The mysterious disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant: Where is it?

The Ark of the Covenant was one of the most sacred objects in the Bible. In the first few books of the Old Testament, there is an explanation about how it was built by the Israelites during the time of Moses.

Apparently, the Ark was built according to specific instructions given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, as described in Exodus 25, which outlined precise measurements and materials for its construction.

It was constructed by the Israelites around 1440 BC, during their time in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt.

According to these accounts, the Ark was a chest made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, both inside and outside.

It measured 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high (approximately 3.75 feet by 2.25 feet by 2.25 feet), with two cherubim figures placed on top of the cover, known as the 'mercy seat'.

The two golden cherubim had their wings stretching out to cover the top of the artefact.

Within the Ark was placed the actual tablets of the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.

In addition, the Ark also contained other sacred objects: Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.

These last two objects were placed inside as a reminder of God's presence and provision.

Once constructed, the Ark was used in important elements of worship and rituals for the Israelites, and was sometimes carried into battle.

When it was not in use, it was originally kept in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, a portable tent, before the construction of the Temple by Solomon in Jerusalem.

Here, it was only accessible to the high priest, who, every year on the Day of Atonement, would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark, symbolizing the atonement of the people's sins.

The most important reason the Ark was so prized by the Israelites is that it was believed to house God's real presence.

As a result, it was said to have performed miracles as it was carried with them during their travels in the desert.

In particular, it played a crucial role in the Israelites' military victories.

The Ark of the Covenant appears in a number of very famous events in the Bible.

Here are just a few examples:

The book of Joshua tells the story of how the Israelites used the Ark to cross of the Jordan River, as the waters of the river were miraculously parted when the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the river, allowing the Israelites to pass on dry ground.

Next, it was used to bring down the walls of the city of Jericho. In this story, the Israelites marched around the city carrying the Ark. On the seventh day of their march, the walls of the city crumbled, and the Israelites were able to conquer it.

Then, in the book of 1 Samuel, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant after the Israelites suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Aphek around 1050 BC.

However, when they brought it into their temple, they suffered a series of gruesome plagues and unexplained misfortunes.

Eventually, realizing what was causing these calamities, they hurriedly returned the Ark to the Israelites, where it was placed in the house of Abinadab in Kiriath-Jearim.

In around 1000 BC, King David brought it to Jerusalem, where it was placed in a tent.

Then, David's son, King Solomon, built the Temple in Jerusalem around 957 BC to house the Ark permanently.

The last mention of the Ark of the Covenant in the Hebrew bible appears in 2 Chronicles 35:3. In the text, it describes King Josiah's efforts to restore the Temple in Jerusalem.

Specifically, Josiah ordered the Levites to return the Ark to the Temple and to place it in the Holy of Holies.

The passage suggests that the Ark was still in existence at the time of Josiah's reign: the late 7th century BC.

The Ark is also mentioned in 2 Maccabees 2:4-8, which is a deuterocanonical book in the bible of the Catholic Church. These verses tell an account of the prophet Jeremiah taking the Ark to Mount Nebo before the Babylon invasion. There he hid it in a cave and sealed the entrance. 

Jeremiah was a prophet during Josiah's reign, although 2 Maccabees was written much later in the 2nd century BC. 

The fact that the Ark disappears in the literary and archaeological record without a trace is deeply suspicious.

Many commentators are convinced that this silence is intentional. As one of the most popular theories proposes, this was done to protect this valuable object from theft during invasion.

As a result, it is believed that it was hidden away by the Israelites during the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 BC.

Therefore, the Ark may still be hidden somewhere in Israel. There have been a number of stories of hidden underground tunnels and chambers that may have been used to conceal the Ark.

Some people are even precise about the location. They claim that it may be buried beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Some believe that the Ark is still hidden on Mount Nebo, in modern-day Jordan, based on accounts from the previously mentioned book of 2 Maccabees.

However, despite numerous excavations and searches, no definitive evidence of the Ark's location has ever been found in either location.

Another competing theory suggests that the Ark was simply destroyed during the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

In this version, the Babylonians sacked the city and destroyed the Temple, carrying off many treasures, including the Ark.

So, some scholars believe that it makes more sense that the precious metals of the Ark were melted down by the conquerors, which was a common practice for the Babylonians.

However, there is another possibility. There might be a chance that the Ark was taken to Egypt by the pharaoh Shishak in 925 BC.

He is mentioned in the Bible as having raided the Temple in Jerusalem and taken away many treasures.

Alternatively, some believe that the Ark was later moved to Ethiopia, where it remains to this day.

According to this theory, Jeremiah was said to have hidden the Ark in a cave before fleeing to Egypt.

The Ark was later discovered by the Queen of Sheba's son, Menelik I, and taken to Ethiopia.

Today, the real Ark is said to reside in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in the Ethiopian town of Aksum and is guarded by a single monk.

Unfortunately, there is little historical evidence to support this claim, and it relies upon a lot of speculation. This theory remains a popular belief in Ethiopia.

Finally, some conspiracy theorists believe that the Ark was taken by the Knights Templar during the Crusades.

According to this theory, the Templars discovered the Ark in Jerusalem and smuggled it out of the city: taking it to a secret location in Europe.

However, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory either. In addition, since there is a 1500-year gap between the last mention of the Ark and the Crusades, it is very unlikely to be true.