The Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia--- or Not
Friday June 26, 2009
Not for the first time and undoubtedly not for the last, the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia is claiming it has the original Ark of the Covenant spoken of in the Bible, and made famous all over again by Indiana Jones. ...
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About Ben Witherington on the Bible and Culture
Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies.
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Personally I have strong doubts that the Ark of the Covenant is in there. There may be a replica of it but I don't think it is the original Ark. And why would you believe a story from Weekly World News?? They are the same people who talk about space aliens taking over our government and that Kennedy is still alive, blahh, blahh, blahh. It's a joke of a paper.
If you can belive in the existance of the arc then i can't imagine any reason why you would belive or not belive a claim. If you have no idea where it is every claim is valid, and any one who claims louder is more convincing.
I read this article with full of pain. I am an ethiopian live in USA. I have taking most of the histry classes on western civilaization and i undertand how far the western historian denounced this truth without deep study so that i want to tell you The art of covennant and others such us, churchs where old testment practiced will show the worled Ethiopia lived from old to new nestanent and saving all the lost bibels and the art of covenants from different enemis/ muslims, pagans, colonialists......./
Suppose that the Ark of the covenant is revealed. How will we know that it's the real thing? One I saw from a movie set looked pretty convincing, especially with the lightning flashed and onlookers fell over. But seriously, there's always carbon dating, right?
I joked about this too. I suspect carbon-dating could disprove a (much) later replica, but not prove the genuine article. If scholars were allowed to examine the contents intensively, they might be able to prove at least that it was a very early copy or the original.
It appears the revelation has already been retracted. This one'll have to wait for another day.
dear Beliefnet,
the ethiopian patriarch NEVER actually said he would bring the ark out of his church. some websites and media fabricated his statements.
that is why he did not say anything since then.
Ben,
There is a lot of history involved here and if you follow the ark story you will see a line of jewish culture extending from Yemen to Elephantine in Egypt, to monasteries in Lake Tanis to Axum. There is also a tribe near South Africa that follows jewish customs and have been linked genetically to the Cohen line. Pretty interesting when you look at it all. We are learning everyday to pay more attention to these oral histories and myths because they are usually based on some kernel of truth.
Trust me, it is only one chosen monk that can see the Arc of the Covenant/Tabot resting at the Church of Axum.
Faith is all about beleiving in what you don't materially see. We Ethiopians beleive deep in our heart that we do have the Tabot and God knows our belief and that is what matters, not what others would say about this and that. The connection of Ethiopia and God is all written and testified by God himself. So why would it be surprising if the Tabot is in Ethiopia?
May God bless us all.
Surely,it is in Ethiopia.
I'm really sorry you don't believe in history. Menelek took the ark to Ethiopia to protect it because the prophets foretold the war that destroyed the Temple.
The problem with most Christians is that they're trying to co-opt a story that doesn't belong to them. Jews know where the covenant is and have for some time. This bizarre idea that someone is going to *touch* it or do carbon dating on it, is hysterically funny.
You let us know how that works out for you, we'll continue to throw ourselves on the ground and give thanks that it's really, really real and this long ordeal is finally almost over. Your "New Testament" is amusing, too bad it's complete Roman Empire propaganda and lies.
it's undenied that Ethiopia has a connection with ancient christianity but that does not mean to Ethiopa has this Arc of covenant the problem is we(Ethiopians) like believe in material such as in icons of unseen Angels,saint,and others
Another News Corp beat-up?
WHAT it matters is not who is holding the ARC of covenant(tabot )as scholars mentioned there is no any link to Ethiopia we're in New testament's era if we are persuing the history of ancient christianity we only get ourselfes in the midest of fancy.
