Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday

[Ben Dhyan]

Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) Tammuz 4, 5769 / June 26, '09

Ethiopian church leader says Friday, June 26, marks the right time to unveil the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, which he says has been hidden in his church for centuries.

Abuna Pauolos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, was in Rome this week to meet with Pope Benedict XVI. While there, he told reporters that the time had come to reveal before the world the Holy Ark. He said that the holy container has been in the custody of his church for hundreds of years.

Paulous said he would make the full announcement this Friday, June 26, 2 PM local time (3 PM Israel time, 8 AM New York time) at a press conference in Rome.

The claim that the Biblical Holy Ark has been kept at the Church, in the city of Axum, is an old one, but this is the first time that the Church plans to actually reveal the actual container, or news of it. It is not known whether the Church claims that the actual Tablets of the Law are inside it.

Copies of the alleged Ark are kept in many other churches in Ethiopia.

The news of the impending announcement was first reported by the Italian news agency Adnkronos. Pauolos told the news outlet, "Soon the world will be able to admire the Ark of the Covenant described in the Bible as the container of the tablets of the law that G-d delivered to Moses, and the center of searches and studies for centuries."

Pauolos said "The Ark of the Covenant has been in Ethiopia for many centuries. As Patriarch, I have seen it with my own eyes, and only a few, highly-qualified persons could do the same - until now."

Back to Earth
Stuart Munro-Hay, author of “Quest for the Ark of the Covenant: The True History of the Tablets of Moses,” concluded that the object in question is definitely not the original Holy Ark.

The building of the Ark of the Covenant – also known as the Ark of Testimony and the Ark of G-d’s Covenant – in accordance with Divine instructions is recounted in the Book of Exodus. The Ark held the Tablets of the Law, and traveled with the People of Israel, leading the way into the Promised Land. It was placed first in the Tabernacle in Shilo, and centuries later in the Holy Temple built by King Solomon. Since then, its whereabouts have been unknown, though one popular legend says it was brought to Ethiopia. Alternatively, it could be under the Temple Mount, in a cave at Mt. Nevo in Jordan, in the Vatican, a hideaway in Utah, or elsewhere.

Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday - Travel - Israel News - Israel National News

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Here is some more background on this,...

June 24, 2009 | 12:55 pm

The Ark, Ethiopia and Jesus’ return

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Indiana Jones went looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant in Egypt. But for millenia, the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia has laid claim to official ownership.

This is, obviously, a point of debate. No one outside the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has ever what the church claims are the remnants of the holy ark that carried within it the tablets God delivered to Moses at Sinai.

But the argument follows:

According to the First Book of Kings, King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem to house the ark. It was venerated there during Solomon’s reign (c. 970-930 B.C.) and beyond.

Then it vanished. Much of Jewish tradition holds that it disappeared before or while the Babylonians sacked the temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

But through the centuries, Ethiopian Christians have claimed that the ark rests in a chapel in the small town of Aksum, in their country’s northern highlands. It arrived nearly 3,000 years ago, they say, and has been guarded by a succession of virgin monks who, once anointed, are forbidden to set foot outside the chapel grounds until they die.

Now, I’m having trouble reading this article translated from Italian to English, but sounds like the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch is going to reveal on Friday, in some way, the secret that his country has kept for 2,700 years.

And this has the New Wineskins blogger a bit giddy. Because, obviously, this means Jesus is coming home:

The wood has likely deteriorated. The Ark’s function of holding the tablets of the Mosaic Law was no longer necessary after Jesus came to fulfill the law. The Mercy Seat however, (made of gold) has remained and is central to the coming Millennial Kingdom — the fulfillment of the irrevocable Davidic covenant which God made with David (in Psalm 89 among other places) that his progeny (Jesus) will reign physically on the earth for a thousand years… shortly after his return and triumph at Armageddon, that is. (Kinda funny that my Bible just happened to flop open to Psalm 89 last night when God told me (rather clearly) to pick it up and I responded, ‘what should I read?’)

I refuse to believe that the timing of this news is random on the part of the Ethiopian religious authorities. If they’d wanted to corner the market in kitch and gawker-tourism they would have done so a long time ago. Why spend 2700 years caring for the Ark only to release news of it at a random time? It makes no sense… unless they received instructions from on high. The fact that the Pope is taking this seriously (further cementing ties between the Catholic and Orthodox churches) makes it doubly interesting.

The fact that it is being revealed now means… Jesus is coming back soon. Very soon.

I’m not so certain. I mean, the Rapture Index isn’t even currently at its high for 2009. As for the Ark still being in Ethiopia, I’m skeptical about that too.

The Ark, Ethiopia and Jesus’ return | The God Blog | Jewish Journal

 

[rojse]

Can someone with some religious knowledge explain what the Ark is, exactly? I'm hazarding a guess that it is not Noah's boat.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Can someone with some religious knowledge explain what the Ark is, exactly? I'm hazarding a guess that it is not Noah's boat.

Well rojse, you certainly have lived a sheltered life! Here's some intro for you but you may like to rush out and get a bible to really brush up.

The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the Tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna. According to the Biblical account, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:10-16). God communicated with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover (Exodus 25:22). The Ark and its sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel" (Lamentations 2:1). Rashi and some Midrashim suggest that there were two arks - a temporary one made by Moses, and a later one made by Bezalel.

