Locating the Ark of the Covenant

Published 2014/07/20 · Updated 2014/10/28

The quest for the Ark of the Covenant has been a hot topic for centuries. Popularized by the Indiana Jones movies, and the subject of Internet speculation, this study will look at the evidence and allow us to be fairly certain where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Theories that are commonly found are that Jeremiah hid it in a cave on Mount Nebo in Jordan, or that Solomon gave it to the Queen of Sheba and it is now located in Ethiopia. One documentary on television gave its location in South Africa and presented it as a drum. The Rabbinical texts place the Ark beneath the Temple Mount. What is the evidence and what conclusions can we draw.

: This was the chamber where the kohanim on duty for the week slept. The two lambs for the daily Tamid were kept in the southwestern corner of the building. The Bakery for the Lechem haPanim (Bread of the Face was in the southeastern corner). The Chamber of the Tokens was in the northeastern section. In or beneath this chamber was where the stones of the desecrated altar were kept.

: Along the Western Retaining Wall were four gates. On the south was Robinson’s Arch, then Barclay’s Gate, then Wilson’s Arch followed by Warren’s Gate. Between Wilson’s Arch and Warren’s Gate was the Master Course.

: Locating the Master Course.

: This is a 628 ton stone and 44.6 feet long, placed on the wall nineteen feet above the Herodian Street. there are three other stones in the Master Course including a stone 7 feet long, another 39.5 feet long and the fourth at26 feet long. The stones are about fourteen feet high and between 11.5 and 15 feet thick.