It is just possible that Ethiopia doesn't have the Ark but instead the Mercy Seat that covered it. After all,the imitations are apparently in the form of a tabot, not an oblong box. But Ethiopia-Israel connections can't be completely ruled out though if the nation has a relic I don't think we have to believe it came out with Menelik 1. I have written on this subject from a perspective of which almost no one is aware on my Blog at
http://rollanscensoredissuesblog.blogspot.com/
Interesting Comments. The issue is not if there have been Jews in Ethiopia at some point in antiquity. The issue of course is that the historical evidence does not give any credence to the notion that they were there as early as Solomonic times. What happened at and after the Judean exile in the 6th century B.C. is irrelevant since it is too late, and anyway Jews were carted off to Babylon in the 6th century B.C. If the ark went anywhere in the 6th century, it went to Babylon. Biblical faith is not mere faith, it is faith in the trustworthiness of the Biblical record and the history that undergirds it. That is a different matter than trusting legends which do not have that ancient a pedigree.
BW3
dear writer,
go and read some history first before trying to sum up a history of 3000 years with three paragraphs of confusion.
Revelations 11
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail
Read your bible pleases
According to history the original Ark of the Covenant taken by the servant of Solomon who was told to give duplicated Ark of the Covenant to the son of Solomon Minilik I.
Solomon told the guardian of the covenant to duplicate the Ark of the Covenant and give it to Minilik I and go with him to Ethiopia.
The Guardian were not happy to leave the original Ark of the Covenant then what they did, They left the duplicated one for Solomon and went to Ethiopia with the son of Solomon (Minilik I) with the original Ark of the covenant.
They kept it secret for long time because of afraid of Solomon. Since that time Ethiopian Orthodox doesn't want to reveal it to the world and it has God's Power.
Dear writer,
I have to disagree with you. The existence of the Ark is not a mere legend although I strongly believe that not all legends are baseless fabrications. I always believed that there is some truth to that legend;Once I read Graham Hancock's 'The Sign and the Seal', however, there is no doubt in me that we do have the Ark. Please read the well-researched and well-written historical piece.
Sir,
If you really need to be taken seriously in your argument that the Ark of the Covenant is not in Ethiopia, you definitely need to come up with a better paper than this.
Dr. Witherington,
Looks like you have to write a book to clear this one up : )
Lem
Yeah, but is anyone really courageous enough to keep their eyes open when they open the Ark of the Covenant?
I have no dog in this fight, but to interpret Biblical silence on a relationship between Solomon and the queen of Sheba as strong evidence that nothing took place between them is fraught with pitfalls. It seems that there is a strong oral tradition in Ethiopia about this relationship. Too often, in certain sectors of Christianity, "oral tradition", or even, "Tradition," is mistakenly equated with legends or even fabrications. An oral tradition may sometimes be false, but very often it is the historical memory of a people. Writing insures more stability of transmission, but is not invulnerable to misstatements of fact.
The end of the Gospel of John states that not everything Jesus said and did was written down. That is why we have a Church, and why "sola Scriptura" is not only defective theology but a faulty approach to research.
Why NOT give consideration to the Ethiopian claim?
I believe that God has preserved the Arc for us and will reveal it in His perfect time. Although the Bible tells us that it was fatal to touch it in the past, I believe that God will allow His chosen person or People to examine it and it's contents when He wants the world to see it. It seems to me He made it to be a sacred miraculous time capsule to be seen at his appointed time.I would be so thrilled for that day to come. But it's final placement should be in Israel for the Temple and not to the Pope. I am a Christian, but the Bible is clear about where the Ark belongs.
An ingenious ancient psychological trick and lost artful technology to protect the possible ark and to keep away the superstitious. The Ark of the Covenant is one of the most fabled items in the history of the ancient Near East. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abuna Pauolos, has announced to the world that the fabled Ark of the Covenant is located in Eithiopia, in Axum, and is in his church's possession. The Ark is considered one of the greatest lost treasures of the world, the greatest treasure of the people of Israel, and a lot of people would give fast cash to see it in order to prove or disprove the claims. The href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/06/26/ark-of-the-covenant-unveiled/">Ark of the Covenant was lost during the Babylonian Captivity, and many have used unsecured loans to try and find just where it went.
