Posted on 10/20/2012 4:56:17 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
8 Alleged Resting Places of the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is an artifact associated with Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths. Depending on the source, the Ark holds the Ten Commandments, a staff that once became a snake, a portion of the Torah, and more.
After the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the 6th Century B.C.E. (sic), the Ark of the Covenant disappeared from religious records. Where did it go? Here are eight incredible, conspiracy-minded theories.
1. The Tomb of King Tut
A 1922 picture of the early excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun shows an object, the Anubis Shrine, fits the description of the Ark of the Covenant. Shortly after photographs of the excavation spread, a small group of archaeologists to claim the artifact is indeed the Ark.
After inspecting the artifact, however, the dimensions of the Anubis Shrine do not match the purported dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant as described in religious texts.
2. A hidden room at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres in France
An extremely well preserved 12th Century cathedral, Chartres Cathedral is best known for the two unusual spires straddle the building and reach a height of over 340 feet.
In the book Mysteries of Chartres Cathedral, Louis Charpentier suggests Templars found the Ark of the Covenant during the Crusades and placed the Ark within the cathedral for safe keeping. The current caretakers of the Chartres Cathedral do not make any claims to possession of the Ark of the Covenant.
3. An unmarked cave in Modern Jordan
In an account written within the second book of Maccabees, an account of Jewish history during the Babylonian captivity written in Greek during the 2nd Century B.C.E. (sic), suggests the Ark narrowly survived the Babylonian siege.
According to 2 Maccabees, the prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark and several other key objects in a cave within a mountain in Jordan prior to the Babylonian siege, hoping to protect the artifacts forever.
4. One of 64 Locations designated in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls unearthed in the late 1940s, archaeologists found one scroll featuring writing along a thin piece of copper scroll.
When translated, the scroll cites sixty-four locations containing treasures of gold and silver. One of these locations could lead to the Ark of the Covenant.
5. Held in South Africa by the Lemba Tribe
The Lemba reside in South Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, and claim to be the "lost" tribe of Israel. A 1999 DNA survey links the Lemba to priestly families in Israel, lending a small amount of evidence to this claim. The Lemba treat their Ark in accordance to the religious tenets prescribed for the Ark, carrying it on poles and avoiding contact with the chest.
Currently, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant is held at the Museum of Human Science in Zimbabwe, with the Lemba claiming the 700 year-old replica is created from the core of the original Ark of the Covenant.
6. An Ethiopian Orthodox Church
The Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, a city in Northern Ethiopia, claims to have the Ark of the Covenant. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church places copies of the Ark within every affiliate church in Ethiopia.
The tale by which the Ark reached Northern Ethiopia is interesting, as the church believes Menelik, the child of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, absconded the true Ark of the Covenant in the 13th Century B.C.E. (sic) and took the Ark to Ethiopia, leaving a clever fake in its place.
7. On the bottom of Lake Tiberias
Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galiliee, is thought by a group of Shia Muslims to be the current resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.
One Shia sect of Islam puts credence in a Hadith (these are most commonly sayings attributed to Mohammed or commentary on something he did) that states the Ark of the Covenant will rise from Lake Tiberias. There is catch, however — the Ark will only be discovered after the rise of Mahdi, who will rule the Earth for a disputed time period prior to the Day of Judgement.
8. A government storage facility
This hiding place lacks substantial evidence, but the idea that the Ark of the Covenant is held in a nondescript crate deep in a government warehouse snuck into popular culture thanks to the Indiana Jones series and the nature of shows like Warehouse 13.
Is one of history's most sacred objects tucked away anonymously in an unknown government location? No evidence supports this resting place, but it makes for a fantastic plot point.
The Romans didn't get it.
LOL! Pretty good.
I was also told by a buddy who researched the Ark some years back, that an elite team of Israeli commandos went to Ethiopia back in the early 2000’s aboard a C130 transport and supposedly left with a very important artifact.
Each one of these commandos were descendants of the tribe of Levi.
I still don't think the Ark has left Israel since the days of Soloman.
That would be miraculous! More likely, the blood of Christ, collected in a challis, was indeed used to anoint the Ark by those of the day who knew its secret location.
May sound far out, but he has put a lot of research into his theories and there seems to be evidence that backs many of his claims.
There is much more to learn in the video as he builds his case. :)
Not really a Bible believer, are you?
I wouldn’t consider myself an atheist, but I have grown more skeptical of many things we’ve been told in life, whether in the realm of religion or elsewhere.
On the whole, I believe that religion is a positive influence on many people’s lives and that’s a good thing. I also believe that the “separation of church and state” zealots tend to be crappy people that should adopt a live-and-let-live attitude instead. But faith, in and of itself, isn’t enough to answer the many questions and concerns I’ve had over the years.
