The Floating Rock of Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem

A giant rock has supposedly raised off the ground for 30 minutes, every April since 1989, with images showing this miraculous event. But is it real?

It’s fake.

The original version of the story claims that a terrorist was shot dead while hiding behind the rock in 1989, and since that time the rock has miraculously risen off the ground for 30 minutes every April. Though the first incarnation of this tale set the story in Saudi Arabia, it has recently been told as occurring in Jerusalem.

Below are two videos which show the actual rock, which is certainly not floating, but merely resting on a smaller base of material which has been eroded below it. From certain angles, it might appear that this rock is indeed floating, but it is firmly attached to the ground.

Digital Manipulation
Some have taken to digital editing to “prove” the false story of the floating rock by Photoshopping out the rocks holding up this boulder, as seen in the popularly-shared image to the right. The small base has simply been edited out.

Corroboration
If this story were true, there would certainly be news reports covering such a miracle. The regularity of the event would be easy to prove with film and independent scrutiny. Aside from a few photos, however, there is no verifiable evidence that this rock has ever lifted off of the ground. We could find no news reports of this event.

Other Images
There is footage (below) of this rock, along with photos which show the unaltered structure.

Bottom Line
This miraculous sight only exists in the world of digital image editing.