Informative review. Moreover, the Ark of the Covenant is one of the most fabled items in the history of the ancient Near East. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abuna Pauolos, has announced to the world that the fabled Ark of the Covenant is located in Eithiopia, in Axum, and is in his church's possession. The Ark is considered one of the greatest lost treasures of the world, the greatest treasure of the people of Israel, and a lot of people would give fast cash to see it in order to prove or disprove the claims. The Ark of the Covenant was lost during the Babylonian Captivity, and many have used unsecured loans to try and find just where it went. Follow http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/06/26/ark-of-the-covenant-unveiled/ to read more.
Hey Ben,
just for fun here: I Kings 10:13 reads (NIV) "King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of the royal bounty."
Possible euphemism?
In any event it is a matter of some indifference to me whether the ark still exists and where. Years ago I read Graham Hancock's book on the subject. He bought up some interesting medieval evidence for at least the existence of a STORY about the ark being absconded. The book on the whole was not well argued, but there were a few interesting suggestions.
Of course, we all "really know" that the Ark resides in a warehouse in Washington DC marked "Do Not Disturb".
maybe people should read their bibles. it says that John seen the ark in heaven while preparing to write revelation. so guess what, its not here anymore. whatever it is they have its a fake.
I agree with everything else you just said. Maybe we are not so far apart in our doctrinal views…Peace and Grace to you
http://www.ed-hardy.cc/ ed hardy
I believe that the “ark of the covenant” (Heb.9:4) and “the ark of his (God’s) testament” (Re.11:9) are one in the same, and contain the “tables of the covenant” (Heb.9:4), the Ten Commandments.
I believe that the ark of the covenant/the ark of his testament is now in the temple of God in heaven (Re.11:19).
At the Seventh TRUMPET (1 Thess.4:16-17), the temple of God is opened in heaven to reveal the ark of His testament (Re.11:19).
And, again, at the GIVING of the Seven Last PLAGUES (Re.15:1-8), “the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened” (Re.15:5), wherein is contained “the ark of his testament” (Re.11:19), “the ark of the covenant” (Heb.9:4).
Patricia (© 2002) Bible Prophecy on the Web
I am a humble Chaplain Assistant in the US Army, and by far I am not a theological, cultural, nor religious subject matter expert. However I did have to conduct a Religious Analysis on that area of the world for my career progression. It was focused on how local religions would affect military operations. In my research I found that building replicas of the Ark was a common practice as a means to unit the people back in the day. These replicas were called "Shabots." In one story the Queen of Sheba sent Menelik 1 to visit his father when he was of age to bring back one of these "shabots" in order to rasie the morale of the people. Whether through deceitful means or starnge circumstance the original Ark was brought back instead.
Regardless if it is located there I am amazed how the culture has adopted that belief so whole heartedly. This belief has become a cornerstone in many religious festivities and forms of worship. This is foreign to me because I can not think of something (an item) spiritual/religious here in America the people as a whole will stand behind and follow in the same fashion.
Correction the term is tabot and not Shabot. Sorry.
Thanks for your comment Randall, you are right about this. As a historian, I must rely on evidence, and there is no historical evidence for the actual ark being moved to Ethiopia prior to the time of Jesus. A replica is another matter. It would be nice to know if the Ethiopian replica has the same dimensions as described in Exodus of the real ark.
Blessings,
Ben W,
Why should anyone care about this fake Ark of the Covenant when a much more important holy relic has already been discovered in Stephan Huller's book, the Real Messiah:
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Messiah-Throne-Origins-Christianity/dp/1906787123/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246539906&sr=8-1
Huller went to Venice and proved that the Throne of St. Mark in the Basilica San Marco dates to the beginning of Christianity. His book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christianity started in Egypt and derives its teachings from the worship of Isis, Osiris and the pagan gods of Egypt.
This is a real historical object, i.e. it is not a fake. You can see it with your own two eyes the next time you go to Italy. It is also being made into a TV documentary for a US Cable network.
Again, why waste your time with this 'Ark of the Covenant' nonsense when it is completely fake.
The book costs about $18 but you can get it sometimes for less than that. Maybe if you are still sitting on the fence check out his blog instead at wwww.stephanhuller.blogspot.com.
It's really cool.
