Ark of Covenant

edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Is it still alive? (you can see it for real?)

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  • [quote author=Loca4Christ link=topic=6986.msg93349#msg93349 date=1217359001]
    Is it still alive? (you can see it for real?)


    well no one that for sure. according to the bible, Jeremiah hid everything that was in the temple before the captivity to the jews.
    there is an Ethiopian monastery that says they have it, but they don't let anyone see it, being that queen Sheba was one in Jerusalem and all that......sooo.
    a theory that i just discovered is that everything that was taken from the altar is hid under the place of the cross, Golgotha.

    but why does it matter. what on them is what brings you to heaven......not them.
  • Thanks
    I was just wondering because I was preparing a sunday school lesson and thought about it and I have been thinking about that for years now.
    Do you know which monastery?
  • [quote author=Loca4Christ link=topic=6986.msg93370#msg93370 date=1217382401]
    Thanks
    I was just wondering because I was preparing a sunday school lesson and thought about it and I have been thinking about that for years now.
    Do you know which monastery?


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_Covenant#Ethiopian_Orthodox_Church
  • What do you exactly want to know? For starters, as a matter of fact, they say the Ark of the covenant is not housed in a monastry,but in the glorious church St Mary's.
  • [quote author=Hezekiel link=topic=6986.msg93374#msg93374 date=1217386810]
    What do you exactly want to know? For starters, as a matter of fact, they say the Ark of the covenant is not housed in a monastry,but in the glorious church St Mary's.


    i don't know the specifics but it is in fact in in the "church" in general. but according to what i've heard, no one have ever seen it inside...other then the people who secure it.
  • [quote author=Hezekiel link=topic=6986.msg93374#msg93374 date=1217386810]
    What do you exactly want to know? For starters, as a matter of fact, they say the Ark of the covenant is not housed in a monastry,but in the glorious church St Mary's.

    Im just curious any information.
  • [quote author=Loca4Christ link=topic=6986.msg93391#msg93391 date=1217437707]
    Im just curious any information.


    Local, I am sorry for not having replied to your question as early as possible. However, I will do so later today and will share with you what I know about the Ark of the covenant. As punishment for my deliance, I will make it extra long:-)
  • Hi,

    The Bible does not tell us where the Ark was taken or where it is hidden.All we know from the Bible is that the ark was initially placed in the temple of Solomon. What happened to it during any of the subsequent misfortunes and calamities that befell the Holy city of Jerusalem, we simply do not know. It is, therefore,the silence of the Scriptures on the ultimate fate of the ark  that has created around it an aura of mystery.  With this in mind, I will share with you what I know  regardless of the fact whether it is true or not. I will refer to Egypt and Ethiopia,but remember that the glorious days of both ancient empires is long gone .The Biblical Ethiopia had been much larger and historians claim its empire had included parts of Southern Arabia to the east and Sudan to the West and most probably parts of today’s Egyptian Nubia. Today, both countries are a shadow of their former selves.As you know, a shadow is not alive. 

    There is a theory that associates the whereabouts of the Ark of the covenant to Egypt.
    During the 5th and 6th century BC, as a result of of a large Jewish community living in Egypt,  there was a near-replica of the Jerusalem temple at the island of Elephintine ,in Aswan. Given the circumstances of the day, when the High Israeli priests removed the Ark to protect it from the invading forces, scholars say that Egypt ,due to its powerful status and proximity to Israel would have been one fairly obvious place to take the Ark and the island of Elephintine, where the temple and the Jewish community lived would have been a good option. In this place, the Jewish priests carried out animal sacrifices just as they were carried out in Jerusalem. But there is one major drawback here, the so-called  ‘Wilbur Papyrus’ ,an archeological finding, which describes  life on the Island and the activity about the Jewish temple fails to mention the Ark of the covenant.Scholars concluded that the contents of the document suggest the Ark was not there,but could have possibly passed through on its way to Abbyssinia (meaning ‘Habesha’ ).

