The Ark of the Covenant is a sacred object that was first mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. Many people believed that it contained the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The ark was kept in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the Temple in Jerusalem, until it disappeared from history around 587 BCE.
One of the most enduring mysteries surrounding the Ark concerns its whereabouts. Some people believe that it was taken to Ethiopia, where it remains to this day. According to Ethiopian tradition, the Ark was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Menelik had visited his father’s kingdom and had then departed with the Ark without telling anyone.
Ethiopian legend states that the Ark was first taken to a town called Axum in northern Ethiopia. This town became an important religious center, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was established there. The Ark was said to be kept in a specially built chapel in the courtyard of St. Mary of Zion Church, which is still considered one of the holiest sites in Ethiopia until today.
Many people still debate the authenticity of these claims. There is little physical evidence to support them, and scholars have questioned the reliability of the Ethiopian accounts. However, the Ethiopian church maintains that the Ark of the Covenant is still in their possession, and the chapel in Axum is now a popular pilgrimage site for people from all over the world who come to see what could be one of the most remarkable and mysterious religious artifacts in history.
According to Ethiopian tradition, the Ark of the Covenant is preserved in the ancient holy city of Aksum. For centuries, the great relic was kept in the Church of Mary of Zion, where the emperor Iyasu is recorded as having seen it and spoken to it in 1691.
But is this a myth or is it a fact? Watch this episode as Dr. Bunmi Oyinsan sheds light on the subject.
