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Robert Cornuke is the president of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration Institute (BASE) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is a former police officer and present-day Biblical archaeology explorer and the author of six books on biblical history relating to archaeological explorations. He has no formal training in archaeology or any accredited higher education degrees.

Explorations

Cornuke's explorations have included the Biblical Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia; journeying in Turkey with the late American astronaut Jim Irwin in search of Noah's Ark; looking for evidence of ancient Assyrian and Babylonian flood accounts in the Zagros Mountains of Iran; and following the presumed trail of the Ark of the Covenant through Israel, Egypt, and the Ethiopian highlands. Cornuke has also engaged in expeditions searching the seafloor off the coast of Malta for the anchors from the Apostle Paul’s ship wreck, as described in the Bible's Book of Acts, chapter 27 — which he claims to have discovered, although this has been disputed.

Controversy and criticism

Mount Sinai Controversy

In Cornuke's book The Mountain of God he claimed to be the researcher of the biblical match of Biblical Mount Sinai to Jabal al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia. This was dated as happening in 1988 after he learnt from someone else about Jabal al-Lawz's likeness to Sinai . Earlier, however, in 1984, Ron Wyatt had already claimed to be the first person to have discovered that Biblical Mount Sinai was Jabal al-Lawz and in 2002 Randall Styx noted that H. Philby in his 1957 book The Land of Midian claimed that Jabal al-Lawz was the Biblical site .

Author Gordon Franz has suggested that Cornuke "had forged a letter from the king of Saudi Arabia in order to obtain a visa into the Kingdom" . However, Franz wanted to debunk Wyatt, Cornuke, and Williams' claim that the Biblical Mt. Sinai was in Saudi Arabia. Franz argued that the "biggest problem with the identification of Mt. Sinai at Jebel el-Lawz is that it does not meet the Biblical criteria for the site. These claims are based on three false assumptions and a misunderstanding of the archaeological remains that they observed" . The three false assumptions were: 1) the Sinai Peninsula was within the territorial borders of the Land of Egypt, 2) "that Mt. Sinai is located in the Land of Midian, which is identified as part of the Saudi Arabian peninsul," and 3) "Apostle Paul says in Gal. 4:25 that Mt. Sinai was in Saudi Arabia."

Cornuke responded to Franz's accusations by calling him to "honestly examine and evaluate the CREDIBLE historical, geographical, archeological and Biblical evidence that Jabal al-Lawz might be the real Mount Sinai". Other scholars who believe Jabal Al-Lawz may be the Biblical Mt. Sinai include; Dr. Allen Kerkselager, Ph.D. Professor of Theology St. Joseph's University, Dr. Roy Knuteson former Professor of New Testament and Greek and Bible Archaeology at Northwestern College , and Dr Lennart Moller, Professor of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute .

Maltese Controversy

Cornuke has claimed to have found anchors from the Biblical shipwreck of St. Paul. This claim has been disputed, however, with Cornuke being labelled by some as a "con artist" who was claimed "to have found the wreck of Paul's ship from Acts - and then got sued for breaking 'all aspects' of an oral contract with a former US ambassador to Malta." The case was unsuccessful with the judging ruling that the book was already unreleased and could not be prevented from being sold. His critics believe he is "more interested in the money to be gained from their claims than in providing genuine evidence for anything."Others say that these anchors were actually discovered by fishermen, and were subsequently purchased and passed off as his own discovery.

Gordon Franz noted Charles Grech (a retired restaurant owner) found a third anchor in front of the same underwater cave that might have been found off the Munxar Reef, but this was not certain. Only one anchor was examined by Bananno and it was only examined in Mr. Grech's home. Anthony Bonanno has stated that anchors recovered by Cornuke and alleged to be from "the wreck of Paul's ship from Acts" were "consistent" with the "era of the shipwreck of St. Paul, in 60 A.D." and "a Roman/Alexandrian grain freighter" though he did not directly link the anchors with St. Paul.

Franz unilaterally dismisses every Maltese claim Cornuke has made. Franz has noted "had no tangible proof of the anchor stocks to show the world. The first of the anchor stocks was melted down; the second, third and fourth were in private collections; and the fifth and six had been sold." So Cornuke, with "the aid of the US ambassador to Malta, Kathy Proffitt, was enlisted to convince the President and Prime Minister of Malta to offer an amnesty to anyone who would turn over antiquities found off the Munxar Reef" and the pardons were issued on September 23, 2002." As a result, "two anchor stocks" were "turned over to the authorities."

Franz questions Cornukes research in that "Mr. Cornuke does not interact with, or mention, some very important works on the subject of Paul's shipwreck; nor are they listed in his bibliography." All these scholars have claimed different sites where St. Paul may have been shipwrecked. Gordon also has criticized Cornuke's understanding of the biblical story and description.

