April 13, 2005
Indiana Jones was wasting his time
Indiana Jones was wasting his time. There was no need for him to start raiding the lost ark in Egypt or Jordan or wherever those Harrison Ford films were set. As any Ethiopian Orthodox Christian will tell you, the original Ark of the Covenant is right here in Axum. It is actually said to be in this church.
Not surprisingly, you are not allowed to see it. The only man with that right is the "keeper" – a secretive man in the yellow robe who ducked into the church as soon as he saw my camera. Last year, the church authorities had to surround the building with a spiky fence after a Hungarian tourist tried to jump over the existing barrier to get in to the church and its holy of holies. Given the current interest in things like the Ark – sparked by pseudo-history books like the Blood and the Grail or whatever it is called – it is surprising they don't get more attempts.
I am a bit hazy about exactly how the Ark ended up here. I think it is something to do with the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon. She – or her retinue – or her son with King Solomon brought it back to Ethiopia where it has stayed ever since. Perhaps someone out there could flesh out the story.
Posted by aheavens at April 13, 2005 1:51 PM
Comments
With all the current enthusiasm for returning archeological treasures, I wonder what would happen if Israel were to ask for the return of the ark?
Posted by: Duncan at April 13, 2005 1:15 PM
Remove the haziness by reading Graham Hancock's The Sign and The Seal, which is all about the Ark in Ethiopia, and, perhaps more importantly, Donald Levine's Greater Ethiopia, which contains a small section on the Ark and its role in Ethiopian mythology, and then describes the impact of this mythology on Ethiopian society.
Posted by: Salaam at April 13, 2005 2:03 PM
Graham Hancock rocks!
Posted by: Tobias Toyberg at April 13, 2005 5:48 PM
I beleive that the Ark is in Ethiopia because i am Orthadox. And the reason that you can't see it is because only the holiest people can see the ark. And you have to be sinnless to see the ark.
Posted by: hazel at April 17, 2005 7:24 AM
There is a book called "The Kerba Nagast"
aka: "The Queen of Sheba and her only son Menyelek"
This book tells about the Ark, King Solomon, the Queen, thier son, and how the ark ended up in Ethiopia.
Posted by: jose at September 25, 2005 5:45 PM
it is in ethiopia!!!!! read the kebra negust!!!!!
Posted by: doctor at March 14, 2007 6:32 AM
i dont need physical evidence to know the ark is in Ethiopia. Blessed are they that believe and seeth not!! lest you look upon thee ark and succumb to the fate of Adam...
Posted by: darcelle beach at October 1, 2007 1:34 AM