Does the famous Ark of the Covenant actually
reside in Africa?
The Chapel of the Tablet in Aksum, Ethiopia claims to be the final
resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.
IMAGE: FLICKR / ALAN DAVEY
SOME OF MY FRIENDS CHIDE ME ABOUT MY WORLD TRAVELS
and jokingly refer to me as Indiana Jones. Maybe it’s the hat I wear when I’m traveling,
my bizarre adventures or the seemingly near-death experiences I always seem to escape
from unscathed. If you saw Raiders of the Lost Ark, you probably know Indiana Jones had
to journey across the world to get near the Ark of the Covenant, and still never really saw it.
Well, that’s now one more thing we have in common!
Ethiopians claim that the ark was never lost, as is believed by
most historians, but has been in their country for centuries.
Whether that’s true or not is a matter of great speculation.
According to legend and many historical records, the Queen of Sheba
journeyed from Ethiopia to Jerusalem where she met King Solomon.
One thing led to another and after Sheba returned to her country,
their son Menelik I was born.
Menelik traveled back to Jerusalem to meet his father some years
later and was accompanied on his return journey to Ethiopia by
some Israelite “first born” escorts. Unbeknownst to Menelik, his
traveling companions “borrowed” the sacred Ark of the Covenant
from Solomon’s temple. Menelik’s initial anger transformed into
a resolution that this was all a part of God’s plan, or otherwise such
a thing would not have been possible.
An Ethiopian priest in Aksum shows an illuminated manuscript featuring Jesus on
the cross and being cradled as an infant by Mary.
IMAGE: FLICKR / DOUGIE O’BRIEN
Ethiopians claim that for thousands of years, the ancient vessel containing the
“First Edition” of the Ten Commandments has been carefully guarded by the
descendants of Menelik. The successive kings were all descended from the same
lineage of Solomon and Menelik until the last king of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, who
met his demise at the hands of the Derg in 1975. The capital of the kingdom has moved
to several cities since, and the ark followed—until it was moved to its present location
of Aksum in the northern highlands of the country.
No one is allowed to see the ark except for the sole guardian and protector of the holy relic.
Even the leader of the Ethiopian church is not allowed admission. One person is appointed
to guard the ark and stays within its shrine until his death. Sound familiar? Maybe a little like
the Indiana Jones movie where the one knight is guarding the Holy Grail? I’m not saying Steven
Spielberg borrowed an idea or two from Ethiopian history, but rather he might have just stolen
that whole bit.
So, how do you get close to the ark of the covenant? First, you’ve got to fly to Ethiopia. It’s easier
than you think, with a stopover in Germany or Paris and then on to the capital, Addis Ababa. Even
though Ethiopia is situated in the most volatile region of the planet, next to countries such as Yemen,
Somalia and Eritrea, the country is very stable, the people are extremely peaceful, and Christians
make up nearly two-thirds of the population.
That statistic might come as a surprise for many, but Ethiopia was the second country to adopt
Christianity and is today one of the most devoutly Christian countries in the world. Many of the
ancient temples are still in use and biblical verses painted on goat skins centuries ago are still
read by the devout.
Monasteries such as this, on the Zege Peninsula of Lake Tana, were built between
the 14th and 17th centuries.
IMAGE: FLICKR / SARAHTZ
You could begin your journey in Bahir Dar, on Lake Tana. It’s an hour flight from Addis
or a grueling 10-hour bus ride. Take the plane: Flights with Ethiopian Airlines are relatively
inexpensive and much more pleasant than overland travel. Lake Tana is one of the two sources
of the Nile, so theoretically, you could get in a boat and sail all the way to the Mediterranean,
if not for the borders and dams in your way.
What’s also special about Lake Tana is that the ark was supposedly hidden on one of
the islands for 400 years. It was moved hundreds of years ago, but you can visit the
monastery island of Tana Qirqos (as long as you’re not a woman) and walk the grounds
where the holy object was allegedly kept from would-be marauders. You can hire a boat
and visit several of the monasteries on the various islands, see a few hippos, and buy some
interesting souvenirs. You won’t see the ark, but you’ll see many stories painted centuries
ago adorning the walls that recount biblical and mythological stories from the past.
From Bahir Dar, you fly to Aksum. Aksum is the northernmost city in Ethiopia. It was the
center of the Ethiopian kingdom between 100 and 940 A.D. and has several worthwhile
places to visit. The monolithic stelae are reminiscent of Egyptian obelisks. You’ll also find
a natural pool where Sheba supposedly swam and King Ezana’s tablet, the Ethiopian
equivalent of the Rosetta stone.
Inside the “new” church of St. Mary of Zion, built in the 1950s.
IMAGE: FLICKR / DOUGIE O’BRIEN
Taking up the main center of town is St. Mary of Zion, a church built in the 1960s that seems much older. It’s made up of
several buildings, the most famous of which never gets visited by anyone. It’s a small chapel surrounded by barbed wire
and security. Only one man is allowed in The Chapel of the Tablet and he is not allowed to leave the grounds until his death.
And that’s where your journey ends. You’ll never get any closer to the Ark of the Covenant than this, so enjoy!
You can stand in front of the building, take a selfie with the famous chapel, and hope that the Ark doesn’t melt your face
like the Nazi bad guy in Indiana Jones. Is it really in there? Who knows? No one will be able to dispute your claim because
there is no proof that it’s there and there’s no proof that it’s not there. I suppose if enough Ethiopians believe in it, however,
you may as well believe in it too.