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The Ethiopian Tradition:

[This article is the first in a series regarding some of the startling disclosures that were presented jointly by Bob Cornuke and Chuck Missler at the Prophecy Summit at Branson, Missouri, August 22-24, 2001.]

The Mystery of the Lost Ark

The Ark of the Covenant, a prominent fixture in the narratives of the Old Testament, certainly seems to have disappeared from view after the Babylonian captivity, which began in 606 B.C. There are many theories as to what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. This issue was, of course, popularized in the well-attended fantasy movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Among the many theories as to its subsequent whereabouts, the "official" position by conservative rabbis in Israel - and also the Temple Institute - is that it remains hidden in some secret location under the Temple Mount to this day. But there are many who doubt this. Some believe it was among the items plundered by the Babylonians during the captivity (however, it is conspicuously absent from the detailed inventories associated with those events). Some believe it was taken by Pharaoh Shishak;¹ others believe it was hidden by Jeremiah on Mt. Nebo.² Ron Wyatt claimed to have found it under Golgatha. Each of these views has various scholastic and technical rebuttals.

Many link its future to the rebuilding of the Temple that appears to be destined before the Second Coming of Christ. We know that the Temple will be rebuilt at that time: Jesus,³ Paul, ⁴ and John⁵ each make reference to it. However, the Ark of the Covenant is not an essential. The Tenach, the Tosephta, and the Mishna, regarded as the primary authorities in these matters, all indicate procedural steps regarding its absence. The Ark of the Covenant was not in Herod's Temple, the Temple that was standing during the ministry of Christ.

The Ethiopian Tradition

Many of us have heard of the belief that the Ark was taken to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the offspring of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba who, raised by priests until he was of age, and then leaving behind a replica, removed the Ark to separate it from Solomon's apostasy. (These ideas were developed by Graham Hancock in his book, The Sign and the Seal, ⁶ and also popularized by Grant Jeffrey in some of his publications.) Emperor Haile Selassie has been regarded as the 225th descendant of Menelik, and these traditions continue to be embraced by the current leadership of the government of Ethiopia.

The idea that the Ark is presently ensconced in Ethiopia is a well-documented tradition dating from at least 642 B.C. when it ostensibly was at Elephantine Island, in Egypt; then moved to Tana Kirkos Island, Lake Tana, Ethiopia; and finally to its present site in a well-protected bunker at St. Mary's of Zion Church at Axum, Ethiopia. The Ethiopians believe that it is destined to be delivered to the Messiah when He reigns on Mt. Zion. ⁷ Most of us have dismissed these tales for various reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the Ark appears in the Scriptures well after Solomon.⁸ Perhaps the biggest death knell for these various theories would seem to occur in Jeremiah:

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. -Jeremiah 3:16

And yet there are some aspects of this mystery, in the Scriptures, that suggest a very different possibility. What may be presently in Ethiopia may have arrived there by a different path altogether, and may have a destiny that has been widely overlooked in the Biblical texts.

The Reign of Manasseh

The very positive reign of Hezekiah was, unfortunately, succeeded by his twelve-year-old son, Manasseh. Reigning for 55 years, and continuing the paganism of Ahaz, he relapsed into idolatry with all its vices. The worship of YHWH was banished; yet faithful prophets, including Isaiah and Micah, lifted up their voices in reproof and in warning. However, their fidelity only aroused bitter hatred, and a period of cruel persecution against all the friends of the traditional practices spread "blood from one border to the other." An ancient Jewish tradition indicates that at this time Isaiah was "sawn asunder."⁹

Manasseh was succeeded by Josiah, who led a significant revival and thereby gained a personal reprieve from the coming judgment that God had declared as a result of Manasseh's disasters.¹⁰

Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. - 2 Chronicles 34:28

What is strange is that Josiah receives his instructions through Huldah the prophetess. Why not through the traditional path involving the Levites and the Ark of the Covenant? Josiah had instructed the Levites to return the Ark to the Temple:

And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel... - 2 Chronicles 35:3

The Ark was, obviously, not in the Temple at that time. It is a reasonable conjecture that the Levites, due to the widespread mischief of Manasseh, removed the Ark to a place of safekeeping: out of the Temple, out of Jerusalem, and probably out of the entire jurisdiction of Manasseh. It was apparently in transit: "a burden upon [their] shoulders." (This may also explain why Josiah had to resort to Huldah the prophetess for his counsel.) Notice that this was Josiah's request. There is no evidence that they complied (quite the contrary!).

Pharaoh Necho

The Assyrian Empire, which had ruled the region for many centuries, was on the wane, and Egypt's Pharaoh Necho was moving to pick up some of the pieces. But he is surprised that King Josiah was taking up arms against him. Pharaoh Necho's response is one of astonishment:

But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. -2 Chronicles 35:21

Why would Josiah go against Pharaoh Necho? The Assyrians were the adversary of Judah as well. What did Josiah expect to gain from this aggressive commitment? And why did Pharaoh Necho believe that God was on his side? The Chronicler adds an additional provocative insight:

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. - 2 Chronicles 35:22

How could Pharaoh Necho have heard the words "from the mouth of God"? Is it possible that the Levites had sought refuge from Manasseh in Egypt, and had set up shop there? Was this what Josiah was after? Was this how Necho heard "from the mouth of God"?