The Biblical account relates that during the exodus of the Israelites, the Ark was carried by the priests ~2,000 cubits (Numbers 35:5; Joshua 4:5) in advance of the people and their army or host (Num. 4:5-6; 10:33-36; Psalms 68:1; 132:8). When the Ark was borne by priests into the bed of the Jordan, the river was separated, opening a pathway for the whole of the host to pass over (Josh. 3:15-16; 4:7-18). The Ark was borne in a seven-day procession around the wall of Jericho by seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns, the city taken with a shout (Josh. 6:4-20). When carried, the Ark was always wrapped in a veil, in tachash skins (the identity of this animal is uncertain), and a blue cloth, and was carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the Levites who carried it. The Bible describes the Ark as made of ****tah-tree wood (acacia), known to the Egyptians as the Tree of Life and an important plant in traditional medicine containing in many cases psychoactive alkaloids. It was 1.5 cubits broad and high, and 2.5 cubits long, conforming to the golden ratio. The Ark was covered all over with the purest gold. Its upper surface or lid, the mercy seat, was surrounded with a rim of gold.

On each of the two long sides were two gold rings, wherein were placed two wooden poles (with a decorative sheathing of gold), to allow the Ark to be carried (Num. 7:9; 10:21; 4:5,19, 20; 1 Kings 8:3, 6). Over the Ark, at the two extremities, were two cherubim, with their faces turned toward one another (Leviticus 16:2; Num. 7:89). Their outspread wings over the top of the Ark formed the throne of God, while the Ark itself was his footstool (Ex. 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The Ark was placed in the "Holy of Holies", so that one end of the carrying poles touched the veil separating the two, compartments of the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:8). The Book of Deuteronomy describes the Ark as a simple wooden container with no mention of ornaments or gold. Similarly, the Quran makes a reference to the Ark as a wooden box with holy relics inside it.

Continues,..The Ark Of The Covenant - Crystalinks

 

[Zardoz]

Yes, I have read about this before. It's entirely possible the Ark was taken to Ethiopia for safety. Israel has had a long and involved relationship with Ethiopia that continues to the modern age.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Well Friday has been and gone and no further news update so presumably there was no public unveiling.

 

[Smoke]

It seemed a very odd story; I was looking for more info and found none.

It's my understanding that the Abuna himself is not allowed to see the Ark, that privilege being reserved for the Guardian alone.

It seems unlikely that whatever is hidden in the Church of St. Mary of Zion is actually the Ark from the Temple at Jerusalem, but I'd love to know just what it is.

 

[S-word]

Yes, I have read about this before. It's entirely possible the Ark was taken to Ethiopia for safety. Israel has had a long and involved relationship with Ethiopia that continues to the modern age.

The winged Cherubs on the lid of the covenant box are representations of the chariot of God, and the physical form by which they are represented, is revealed in the Bible, and they are neither Angelic human like figures, nor are they the figures of winged lions, which are the two most used figures that artists, in their endeavour to recreate the Ark, have depicted the two winged Cherubs. The Ethiopians who falsely claim to be in possession of the Ark of the Covenant, cannot afford to put their false ark on public display, as it would soon be proved to be the fake that it is.

Besides that, the present location of the ark is revealed in the second book of Maccabees, where in the translation by R. H. Charles chapter 2: verses 4 to 9; It is written that the prophet Jeremiah, in the days prior to the invasion of the Babylonians , being warned by God, commanded the Tabernacle, which is the old tent of God that had been rolled up and stored in the inner most sanctuary of the Temple built by Solomon, and the ark of the covenant to accompany him, and that he went to the mountain which Moses had climbed to view the inheritance of God.

On reaching it Jeremiah found a cavernous chamber, in which he placed the Tabernacle, and the Ark, and the Alter of Incense; and he made fast the door. And some of his followers drew near to mark the road, but they could not find it. Now when Jeremiah came to know about this, he rebuked them, saying, “Unknown shall the spot be until God gather the people again together, and mercy come; then indeed shall the Lord disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen, even the cloud, as in the days of Moses it was visible, and as when Solomon prayed that the Place (The new Temple) might be consecrated with solemn splendour, etc.

Although the gold covered carrying poles were returned to the Temple, the Ark remains today where it was hidden by Jeremiah.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Well that's it folks, seems it was a case of the synergy of Church marketing and media beat up.

The Ark is not going to be revealed, says Gebremedhin

Ethiopian Review

June 28th, 2009

Yesterday, millions were waiting to watch eagerly the Ark of the Covenant revealed. A day passed but it was not made public. “No, the ark is not going to be revealed. Nobody could touch it. If you do so, God will smite you.” Abune Paulos Aba Gebremedhin said.

Paulos puts the blame on the Adnkronos journal, which originally posted the news, and rectification later on.

"…I am here to say what I saw, what I know and I can testify. I did not say that the Ark will be shown to the world.” Paulos is quoted to say on Adnkronos web site site.

Paulos also talked of building a museum in Axum, a structure that will receive and retain the treasures built for centuries and centuries to Axum, the news posted on Adnkronos site revealed.

The museum, funded by the foundation of the prince and that should be built within two years, could also be placed the Ark of the Covenant, but this needs to be decided by the Holy Synod, the supreme body of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, according to Aba Gebremedhin.

Ethiopia >> Ethiopian News & Opinion Journal

 

[S-word]

The sooner they reveal it, the sooner it can be proven to be the fake that it is.