Proof?

Many years ago I was in the library and came across a book titled something like Archeology Proves the Bible True. I said "hmm" and settled down to skim the book. I found to my astonishment that there was no proof that King David ever lived. Now I have no problem believing that David and Solomon or a host of other biblical characters actually existed - I just don't believe in their deity - so the fact that, according to the book, an archaeologist found the remains of an ancient stable with a brick or plaque with the name David didn't seem to me to prove anything. I mean when Heinrich Schliemann dug up Troy I don't recall reading about anyone declaring that this meant that Zeus or Apollo or the rest of the Olympians were real. So David existed; so what? It didn't mean his deity existed.


I thought about it and wondered what it would take to get me to believe in the biblical god. Currently there are people roaming Mt Ararat looking for the remains of Noah's Ark. Now even assuming they are exploring the correct Mt Ararat (it came to rest on the Mountains of Ararat - what's the matter don't these true believers read their Bible?) how would they prove the remains were that of Noah's ark? They'd have to leave it in situ to show archaeologists that it's been there for millennium and not planted there and let them take samples to test how old the wood is. 


Since the story of Noah is not unique - there was Ziusudra the Sumerian hero of a great flood, Utnapishtilim the Babylonian version, the Greek Deucalion and several others - I highly doubt anything will ever be found and certainly not anything that can be scientifically proven to have been the ark that belonged to Noah.


There is another biblical item of curiosity that's intriguing, in fact another ark, this one the Ark of the Covenant currently claimed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to be in Axum. If the object is revealed (it's only been seen by a select few over the centuries) to match the description in the Bible it must again be proven scientifically to be that ancient chest containing (or once containing) the tablets of the laws of Moses.


My actual interest comes from the idea that Jehovah was some sort of being from outer space, a version promulgated by Erich von Däniken and others. They hypothesize that the ark was some sort of communications device or weapon given to the Israelites way back when. Now if that proved true it would truly be turn our notions of religion upside down...on both sides of the atheist/believer divide.


I guess the only way I could ever believe in the Biblical god would be if he appeared before me and did a few miracles while the Amazing Randi and Penn and Teller verified that there was no Earthly way these miracles could be done (and even then I suspect I would have my doubts).