"They shall make an ark of acacia wood," God commanded Moses in … The mystery of what became of such an important and sacred artifact continues to fascinate archaeologists, historians and believers alike. (The Bible tells of a meeting between the monarchs (1 Kings 10), but not a marriage or Prince Menelik.). The biblical account states that the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant with them wherever they went and it contained great divine power that proved fatal to many. Nobody else enters the room and only after his death will the monk leave the grounds. The Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia announced that on Friday, June 26, 2009, he will unveil to the world the Ark of the Covenant. It measured 1.15 m long, 0.7 m wide and 0.7 m high and was carried by two long bars, also made of gold-plated acacia wood. In recent years this legend has been popularized in the writings of Grant Jeffrey, a Canadian Bible prophecy writer who often specializes in the sensational. The Ark used to be taken out on a procession once a year, but due to the recent war and tensions in the area, it remains locked in its shrine full-time. report. [1]. The Ark was guarded by cherubims that "spread forth their two wings over of the place of the ark" (I Kings 8:7). The other treasures are regularly brought out and displayed for visitors, but no one is allowed inside the building. Menelik, Solomon’s son On Sundays Nevertheless, almost 45 million Orthodox Christian Ethiopians are certain that the Ark of the Covenant was taken, almost 3000 years ago, to Aksum, in northern Ethiopia, and that it has been guarded ever since by these monks in the humble church of Saint Mary of Zion. It was around these legends that so many other… Sacred Sites, Religious Places, Pilgrimages, View hotels near Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant, Photos of Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant. It is a society with a more profound spirituality than anywhere else I have been to—one where worship is woven into nearly every aspect of life. On Sundays in Lalibela, Aksum and Gondar, I was alone in thousand-strong crowds of monks and nuns, hermits and business owners, energetic children and bent-double grandmothers. I heard that the ark of the covenant is in Ethiopia but no one is allowed near it or they’ll go blind, which is convenient. hide. All rights reserved. According to the Bible, the Ark was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. To Ethiopian Christians and Jews, the location of the Ark of the Covenant is no mystery. They wrapped themselves in white or burnt orange and poured into the churches that dot the landscape. A resting place of kings and queens dating back to biblical times, the reign of the mysterious Queen Sheba, and the alleged resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Today it is housed in a small chapel or Treasury building next door to the church. By Clicking "Subscribe" you agree to have read the. When the Temple of Jerusalem was built, the Ark was enshrined there in the Holy of Holies and only seen by the High Priest. [Editor’s Note: The following Monday the Patriarch supposedly denied he had announced the unveiling.] 18 comments. Referred to as a relic chapel or the Treasury, it also contains the cathedral's treasures such as the crowns of Ethiopian kings and silver processional crosses. The Ark was then kept safe in Ethiopia over the millenia, carefully hidden during wars, and today it is enshrined in a special treasury next to the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. This theory was popularized outside of Ethiopia through a 1990s book by British journalist Graham Hancock entitled The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant . In The Quest for the Ark of the Covenant, Stuart Munro-Hay argues that Axum's shrine contains a stone altar that was probably produced long ago as a replica of Moses' stone tablets. Below is a location map and aerial view of Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant. There are no shortage of theories as to its fate and current location, which include a Jerusalem tunnel and the top of Mt. His own research also supported the priest’s claims somewhat. There is only one man alive who has seen the alleged Ark in all its biblical glory. The Ark of the Covenant, so the story goes, resides in this small and modestly guarded building. Hancock argues that after the Ark of the Covenant ( Ancient History ) Jul,! The churches that dot the landscape also supported the priest ’ s son Ethiopia! Is in Ethiopia, reaching various conclusions the present custodian with this privilege and burden is Abba! 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