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Ark of the Covenant
Solomon's temple was built to house the Ark of the Covenant, which until that time had been housed in a tent known as the Tabernacle. It was the most holy object in the temple and contained the stone tablets upon which God had written the ten commandments. Its gold lid was called 'The Mercy Seat', and was considered to be God's earthly throne where his very presence dwelt. It was housed in the Holy of Holies, which only the High Priest could enter, and that only once per year to offer the blood on the Day of Atonement.
Wikipedia: Ark of the Covenant
Wikipedia: Ark of the Covenant
The last mention of the ark in Israel occurred during the reign of King Josiah. 2 Chronicles 35:3 says of him, "He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the LORD, “Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don't carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel!"" Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, was Judah's most wicked king, and had placed idols in the Holy of Holies. It is likely that the Ark was removed during that time by the Levitical priests, as it would not have been acceptable for it to be located next to a pagan idol. When Josiah came to the throne, he cleansed the temple, and restored the worship of Jehovah. He therefore instructed for the Ark to be returned to the temple from wherever it had been moved to.
Josiah ruled Judah until about 608 BC when he was killed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt in the battle of Megiddo. When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 597 BC and again in 586 BC, they carried off the temple's treasures and instruments, but no mention is made of the Ark (2 Kings 24:13 and 25:13-17). Later, when Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, he gave them back the temple articles which had been captured by the Babylonians. Again, the list of articles in Ezra 1:9-11 makes no mention of the Ark of the Covenant. This suggests that the ark was somehow smuggled out of Jerusalem before the Babylonian conquest.
Today, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess and to guard the Ark in the ancient town of Axum, as the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. The following video, featuring Bob Cornuke, documents his investigations into this claim:
Josiah ruled Judah until about 608 BC when he was killed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt in the battle of Megiddo. When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 597 BC and again in 586 BC, they carried off the temple's treasures and instruments, but no mention is made of the Ark (2 Kings 24:13 and 25:13-17). Later, when Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, he gave them back the temple articles which had been captured by the Babylonians. Again, the list of articles in Ezra 1:9-11 makes no mention of the Ark of the Covenant. This suggests that the ark was somehow smuggled out of Jerusalem before the Babylonian conquest.
Today, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess and to guard the Ark in the ancient town of Axum, as the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. The following video, featuring Bob Cornuke, documents his investigations into this claim:
The Mystery of the Ark of the Covenant - Bob Cornuke
If true, it is possible that the Ark of the Covenant is the gift of tribute which Ethiopians will one day bring to Jesus in Zion, as described in Isaiah 18:4 "The tribute will be brought to the place where the LORD who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion". There are not many gifts that would be appropriate to bring into God's dwelling place in the millennial temple.
Bob Cornuke also suggests a possible connection between the Ark of the Covenant and the Ethiopian Eunuch's trip to Jerusalem, as described in Acts 8. He was a court official of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia, and carried a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It is possible that Candace had heard reports of the Messiah in Israel, and had sent him on a reconnaissance mission to find out if the gift was required.
No-one knows how or when Ethiopia's Jews got to Ethiopia. It is possible they are one of the lost tribes of Israel and were scattered when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC. Almost all of them were rescued by the Israelis and brought to Israel in the 1980's in what was called Operation Moses. You can watch the exciting story of this modern Exodus in the following video:
Bob Cornuke also suggests a possible connection between the Ark of the Covenant and the Ethiopian Eunuch's trip to Jerusalem, as described in Acts 8. He was a court official of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia, and carried a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It is possible that Candace had heard reports of the Messiah in Israel, and had sent him on a reconnaissance mission to find out if the gift was required.
No-one knows how or when Ethiopia's Jews got to Ethiopia. It is possible they are one of the lost tribes of Israel and were scattered when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC. Almost all of them were rescued by the Israelis and brought to Israel in the 1980's in what was called Operation Moses. You can watch the exciting story of this modern Exodus in the following video:
Saving The Forgotten Jews - BBC News
Place tags: Temple, Ark of the Covenant, Axum, Ethiopia