And for those of you who believe wholeheartedly in everything the Bible says, good for you. I’ll bet that if we ever meet face to face I’ll probably think you’re wonderful people.
Not really a theist either, are you? You either are or you aren't.
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| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks DogByte6RER, nice find. |
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more intersting is what was in it and how it was used.
“God’s radio”
Just so it’s understood, here’s a mainstream traditional Jewish account of the location of the Ark of the Covenant:
http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/5766/haazinu66/mikdash.htm
...”At the time when the Holy Ark was hidden away, they also hid the Shemen HaMishcha, the jar of manna, etc.” (Horayot 12a).
Radak (R. David Kimchi 1160-1235 CE on II Divrei Hayamim 35:3) quotes a no longer extant Midrash. “Our rabbis of blessed memory said, ‘that (Yoshiyahu, the last righteous king of Judah [639 BCE - 608BCE], realizing that the destruction of Bayit Rishon was imminent), gave instructions to hide the Aron (and the oil, the vessel with the manna, etc.)…
There was a stone in the western side of the Kodesh HaKodashim and the Ark rested on it…. When Solomon built the First Temple, (Ru’ach HaKodesh revealed to him) that one day it would be destroyed. Therefore, in anticipation, he excavated a place to hide the Aron in winding, hidden tunnels deep below the surface of the earth. The stone upon which the ark rested, covered the opening of that tunnel. Yoshiyahu ordered that the Aron be hidden in the place that Sh’lomo had prepared. ‘(And he said to the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto the Lord) ‘Put the Holy Ark in the (House that Solomon King of Israel did build)…’ And they hid the Aron, the staff of Aaron, the jar containing the manna and the Shemen HaMishcha.”
When the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt speedily in our time, Eliyahu HaNavi will restore them to us...
No. Not really. No more then the Colossus of Rhodes "never existed in physical form".
In fact we have less evidence for the Colossus then we do for the Ark.
The most likely consideration is that it no longer exists anywhere. There is no reason to believe anything to the contrary.
The Dimensions quoted are likely close but not exact.
2.5 cubits / 1.5 = 1.6666 Near but not right on the Golden Mean of 1.618.
I would guess the height and width dimension is 2.5/1.618 = 1.647 cubits or 1 cubit 14 .55 fingers.
Or possibly 1.5/1.618=.927 or 1 cubit 20.55 fingers if the height and width are taken as the correct dimension
Either of those shapes would be the most pleasing and perhaps ordained by God. Since such a shape was widely known nd preceeded the construction of the Ark, the design to the shape of perfection seems very likely
Thanks, Civ
Interesting theories- some wacky, some far-fetched, some plausible. When the good LORD decides we should find it, it will be found.
Read the Sign and the Seal.
The Ark disappeared from Biblical reference during the reign of King Manasseh. Manasseh profaned the Holy of Holies in the Temple with pagan images. The presence of pagan idols next to the Ark of the Living God would have been the worst of blasphemies. The Levites spirited the Ark out of Jerusalem at this time long before the Babylonian captivity and took it to Lake Tana in Ethiopia. From there it wound up in the Church of St. Mary in Axum.
I believe this. There are too many weird connections with the Ark in the Christian Orthodox Church of Ethiopia and Manasseh was the most evil of the kings of Israel.
The story about the Queen of Sheba and Menelik is probably apocryphal.
I wouldn’t go anywhere near it. Only very holy hands should touch it.
Nor is there any spiritual reason for it to exist any more.
ALL the things built by Moses were shadows of, and patterned upon, the REAL items in Heaven.
The exception was the Tabernacle, which was a temporary, portable structure for use until the earthly Temple would be built at the designated place; that Temple itself was a shadow of the Heavenly Temple.
Jesus, having nailed the blood ordinances to the Cross with His sacrifice; and having rent the veil of the Holy of Holies, has made obsolete all of the Temple furniture (and, indeed, the Temple itself: "in three days, I will rebuild...": He is our temple.) related to sacrifices, or the need for an intermediary (earthly High Priest) to approach the Mercy Seat on our behalf. He is now our High Priest, and all can openly approach Him.
Like the brazen snake on the staff that Moses was instructed to make in the wilderness later did, there is every danger that the Ark and other artifacts would become objects of idolatry, being worshiped in their own right. Indeed, we see much of that mind set already, even though the Ark has no verifiable physical existence; and to a lesser extent, we also see it in the Shroud of Turin.
God hates idolatry, and I have no doubt that he would have long since removed these items as the potential stumbling blocks that they are.
The real Ark is in Heaven, in the real Temple.
It’s long gone, unless number 3 (/4) is correct; the Ethiopian claim is something that probably grew in the telling, and whatever underlying legend was there got lost since the Middle Ages with the Ark storied plastered over it. The other stories are ridiculous modern inventions (if one classifies the medieval mumbo jumbo of the Hadith as ‘modern’).
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