Near Eastern Institute

Biblical Archaeologists Hunt for the Ark

If the Ark of the Covenant is ever found, it will be the most extraordinary biblical archaeology headline in history. The hunt for the ark will probably never end unless it is found. But some question whether it still exists and believe it may have been melted down.

Measuring a cubit and a half in height and breadth, two cubits and a half in length, the Ark of the Covenant was said to be crafted at the command of God. It was made out of Setim/Shitta wood (Acacia), which the ancient Egyptians considered to be the Tree of Life, and was subsequently overlaid with pure gold both inside and out.

Also on God’s command, Moses was said to have placed three items in the Ark of the Covenant: (1) Two stone tablets which contained the Ten Commandments, reminding the people of Israel that they were God’s chosen people, and that they must obey the law that He has given them; (2) Aaron’s staff which had budded, symbolic of God’s anointing Aaron and his descendants to continue the priestly line; and (3) a golden jar in which manna saved from the Israelites’ long journey in the wilderness was placed, in order to remind them that God was their provider.

To cover the Ark itself, the Atonement Cover (also referred to as the Mercy Seat) was adorned by two cherubim angels who stood facing each other, their outstretched wings spanning the entire cover. The name given to the Ark’s covering is likewise symbolic, because the items inside the Ark were not just holy relics, but evidence and reminder of how sinful man was—for example, Aaron’s staff had budded because God was showing that it was Aaron that He favored, even after the Israelites rejected his authority (and by extension God’s authority as well); while the Israelites found fault with the manna despite it having sustained them as they wandered in the desert. Reminders as they were of man’s sinful nature, God nevertheless wanted them to know that it was not their sinfulness that he saw when He looked on them from His throne here on Earth, because He looked upon them with mercy and with love.

And because the Ark was regarded as the place where God resided in the Tabernacle, it was for this reason that the Ark was kept safe, far from the sight of ordinary men. It was thus safeguarded in the Holy of Holies, and only once a year was the High Priest allowed to come into the sanctuary and perform certain rituals on what was called The Day of Atonement. The ritual further emphasized God’s mercy and provision despite the sinful nature of man.

Although the fate of the Ark is not entirely known—rumors include its destruction by Egyptians, Babylonians, and Philistines; divine intervention; and intentional concealment; there are several rumored locations as to where the Ark of the Covenant might be held in present day. Some of the aforementioned rumored locations include:

The Temple Mount – Said to be the location that Solomon’s First Temple stood on, where the Ark was said to have been kept, and provisions made for its speedy removal and concealment in a hiding place below-ground should the temple be overrun. When King Nebuchadnezzar did indeed breach the Temple in 586 BC and ransacked its treasures, there was no mention of the Ark, because it had supposedly been spirited away by the Levite priests.
Ethiopia – Prince Menelik I, who was the rumored son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, was said to have taken possession of the Ark, and is now kept by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Southern Africa – In South Africa and in Zimbabwe live the Lemba people, who believe themselves to be of Jewish origins. It is their claim that it was their ancestors who kept the Ark safe, taking it south to the Dumghe Mountains, which they considered to be their spiritual home.
England, France, and Ireland – The Crusades and tales of the Knights Templar account for speculations that the Ark had reached its final resting place in Europe.