AMSTERDAM — A life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark will set sail from the Netherlands for Brazil this summer.

The Ark of Noah Foundation said the boat will be used for Christian education, and to raise money for underprivileged Brazilian children, USA Today reported.

Created by Dutch carpenter Johan Huibers, the ship is based on the ark described in the book of Genesis in the Bible. It is 125 meters long, 29 meters wide, and 23 meters tall.

The ark weighs 2,500 tons. That’s the equivalent of about 15 blue whales, the largest animal ever known to have lived.

The ark can hold up to 5,000 people, and organisers plan to attract visitors with virtual and augmented reality exhibits, according to USA Today.

The ark will be lowered onto a barge, which will take it on the 6,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil.

From Brazil, organisers plan to take the ark around South and Central America, before anchoring in the United States.

This is the second replica ark which has been built by Huibers. The Dutch carpenter said he was inspired to build the boat by a dream that his home province was flooded, according to USA Today.

Unlike the Biblical ark however, there’s no plan to load the boat with animals, whether two by two or otherwise.

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Source: TomoNews