6:2

In the Old Testament God commanded Israel to build an extravagant place of worship. Within this place of worship, in the most sacred spot referred to as the “holy of holies”, lied the arc of the covenant. The Arc of the Covenant is supposed to hold some of the most sacred items known to Judaism, the tablets on which the ten commandments were written, Aaron’s (Moses’ brother) rod, and some of the manna from heaven. The Arc was made with the plunders the Israelites took from Egypt out of acacia wood and gold and had two winged cherubium on top. The Arc lead the way through the desert as well as through battles when the Israelites entered into Canaan.

After the exodus out of Egypt, the Arc made quite a few trips. The Philistines stole the arc after a battle and returned it seven months later. The Philistines then stole it a second time at another battle. Everywhere the Philistines brought the Arc, misfortune followed. Boils infected the people and a plague of mice fell upon the land. Eventually the Philistines returned the covenant back to its original owners. Also, throughout the years many of the Kings of Israel moved it to wherever each saw fit. The Arc disappeared for it’s final time when King Nebuchadnezzer and the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem.

Now the Arc of the covenant is almost as illusive as the Holy Grail. Some believe the Arc was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzer, therefore there never was and never will be a mystery to its location. Others believe that the Priest in charge of the Arc brought it out of its last known home, the Temple of Solomon, for safekeeping. These Priests, particularly the High Priest, whole lives revolved around the place of worship, and the correct treatment of the Holy of Holies, and most importantly the Arc of the Covenant. There is a place in Ethiopia that claims to have the Arc, and the Priests themselves delivered it to them. The problem with this is the Ethiopians will not allow anyone to see their Arc. Without tangible proof that they even have an object at all, no one can truly believe they have the biblical Arc. It also very well may still be in the Temple of Solomon. The problem with proving that theory is the Temple is now in Muslim control as a holy land and an archeological dig is not, and will likely never be approved by their community.

Only a handful of people have ever seen the Arc of the Covenant. If it was to be found, the fear of the religious community is that the most sacred object known to man would be defiled by science and its experiments. It is possible that having the Arc in a lab could bring biblical destruction or blessings upon those who house it. The truth of the story is there once was an Arc of the Covenant, but the mystery lies in if it still exists. The bible mentions that Arc one last time, in the book Revelation- the end of the world. “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” -Revelation 11:19 NIV. Those eager to find the Arc of the Covenant may just have to wait until the end of this world as we know it.