The Lost Ark of the Covenant - LexiLine Journal 275

I get a fair amount of e-mail to which I reply if the questions posed are interesting and sensible. One such recent e-mail concerned my work on the Ark of the Covenant and I present it further below.

For those not familiar with my work, get essential historical background information and view my theory concerning the Lost Ark of the Covenant as found at my LexiLine.com website at

http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi80.htm and starting at
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi000.htm - Introduction
followed by these additional pages
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi222.htm - Anubis in the Tomb of Tutankhamun
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi333.htm - The Mercy Seat of the Tabernacle
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi400.htm - The Consecrated Parts of Aaron (this is ADONAI at the Tabernacle = ATON, see
http://www.heartofisrael.org/teachings/rabbi/Pkudei.htm)
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi444.htm - The Lampstand of the Tabernacle
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi555.htm - Shrine I the Outer Shrine of the Tabernacle
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi556.htm - Shrine II the First Inner Shrine of the Tabernacle
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi557.htm - Shrine III the Second Inner Shrine of the Tabernacle
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi558.htm - Shrine IV the Innermost Shrine of the Tabernacle (the above 4 large Shrines fit inside one another)
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi559.htm - The Golden Shrine of the Psalms for the Golden Ushebtis
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi600.htm - The Pectoral Jewels of the Hebrew High Priest Cohen Gadol
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi888.htm - The Artists who Made the Ark and the Tabernacle - Bez Alel and Oho Liab
http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi300.htm - Moses and Exodus

Here is the e-mail I received about this and my answers to it:

>Hello,

>I am neither a person educated in history or archaeology, I am simply a
>person with an interest in those two subjects and I read about them both
>quite a lot. Recently my interest has wandered into the area of the Jewish
>revolt in the first century A.D. I was researching on the internet on the
>Hebrew treasures that were taken from the temple by the Romans and what had
>become of them, that's how I found your website. I have some questions,
>please forgive me if they seem simplistic;

>1) What would the Hebrew treasures be doing in the tomb of Tutankhamun?

According to my theory, they were hidden there by the Hebrew priests when it was clear that they were soon to lose their power in Egypt. Scholars are of different minds about the date that this occurred, but it seems clear to me that it was much earlier than currently assumed.

Obviously, the grave of Tutankhamun was not intended for him originally, being only 4 small unimpressive rooms, hardly a fitting tomb for what was found there. Hence, a simple tomb intended for someone else - a lesser royal (probably Smenkhare) - was used as a hiding place. They hid the treasures and then covered the entrance with rubble and it was not found until more than 3000 years later by Howard Carter.

>2) Why would Hebrew treasures look Egyptian and not...well, more Hebrew?
>I.e: these items appear to be covered with Egyptian hierogliphics and symbology.

Because the Hebrews were the Egyptian priests and pharaohs - so my theory. After all, they WERE in Egypt and yet, to read the materials of Egyptology, there is nary a trace of them there. That is impossible. Moreover, the Bible - a Hebrew book originally - is FULL of the accounts of kings - so what kings could these in actuality be? We have found no trace of a King Solomon or King David in present day Israel. Hence, these kings existed previously to the time now assigned to them by the scholars, and these kings can only be the Pharaohs.

>3) Where are these treasures now?

I do not claim to know anything about treasures taken by the Romans 2000 years ago. These have nothing to do with the treasures identified in the Mishnayot. Many of the treasures related in the Mishnayot are in part found in the Tomb of Tutankhamun. What has happened to the rest is anybody's guess.

>4) What about the claim that the Ark of the Covenant is being guarded at the
>St Mary of Zion Church, Axum in Ethiopia?

There is a nice documentary about this by Bluebook Films
http://www.bluebookfilms.com/archive.html
entitled "The Lost Ark".

Bruce Burgess of Bluebook Films was there on site and came away clearly convinced that there was nothing there and that the above claim was a nice fairy tale. Perhaps some of the Egyptian priests fled to Ethiopia in those days and perhaps this is the source of the legend.

>I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions, even though they
>are very basic. I would also like to add that I think you are very brave
>putting such a controversial theory on the internet, you must come under
>attack many times. I am of open mind and I enjoyed your website.

---- next e-mail from the same person after receiving answers ----

>Thank you, very, very much for such a speedy and detailed response.
>I am deeply impressed by your theories, they provide much food for
>thought. I am very much impressed by your willingness to question
>conventionally accepted history. The things you have said have made
>a lot of sense. I hope someday you are proven correct !