In any case, Josiah goes in disguise and gets killed at Megiddo. After this battle Necho marched on to Carchemish (a Syrian city on the middle Euphrates River), where he met and conquered the Assyrian army, and thus all the Syrian provinces and Israel came under his dominion. On his return march he deposed Jehoahaz, who had succeeded his father Josiah, and made Eliakim, Josiah's eldest son (whose name he changed to Jehoiakim), king. Jehoahaz he carried down into Egypt, where he died.¹¹

Four years after this conquest, Necho again marched to the Euphrates, but this time his army was met and routed by the Chaldeans under a crown prince by the name of Nebuchadnezzar, who drove Necho back and took from him all the territory he had conquered, from the Euphrates unto the "river of Egypt." ¹² The establishment of the Babylonian Empire would thus be the means that God would use to complete the judgment He had pronounced in response to Manasseh's disastrous reign. But what about the fabled Ark of the Covenant? Did the Levites continue to keep it separate from the vicissitudes in Judea? Did this begin its trek southward from Egypt to Ethiopia? (It is interesting to note that Pharaoh Necho II was not Egyptian: he was Ethiopian. He was the grandson of Necho I, of the 25th, or Ethiopian, dynasty.¹³ )

More Surprises to Come

In the next article we will explore some common misconceptions about the ancient relic that may presently reside under such diligent care in Ethiopia. Perhaps it is not the Ark of the Covenant that is the key issue! There is a separate element of equipment that is closely associated with the Ark, but has a distinct purpose and, perhaps, a distinct destiny: the Mercy Seat.

And, perhaps, there is also a uniquely distinctive role that was involved in the incident with Philip and the Ethiopian treasurer in Acts Chapter 8. Join us for some startling conjectures in the next issue.

* * *

[This article was, in large measure, the result of the many visits to Ethiopia by Bob Cornuke and research notes by Ken Durham. Bob can be contacted at the Biblical Archaeology Search & Exploration (BASE) Institute: (719) 540-9799 or www.baseinstitute.org.]

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Ark of the Covenant as depicted in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (Paramount Pictures)

Ark hunters and Bible enthusiasts are buzzing about a report that the Ark of the Covenant, the ancient container that holds the Ten Commandments, is expected to be unveiled in Rome today.

As WND reported, the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world the unveiling of the Ark, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos.

Abuna Pauolos, in Italy for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this week, told the news agency, "Soon the world will be able to admire the Ark of the Covenant described in the Bible as the container of the tablets of the law that God delivered to Moses and the center of searches and studies for centuries."

Abuna Pauolos, patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia

According to the Italian news agency, the announcement is expected to be made at 2 p.m. Italian time (8 a.m. Eastern) from the Hotel Aldrovandi in Rome. Pauolos will reportedly be accompanied by Prince Aklile Berhan Makonnen Haile Sellassie and Duke Amedeo D'Acosta.

"The Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia for many centuries," said Pauolos. "As a patriarch I have seen it with my own eyes and only few highly qualified persons could do the same, until now."

(Story continues below)

Bob Cornuke

Bob Cornuke, biblical investigator, international explorer and best-selling author, has participated in more than 27 expeditions around the world searching for lost locations described in the Bible. A man some consider a real-life Indiana Jones, he has written a book titled "Relic Quest" about the Ark of the Covenant and participated in History Channel production called "Digging for Truth."

Next week, Cornuke will travel to Ethiopia for the 13th time since he began his search for the Ark. He told WND he believes this artifact may be authentic.

"They either have the Ark of the Covenant or they have a replica that they have believed to be the Ark of the Covenant for 2,000 years," he said.

Cornuke said, if it is genuine, there's a plausible explanation of how the Ark may have come to the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Ethiopia.

"The Ark could have been taken out of the temple during the time of the atrocities of Manasseh," he said. "We have kind of a bread crumb trail that appears to go to Egypt, and it stayed on an island there for a couple hundred years called Elephantine Island. The Ark then was transferred over to Lake Tana in Ethiopia where it stayed on Tana Qirqos Island for 800 years. Then it was taken to Axum, where it is enshrined in a temple today where they don't let anybody see it."

Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Ethiopia

Cornuke said he traveled to Tana Qirqos Island and lived with monks who remain there today.

"They unlocked this big, four-inch thick wood door," he said. "It opened up to a treasure room, and they showed me meat forks and bowls and things that they say are from Solomon's temple. When the History Channel did this show, they said it was one of the largest viewed shows. People were fascinated."

He said Ethiopians consider the Ark to be the ultimate holy object, and the church guards the suspected artifact from the "eyes and pollution of man."

"In Ethiopia, their whole culture is centered around worshipping this object," Cornuke said. "Could they have the actual Ark? I think I could make a case that they actually could."

Want to know more about the ancient box holding the Ten Commandments? Get "Exploring the Ark of the Covenant" - a two-DVD set!

