All posts tagged: Ark of the Covenant

24 | The mysterious disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant

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Follow our podcasts on: Itunes Stitcher Spotify Google Play PODCAST NOTES: I made an unusual purchase the other day. I bought the Ark of the Covenant. Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast I want to talk about the mysterious disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant and the ancient conspiracy theories that swirled around at the time because of its disappearance. The Ark was a gold-plated box with two winged cherubim that sat inside the Tabernacle of Moses, the Tabernacle of David and lastly the Temple in Jerusalem. Between the two Cherubim rested the very presence of God and because of this, the Ark is referred to as God’s throne on earth. Of course, what I bought was a miniature replica about 4” x 2.5” in size proportional to the original which was 4’ by 2.5’. But the similarity stops there, because I am pretty sure for $21.77 Canadian, my replica is not gold-plated like the original, but other than that it looks kind of neat. The top even comes off …

Evidence of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem reopens an ancient mystery

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Archaeologists working on the site of the Temple Mount in Old Jerusalem discovered evidence of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC when both the city and the Temple were basically destroyed. The siege recorded in several books of Bible tells how King Nebuchadnezzar also took tens of thousands of Jews into captivity. According to the team, made up of archaeologists from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC) and Israel’s Haifa University, they discovered several evidences of the attack including a layer of ash indicating a massive burning and more importantly Scythian arrowheads that were used by Babylonian soldiers. Since the Babylonian arrowheads were mixed in with the ash it is strong evidence the burning was associated with Babylon’s attack on Jerusalem. They also found evidence of houses being left in shambles which again would be expected after the city was taken. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, UNC professor Shimon Gibson stated: “They (Scythian arrowheads) were fairly commonplace in this period and are known to be used by the Babylonian …

An image from the Morgan Bible (1240AD) of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant where he set up the Tabernacle of David. Credit: Wikipedia

Have archaeologists found the site where the Ark of the Covenant once sat at Kiriath-Jearim?

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The Times of Israel is reporting archaeologists from Tel Aviv University and College de Franc may have found the site where Israel’s Ark of the Covenant once sat at Kiriath-Jearim. Located on a hill near the Israeli-Arab town of Abu Ghosh in central Israel, Kiriath-Jearim was the site where the Ark of the Covenant sat before King David transported it to Jerusalem and set up in what is was referred to as the Tabernacle of David (1 Chronicles 13:5-8, Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16). The Ark of the Covenant initially sat inside the Tabernacle of Moses set up at Shiloh. However, it was lost when the priests carried the ark into battle against the Philistines, who then captured the Ark. After a series of mishaps, the Philistines returned the Ark to Israel allowing it to be carried on a cart pulled by oxen. Unguided, the oxen brought the Ark to Beth Shemesh. However, when 70 residents of the town were killed after opening the chest to look inside, the residents of the town sent a message …

The Wadi-Qumran Credit: Otto_Friedrich45/Flickr/Creative Commons

Does an ancient copper scroll hold clues to the secret location of the Ark of the Covenant?

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According to Breaking Israel News (BIN), a copper scroll discovered in 1952 in caves along with the infamous Dead Sea Scrolls may actually be an ancient treasure map. The two thousand-year old scroll, made of thin sheets of copper, sticks out from its fellow Dead Sea Scrolls made of papyrus discovered in caves found in cliffs below a large plateau a mile away from the northwestern edge of the Dead Sea. The scroll also differs in one other significant way — while the Dead Sea Scrolls contain Biblical texts and other religious writings — the copper scroll is a map with 64 different locations marked out on it. It also lists quantities of gold and silver associated with each site along with clues and descriptions of the secret locations. Archaeologists believe the map probably outlines where Jews hid money during the Jewish revolt that led to the Romans destroying the Jewish temple in 70 AD. But one of the sites also mentions something else — Jewish vestments — suggesting the Jews may have hidden some …

Painting of Israel carrying the Ark of the Covenant into the Promised Land under Joshua by Benjamin West (1738 -1820) Credit: Wikipedia

Archaeologists to excavate site that once held the Ark of the Covenant

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It is one of the great mysteries of the Bible – what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem in 586 BC, they ransacked the city, hauled its citizens off into captivity and looted the Temple taking its treasures as spoils of war. A number of Bible passages list the items the Babylonians stole. One found in Jeremiah is particularly detailed and includes even pots and spoons (Jeremiah 52:17-23). But strangely missing from all the lists including Jeremiah’s and the listings provided in 2 Kings 24:13, and 2 Kings 25: 13-18 is any mention of the Ark of the Covenant. It was a gold-plated wooden box on which God’s Presence manifested. As the most important piece of furniture in the temple, the Babylonians would have coveted it. Many believe the Jews hid the Ark to stop it from falling into Babylonian hands. But when Babylon hauled Israel’s citizens into captivity for 70 years, the people who hid the Ark died and its location forgotten. Rumors even circulated that the prophet …

Inside St. Mary's Church of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. The church claims to house the Jewish Ark of the Covenant, and some suggest it is behind the curtains. Photo: Flickr/A.Davey

The Queen of Sheba and the Jewish Ark of the Covenant

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In my previous post, I wrote about the mystery behind the disappearance of the Jewish Ark of the Covenant, the most important piece of furniture in the Jewish Temple. The Ark was where the Presence of God sat in the Temple’s Holy of Holies. I looked at he numerous theories on what happened to the Ark which just suddenly disappears. In this post, I want to discuss one of the more interesting theories. There is an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum, Ethiopia — St. Mary of Zion — that claims to have the Ark of the Covenant. Unfortunately, they won’t let anyone study it to independently verify if this is the Ark. On May 12, 2008, Archaeologists from the University of Hamburg announced they found the palace of Queen of Sheba in Axum, Ethiopia. But in a strange twist, they also tied the discovery to the mysterious disappearance of the Jewish Ark of the Covenant. According to the team, headed by Helmut Zeigert of the university’s archaeological institute, the palace, dated to 10 BC, was …

The Ark of the Covenant created for the Hollywood movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie promotes the theory the Ark was lost in Eqypt. Photo: Marry Harrsch/Flickr

What happened to the Jewish Ark of the Covenant?

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The Temple Institute has just ordered production of the plans needed to build a new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The group that is dedicated to seeing a temple rebuilt has already gone ahead and manufactured most of the furniture needed for the temple including the massive sacrificial alter. The only thing they have not made is the Ark of the Covenant. And there is a reason they didn’t build one. One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant, the most important piece of furniture in the Jewish Temple. The Ark consisted of a chest made of acacia wood, about 4′ x 2.5′. It was overlaid with gold inside and out (Exodus 25:11). There was a lid on top made of pure gold referred to as the Mercy Seat (v 17) where two-winged cherubim (angelic beings) made of hammered gold sat on each end (v 18). The Presence of God rested on the Ark between the two Cherubim which was why it was referred to as the …