    Another theory suggested  that the Ark came to the monastery of Anba Hadra in Aswan ( Anba Hadra was a  Saint hermit who followed the footsteps of St Anthony when he encountered a funeral after the day of his wedding) .The link to the monastrey was made  because there are stories abound that the Monastrey of Anba Hadra used to keep the ‘Holy Grail’ of our Lord and  that the Templars  also came to visit there. Thus,the idea is, if the monks of the monastery did not hid the Ark somewhere within the compounds of the Monastery , then from there it might have journeyed to the land of the Habeshas.Again, as far as I know,there is nothing in the Coptic tradition,oral or written,- that suggests that the Ark was/is still there.

    The 12th or 13th century Ethiopian epic, the “kibra Negest’ (Trans:Glory of Kings) tells of the Ark secret removal from Jerusalem to Ethiopia .The story is centred on the legend of the Queen of Sheba of ancient Ethiopia and King Solomon of Israel. According to Ethiopian traditional history the Queen of Sheba learned about the wisdom of King Solomon  how he worshiped the true God from merchants.The Queen decided to travel more than one thousand miles to see for herself King Solomon's wisdom and his many skills. As the Bible ,1 kings 10:1-10 also points out,when  the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon ,she brought  him many gifts and she asked him many questions, which he was able to answer. Upon hearing his wisdom the queen renounced the worship of the Sun and converted to the True God.

    The book  then goes on describing the utter beauty of the Queen, so much so that the King fell in love with her. He planned to conquer her feelings by employing his wisdom. Whilst she was with him, King Solomon made Queen Sheba promise not to take anything from his house, during the nightly time. If she broke that promise,she would have to fulfil any of his desires.So one day the king told his cooks to prepare a spicy food for dinner. After dinner,the King  went to bed  on one side of the chamber and Queen Sheba went to bed at the other side of the chamber.As a result of the spicy food,  the Queen woke up thirsty from her sleep to drink some water. The king was who pretended to sleep  heard noises, woke up and found her drinking the water. He accused her of having broken her oath not to take anything from his house.  That way, Solomon  had a consummated relationship with her resulting in the birth of a son named  Menelik the 1st, also known as the founder of Ethiopian ‘Solomonic Dynasty’.She stayed in Jerusalem for six months. Ever since the Ethiopian monarch claimed to be a direct descendant from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, his descendants ruled Ethiopia in an unbroken line until the revolution broke out in 1974 ending the Ethiopian monarchy with Jah, Rasteferai I & I the 'everliving'.

    When the guy grew up , his mother told him that  King Solomon of Israel was his father. Menelik  went to Jerusalem to visit his father and Solomon received him with great honour. Menelik stayed with his father  and learnt the Law of Moses for few years. Menelik looked very like his father, which confused the Israelites as they had difficulty in telling the difference between Solomon and Menelik. As a result of the confusion,they asked the king to send him back. King Solomon insisted that if they wanted him to send his son back home the high priests would have to send their firstborn son along 1000 people from each tribe of Israel with Menelik to which they agreed. Menelik then returned to Abyssinia,accompanied by the son of the high priest of the temple of Jerusalem. Before the journey the son of the high priest saw a vision that ordered him to take the Ark of the Covenant with him to Ethiopia. The dude then stole the Ark from the Temple, putting in its place a copy. On the way back home, he told Menelik what he had done and Menelik was not amused. After their departure,the high priest of the Temple, discovered the Ark's disappearance and informed King Solomon. King Solomon and his mighty chariots followed Menelik but all to no avail. Whilst this was taking place Solomon dreamt that it was God's will that his son should have the Ark and he returned to Jerusalem and ordered his high Priests to keep its disappearance a secret.

    ...to be continued
  • :)Thanks for your response. I didnt mind that you responded late. At least you responded

    Is this story(the one with King SOlomon and Menelik, The second part.) A theory  or real?

    Its interesting Im looking forward to reading the rest
  • [quote author=minagir link=topic=6986.msg93372#msg93372 date=1217383585]
    [quote author=Loca4Christ link=topic=6986.msg93370#msg93370 date=1217382401]
    Thanks
    I was just wondering because I was preparing a sunday school lesson and thought about it and I have been thinking about that for years now.
    Do you know which monastery?


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_Covenant#Ethiopian_Orthodox_Church


    Im sorry for replying late

    Is this information true? Because I heard that wikipedia is not a reliable source.
  • In general you shouldn't take anything wikipedia says for sure because anyone can go in and alter whatever they would like to as they wish. So you are better off looking for another source
  • Thanks I was just making sure
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