lexie, 2.

"When we did the kids' room six years ago, you couldn't find anything," she said. Her collection has blossomed in recent years.

Friends and family began sending her gifts when Noah's ark became popular as a decorating theme. But the popularity of the story wasn't what drew McClanahan to it.

"I wanted to use something biblical," she said. And Noah's ark was her choice.

The story is easy for children to identify with because it involves so many animals, both Hosp and McClanahan said. "It's easy to understand and simple."