However, on August 15, 2005, James Mulholland, a life-long member of the Maltese community and a member of the Pauline Association in Malta, states that "As a concerned voice in the Maltese community with specific experience in Maltese history archaeology and topography, I felt it necessary to set the record straight on a few so called observations made by Mr. Franz that appear to refute arguments made by Mr. Cornuke." Mulholland goes on to point out 4 problems with Franz's arguments, 1) That Marsaxxlokk bay was visible from Munxar Reef, 2) That Franz misidentified the Munxar reef referred to by Cornuke and this subsequently nullifies his arguments, 3) That Franz only dismisses, but does not refute Cornuke's identification of the real Munxar Reef as the location, and 4) That Franz actually strengthens Cornuke's arguments against the traditional site of the shipwreck being in St. Paul's Bay .

Christianity Today reported that the then U.S. ambassador Kathryn Proffitt sued Cornuke to stop the sale of his book after she arranged for the "Maltese government to pardon the fisherman." (Cornuke would claim these "were from the apostle's ship.") Proffitt contended that as part of the pardon arrangement and several other issues, Cornuke agreed to remain silent about the pardon and "to allow Proffitt and the Maltese government to edit the book. He would also be required to encourage tourists to visit ancient temples." According to one source, He did not keep his part of the agreement.

A federal judge denied the request to hold up publication of the book since it was already released at the time. Even still, "what the Maltese government is apparently upset about, however, isn't that Cornuke's book was published without its permission, but that it claims that the shipwreck never happened in the traditional site on the northeastern tip of the island, now known as St. Paul's Bay."

Saudi Arabia

Conruke and his partner "snuck" into Saudi Arabia illegally. Later on Cornuke and his partner falsely told "guards" they were medical doctors after being captured so the Saudi Arabian guards did not consider them Jewish spies. However, "Cornuke found himself in a sticky situation when one by one each guard came to him complaining of various ailments."

Evidence and funding

Critics note "The BASE institute site had some quotes from respected archaeologists," but "when I contacted some of these individuals, they assured me they never made such statements, neither did they feel Jebel al-Lawz was the real Mount Sinai." The author concluded it "became quickly obvious that some of the information on the BASE Institute site was not legitimate." Besides selling videos and books, the speakers get $1500 to $4,000 when speaking in conventions and churches, but a lot of money is obtained from "older wealthy folks to invest in their organization so they can further substantiate their 'discoveries' or go on new missions."

Trivia

• Cornuke is reported as styling himself in an "Indiana Jones" fashion.

• Cornuke has appeared on CBS's Ancient Secrets of the Bible on May 15, 1992, November 13, 2000 he was on MSNBC's Dateline, July 7, 1998 The 700 Club, and on Fox Television’s Ripley's Believe It or Not February 9, 2000 (episode 105).

• Bob Cornuke's Ph.D. in Biblical Studies was received in 2005 from Louisiana Baptist University, an unaccredited conservative Christian school, where he also serves as an adjunct speaker. There is no record or claim made by Cornuke for having any undergraduate degree.

Books

• Ark Fever:Legend Chaser, Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1414302967
• In Search of the Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Sinai, Part 1, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0805420525 (Co-written with David Halbrook)
• In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant, Part 3, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002. ISBN 0805420533 (Co-written with David Halbrook)
• In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Ararat, Part 2, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0805420541 (Co-written with David Halbrook)
• Relic Quest: Legend Chaser, Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1414302975
• The Lost Shipwreck of St. Paul, Global Publishing Services, 2003. ISBN 0971410038

Footnotes

1. Koinonia House Online "All Anchors Accounted For" (Cornuke) 2004
2. Reply to G. Franz by Bob Cornuke
3. Where is Mount Sinai? St Catherine's or Jabal al Lawz?
4. Jewish Pilgrimage and Jewish Identity By Dr. Allen Kerkeslager
5. Exodus Case
6. ibid
7. The Lost Shipwreck of St. Paul: The Sinking of the 'Lost Shipwreck of Paul' or Have the Anchors from the Apostle Paul's Shipwreck Been Discovered on Malta? by Gordon Franz
8. Ibid.
9. University of Malta "Professor Anthony Bonanno Department of Classics and Archaeology "
10. The Lost Shipwreck of St. Paul Global Publishing Services, 2003. ISBN 0971410038 (Pg 129)
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Christianity Today: "Apostle Paul's Shipwreck Makes Headlines" By Ted Olsen May 15, 2003
14. "The REST of the Story"
15. Koinonia House Online "LBU Graduates Five KI Students" (Cornuke) 2005. This source notes some of Cornuke's credits came from the unaccredited Koinonia Institute ran by his tour guide partner Chuck Missler.
16. Louisiana Baptist University "Featured Alumni" 2005

External links

• BASE Institute
• LBU Featured Alumni
• NZ Cult List - a dictionary of cults & religious groups: C: Bob Cornuke
• A Critique of Bob Cornuke with a timeline
• Is Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia? by Gordon Franz
• Response to G. Franz by Bob Cornuke

• Christian people
• Christian writers
• Religious scandals
• Pseudoscientists