THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
THE LONGEST LIST OF THE LONGEST
STUFF AT THE LONGEST DOMAIN NAME AT LONG LAST
Where is the Ark of the Covenant?
The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Holy Ark,
the Ark of God, and many other terms, is one of the most revered items among
historians and treasure hunters. Whatever happened to the Ark is unknown but it
goes back to Biblical times and many references are made to it within the Bible.
It has been moved around plenty of times and so, where its exact whereabouts are
now is unknown but this does not stop people from spending their lives searching
after it. Many believe that the Ark was destroyed millions of years ago. So just
what is the Ark of the Covenant that holds so many people’s interest and what
could be so worthy to make it your life’s mission to find it when it may no
longer even exist? Perhaps it’s just the thrill of the chase alone but there’s
no doubt that what is inside, should the Ark still be on Earth, is quite
valuable indeed. The Ark of the Covenant holds the two tablets on which are
written the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, which brought about the first three
plagues of Egypt, and manna, which the Israelites ate during their journey
through the desert and which has always been seen as a sign of life and
nourishment in the Bible.
After God ordered that the Ark be built, it was
constructed of acacia wood, which the Egyptians considered to be the Tree of
Life. Although Egyptian royal cubits were most likely the measurements that were
used in its construction, it’s thought today to be approximately 4.27 feet long,
2.56 feet high, and 2.56 feet in width. It was then covered entirely in gold and
the lid, which is also known as the mercy seat, was also finished with a rim of
gold. The sides had gold rings, from which two rods of wood could be placed so
that the Ark could be carried around comfortably. On the top, at both ends, sits
two cherubs, which sit facing each other. They both have their wings stretched
out over top and it’s thought that this is to form the Throne of God, so that
the Ark lies at his feet. It was originally placed in the Holy of Holies, which
was thought to be the Holiest place in all of Jerusalem. This Holy Place was
inside the sanctuary of the Tabernacle and the Temple of Jerusalem, and the Ark
was placed between the two temples, with its poles brushing the veil that
separated the two.
Moses oversaw the construction of the Ark, in which
he asked ‘every wisehearted one’ to help. He then oversaw the construction and
placed the contents inside. However, even he was not allowed to go near the
place of the Ark, except for one day a year, called the Day of Atonement. On
this day, he would perform certain ceremonies involving the Ark, including a
consecration of the Ark which involved oils and holy ointments.
While the Israelites carried the Ark through the
desert, it was carried by priests. When it was carried through the Jordan River,
it’s said that the Ark had the power to separate the water so that the
Israelites could walk through and the Ark would remain intact. It was also
carried around the walls of Jerusalem, as seven rams’ horns were also played.
Wherever it was taken and carried, it was always wrapped in the skin of an
unknown animal and is covered with a blue cloth so that not even those carrying
it can see it. It’s thought that Aaron’s rod and the manna, which was placed
inside the Ark in a golden jar, have long since been removed from the Ark.
There have been many claims by many people that
have said that they have found the Ark. Others simply believe stories that they
have heard of where the Ark may be. Some believe that the Ark still lies within
the Temple of Jerusalem, where it was first placed. Although the First Temple of
Solomon no longer stands, King Solomon reported that there had been tunnels dug
under the temple and the Ark had been placed on a plateau which would lower the
Ark into the tunnels should the structure of the Temple itself ever be
compromised. It’s thought that when Nebuchadnezzar did overtake the temple in
586 BC, that the Levite priests followed the Ark into the tunnels and took it
away. It is also thought that Nebuchadnezzar never found the Ark. Today, digging
has been done under the temple and tunnels do exist down there. However, there
are many rules to digging under the temple and even if the Ark is under there,
it’s doubtful that it will ever be found.
Other theories suggest that the original Ark of the
Covenant is in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Ark is kept in the Church of
the Tablet, which is a treasury near the Church of our Lady Mary of Zion. The
church sometimes still uses the object thought to be the Ark in some of their
ceremonial rituals. The Kebra Nagast is regarded as the most important Ethiopian
document and this document tells the story of when Menelik I carried the Ark
into Ethiopia. However, it’s thought that this was only added to the document
after the 13th century and is criticized by some as simply being a
misunderstanding between the Ethiopian translations of their Portuguese allies.
If this is to be true, it’s a great exploitation of these misunderstandings that
the Ethiopian church has used and this is why this theory is sometimes so
heavily criticized.
The people of Zimbabwe also have claims that they hold the Ark of the Covenant.
The Lemba people are thought to have Jewish ancestry and it is these ancestors
that carried the Ark into the caves of the Dumghe Mountains, which is thought to
be their most spiritual place. Tudor Parfitt, a professor, researched these
claims and placed them into a documentary. He did say that he had seen the
object and that it was treated just as the Ark would be in that it was regarded
as the voice of their god, could not at any time touch the ground, was covered,
and was to be carried on poles by their priests. While he does go into great
detail in his documentary about the appearance of the object, he makes no
mention of its valuable contents, which leaves it susceptible to heavy
criticism.
Other places in the Middle East also lay claim to
the Ark. One such claim states that it is either buried in Mt. Nebo or lies
somewhere in the area around it, near Jordan’s east bank. It’s thought that Ark
was placed here by Jeremiah after he was instructed to do so. There’s also said
to be an altar of incense here and a tent, which were also ordered to be placed
with the Ark. The book the Second Maccabees tells this story but some criticize
it as it is a second-hand account. In the story, Jeremiah completely covered the
entrance to the cave, and so neither the cave nor its contents have ever been
found.
The infamous Ron Wyatt, who is a self-proclaimed
archaeologist with no professional training or scholarly credentials but has
claimed to have found many Biblical and ancient sites and ruins, has also
claimed to have discovered the original Ark. He claims to have found it while on
a dig underneath the Calvary Escarpment, and that he actually saw it and took
photographs. He also claimed that he could dig no further due to excavation
restrictions that were in place and all the photographs came out very blurry and
hard to make out. People have widely discredited this claim due to his lack of
any official background in the area and the fact that he has made false claims
in the past.
Vendyl Jones, who is a notable archaeologist,
claims to have found the Ark in the place where it was hidden by the Levite
priests who carried it out of the temple through the temples after
Nebuchadnezzar’s attack. Jones says that they carried it to the Cave of the
Column, which is located near Qumran. Jones also claims that he has found the
entrance to this cave but that he wanted to wait to unveil the discovery until
the anniversary of the destruction of the First and Second Temples, which he
said would be August 14, 2005. When this did not happen, he claimed that he had
been misquoted and that he actually wanted to discover the Ark on this day and
is awaiting funding to do so.