Jacob
Hi ben after going to the old site, thinking it would link to this new one, i finnaly googled you and found you! The other day while taking a shower, I heard the news about the Ark, my first thought was 'Oh no, here we go again'. besides the various reasons why we will probably never find the ark [like the ones you mentioned]the silly fascination we have with these symbols is absolutley detrimental to the image of christs church. God bless, will need to change you address on my blog site. John
Has anyone read Graham Hankcook's "The sign and The Seal". I recommend it for everyone who is interested in the subject.
ALLAH THE ALMIGHTY IS ALREADY ON EARTH!!!!!
Please stop in http://manaalmahdi.wordpress.com
Please refer to someone incharged fitted whatever doctrine you are. This is an exceptionally distinguished essence fitted all mankind.
Thanks.
Krulayar
You don't have the evidence for the existence doesn't mean you have the evidence it doesn't exist. You historian and skeptics, have you ever wondered where is the most blessed and respected object of its time. In God’s perspective, everything, living or nonliving, comes with its own designed purpose. And has an eternal implication, what so ever. You don’t have “Ark of the Covenant” in the western church or society doesn’t mean we don’t need It at all. God designed and created (at first) the Covenant. If you want to say you don’t need It, that is one thing. But GOD needs It. We Ethiopian need It, too. Like the temple in the Heaven, our temples are graced with the Covenant. For those Christian, have you ever read Revelation 11:19? It says “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His Covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightings, noises, thundering, an earthquake, and great hail.” If there is a Covenant in Heaven, having a Covenant here in the earth is an amazing mystery of our time. The mystery is revealed, thought, with true belief and humble heart. In addition, Ethiopia is the country next to Israel blessed with Gods’s words. Go to Bible and Google Ethiopia, you will see a certain part of the hidden mystery. Or read Graham Hankcook's "The sign and The Seal".
The sign of The Almighty's arrival: A face in the sky video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIsZ9bXqhxA
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Stop talking your foolishiness and the silence of the bible on the matter. Where was the bible, when solomon was alive? where did the bible materialise and from what sources. Infact where were the people who claim the bible has theirs. Still somewhere in Germania better known as barbarians of the North. What did the bablyonian king do with the vessels from the temple 586BC, to get the writing on the wall, so what would they have done with the Ark or the Ark to them. You rely on science to convince your materialisetic belief and are of those that live for the flesh and are made ready for the pit. The Ark is for those of the spirit and not the falsehood of rejected souls. You will all see the Ark when the time come. She is with the Ethiopians so that you of the North and the East would not perish until the time come. Ur science merely confirm already what you had been told and when it confirm such matters like global warming you still do nothing but reject because it is about to upset your way of life. But your bible said this time Fire will be the instrument of judgement. It would be better for you that the Ark does not come out, why because you know that it would be all over and your world of no hope,pollution,and earth destorying in nature,would be at an end.The Ark would be the symbol for the new beginning as you rapture off the the place of woe, while the poor and rejected will be eating the manna under the protection of the God that your world has rejected for technology. To say that you are advanced is but proof to show that you are backward and like your father Belial worthless in spirit and of no use but merely rapers of the Earth resources and polluters of the Earth and the flesh. The Ark will never be yours or the Ashkenazi who are the sons of Gomer and their cousin the desert ass who do nothing but cause bloodshed and trample the holy lands and places with their feet as foretold in both the old and new testament. At least your bible has record, inter alia, God's assurance for the Ethiopians ( which merely means in ancient greek the blacks) and that is elementray when you see their position in any advanced society and the world at large. Use the time you have left to put an end to your doubts and begin to do things to sort out the Earth, its resources and the improvish people. One thing you should also note from your bible is that it is always the advanced nations that are destoryed in the end and usually become subject to that old enemy. Time to make that change or face the consequence in judgement to what you have done to such nations like ethiopia Africa where you have stolen their human and natural resources and made yourselves falsely superior that is slowly coming back to haunt you. Give thanks that the Ark is where she is supported by the fact that she was accompanied and administrated by no other Michael himself. The very name that angels used in their battle cry. Thanks
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