However, he said reports about Friday's unveiling are somewhat perplexing because Ethiopia has traditionally shielded it from public view.

"That's the surprise for me," Cornuke said. "I have always thought that they would keep it under wraps."

Sketch of Ark of the Covenant based on a description by the late explorer Ron Wyatt (wyattmuseum.com)

He explained that a special guardian lives inside the church and never leaves. Once a guardian is appointed, he stays until he dies and another man replaces him.

"We know for a fact that there have been 30 guardians in history who have never left that enclosure," Cornuke said. "I know the guardian. When CNN and BBC went over there, he wouldn't see anybody but me. So I went and talked to him, and he's getting very aged. He told me they have the real Ark and he worships 13 hours a day in front of it. When he gets through, he is covered in sweat and he's exhausted."

He said he met a 105-year-old man who claimed to have seen the Ark 50 years ago when he was training a replacement guardian.

"It frightened him to death when he got a glimpse of it."

Cornuke said he also met with the president of Ethiopia nearly nine years ago and had a one-on-one conversation with him in his palace. He asked if Ethiopia had the Ark of the Covenant.

According to Cornuke, the president responded: "Yes, we do. I am the president, and I know. It's not a copy. It's the real thing."

Well-known author Grant Jeffrey

However, Grant Jeffrey, host of TBN's Bible Prophecy Revealed and well-known author of "Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny," does not believe claims that the Ark is in Ethiopia. He told WND he has spoken extensively with Robert Thompson, former adviser to former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

Jeffrey said Thompson told him the Ark of the Covenant had been taken to Ethiopia by Menelik, purported son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. When Menelik became emperor, he claims royal priests entrusted him with the Ark of the Covenant because King Solomon was slipping into apostasy. A replica was then left behind in Israel.

"The Ethiopian royal chronicles suggest that for 3,000 years, they had been guarding the ark, knowing that it had to go back to Israel eventually," Jeffrey said.

He claims that after the Ethiopian civil war, Israel sent in a group of commandos from the tribe of Levi and the carried the Ark onto a plane and back to Israel in 1991.

"It is being held there secretly, waiting in the eyes of the religious leaders of Israel, for a supernatural signal from God to rebuild the temple," he said. "They are not going to do it before that. When that happens, they will bring the Ark into that temple."

Chuck Missler

But author and Bible teacher Chuck Missler, founder of Koinonia House, told WND the theory of Menelik obtaining the Ark is not biblical, though he believes there is a possibility that the Ethiopians may have the real deal.

"The fact that the Ethiopians may have been guarding the Ark of the Bible is very possible," he said. "They cling to a belief that is clearly not biblical in terms of how the Ark got down there. But that doesn't mean they don't have it.

Missler said there is no biblical basis for the Menelik account, and he believes there was a reason for that version of events.

"What everybody overlooks is that there's a reason that particular story was cooked up in early times," he said. "It was to give their kings Solomonic descent. There's reason why they would try to sell that. But just because the official belief in how it got down there is not biblical, doesn't mean they don't have it."

Tennessee historian and "Time is the Ally of Deceit" author Richard Rives, searched for the Ark and participated in excavations beneath Mount Moriah outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem. His group was trying to verify claims by relic hunter Ron Wyatt that he actually saw the Ark there several decades ago after tunneling through a small passageway.

David and Richard Rives at man-made wall that could conceal passageway to Ark (wyattmuseum.com).

While they found Roman ruins from the first century, Rives told WND they were unsuccessful in confirming Wyatt's account. Nonetheless, Rives does not believe the story of Menelik obtaining the artifact or that Ethiopia ever had the real Ark.

"God's presence was on the mercy seat. That was the throne of God," he said.

If the account were accurate, Rives said God would have been dwelling on an Ark replica in Jerusalem.

"I just don't believe they could have persuaded him to sit on a fake Ark of the Covenant," he said.

Many theories exist about the ultimate fate of the Ark, including that it has been hidden in a still unknown location, it was destroyed by enemies of the Israelites, taken by Egyptian invaders to Egypt or removed by divine intervention.

The artifact received additional publicity in 1981 when actor Harrison Ford searched for it in Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Cornuke said Ethiopians claim their purported Ark is kept in a large stone sarcophagus lined in ornately hammered silver. The Ark itself is made of acacia wood and laminated with a thin veneer of gold. The mercy seat sits atop the Ark and is made of pure, hammered gold and includes two cherubim facing one another.

Whether the artifact is real or simply a copy, Cornuke said unveiling might leave the world with more questions than answers.

"We have only typology to go on," he said. "We could probably have some people analyze the wood samples and come up with some kind of dating protocol on it because it is acacia wood to see if that is it."

Rives said a close inspection of the Ten Commandments would be necessary to ensure they are in accordance with true text and not in accordance with later versions of the Ten Commandments.

Cornuke said experts would also need to determine whether the artifact itself fits the biblical description and trace its path to Ethiopia.

"We are peeking behind the veil of history," he said. "We're taking a glimpse of an artifact that could be a very holy object."