“What kind of lights did Noah have on the ark?”/“Floodlights.”
A classic riddle about Noah’s Ark has been cited in print since at least 1906, from the Yonkers (NY) Statesman:
Q: What kind of lights did Noah have in the ark?
A: Arc lights.
A different answer was printed in Boys’ Life magazine in 1984:
Q: What kind of lights did Noah’s ark have?
A: Floodlights.
The jokes has been printed on several images.
Wikipedia: Noah
In the Abrahamic religions, Noah (/ˈnoʊ.ə/) was the tenth and last of the pre-Flood Patriarchs. The story of Noah’s Ark is told in the Bible’s Genesis flood narrative. The biblical account is followed by the story of the Curse of Canaan.
Wikipedia: Arc lamp
An arc lamp or arc light is a lamp that produces light by an electric arc (also called a voltaic arc). The carbon arc light, which consists of an arc between carbon electrodes in air, invented by Humphry Davy in the first decade of the 1800s, was the first practical electric light. It was widely used starting in the 1870s for street and large building lighting until it was superseded by the incandescent light in the early 20th century. It continued in use in more specialized applications where a high intensity point light source was needed, such as searchlights and movie projectors until after World War II. The carbon arc lamp is now obsolete for all of these purposes and is only still made for very specialized purposes where a high intensity UV source is needed.
Wikipedia: Floodlight
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage lighting instrument in live performances such as concerts and plays.
7 February 1906, Puck (New York, NY), pg. 14, col. 2:
NOAH’S LIGHT.
“What kind of light did Noah have in the ark?” asked the fat man at the boarding-house table.
“Arc light!” shouted a dozen voices at once.
“No,” replied the fat man, with a smile; “you must remember that the arc light was not invented then.”
“Water gas?” suggested the thin man as he finished his prune.
“Wrong,” answered the fat man.
“We’ll give it up,” replied several.
“Why, he had two tapirs!”—Yonkers Statesman.
Chronicling America
24 February 1906, Wenatchee (WA) Daily World, pg. 4, col. 3:
Noah’s Light—What kind of light did Noah have in the ark? asked the fat man at the boarding house table.
Arc light! shouted a dozen voices at once.
No, replied the fat man, with a smile; you are must remember that the arc light was not invented then.
Water gas? suggested the thin man as he finished his prune.
Wrong, answered the fat man.
We’ll give it up, replied several.
Why, he had two tapirs.
Google Books
October 1911, The Railway Conductor, pg. 753, col. 1:
What kind of lights did Noah use? Arc lights.
Google Books
December 1984, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 82, col. 1:
Jim: What kind of lights did Noah’s ark have?
Tim: I don’t know. What kind?
Jim: Floodlights.— Shelly Runck, Lamberton, Minn.
20 December 2008, The Sun (London, UK), “Have a Laugh!: Cracker Jokes,” pg. 17:
WHAT sort of lights did Noah use for the Ark? Floodlights..
Twitter
Michael Gauthier
@MikeK6ICS
Q. What kind of lights did Noah use on the ark?
A. Flood lights.
11:12 AM - 23 Mar 2009
Google Books
Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
By Rob Elliott
Grand Rapids, MI: Revell
2010
Pg. 38:
Q: What kind of lights did Noah use on the ark?
A: Flood lights.
Google Books
Best Funny Jokes For Kids 2015
By Peter Crumpton
PeteyRF Creative
2015
Pg. ?:
What kind of lights did Noah have on the ark?
Flood lights!
Google Books
Literally. Best. Jokes. Ever.:
Joke Book for Kids
By Chantelle Grace
Racine, WI: BroadStreet Kids
2017
Pg. ?:
What kind of lights did Noah use during night?
Floodlights.
Twitter
lorraine Jo King
@LahLahBean
#wednesdaywit
What kind of lights did noah have on the ark?
Floodlights 🎅
11:06 AM - 20 Dec 2017