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SINAI ARK OF THE COVENANT RED SEA CROSSING Wyatt Archaeological Research Ron Wyatt's Official Website – The Truth HOME RON WYATT THE DISCOVERIES NOAH’S ARK SODOM & GOMORRAH THE RED SEA CROSSING MOUNT SINAI THE ARK OF THE COVENANT HOW THE PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT WYATT MUSEUM NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES Articles Babel MOUNT SINAI NOAH’S ARK DONATE CONTACT ONLINE STORE Breaking News Radar Locates an Home » ARK OF THE COVENANT » The Ark of the Covenant Special Article The Ark of the Covenant Special Article AT THIS TIME, WYATT ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH CAN PROVIDE NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE DISCOVERY OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. There are many claims being made today as to the location of the Ark of the Covenant and the purpose of this site is to give you an opportunity to hear Ron Wyatt’s story as he has told it and his wife has written it. For now, we cannot provide conclusive evidence of his claims and we only ask you to consider carefully what you are about to read, and withhold your final judgment until you can see conclusive evidence. What you are about to read is startling and may present new concepts that seem almost incredible. Wonderful and solemn new insight has been shed on a subject that is central throughout the entire Bible – the salvation of man through the death and mediation of the Messiah. As you read this account, remember the Biblical admonition: To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. …….Isaiah 8:19 The Discovery of the Ark of the Covenant by Ron Wyatt – The Search Begins In 1978, Ron and his sons, Danny and Ronny, made two trips to Israel in order to drive down to the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba in Egypt to search for chariot parts in the Red Sea. This was during the time that Israel was occupying the Sinai Peninsula and therefore, the place Ron believed to be the crossing site could only be reached by traveling from Israel instead of going through Cairo. During his 2nd dive trip, he learned a very painful lesson. He swam for hours, searching the sea floor at a depth of about 30 feet – believing that the water would filter out the sun’s harmful rays. However, this wasn’t the case and as a result, his legs and feet became painfully swollen to such an extent that he couldn’t get his fins on. Unable to dive anymore, and with no motel in the area, he and the boys had no choice but to return to Jerusalem to wait until their flight from Tel Aviv left for the US. One day in Jerusalem, after the swelling in Ron’s legs and feet went down a bit, he decided to go sightseeing in the immediate area around his hotel near the Damascus Gate. Walking along an ancient stone quarry, known to some as “the Calvary Escarpment,” he began conversing with a local authority about Roman antiquities. At one point, they stopped walking, and Ron’s left hand pointed to a site being used as a trash dump and he stated, “That’s Jeremiah’s Grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there.” Even though these words had come from his own mouth and his own hand had pointed, he had not consciously done or said these things. In fact, it was the first time he had ever thought about excavating for the Ark. The man with him, quite out of character, also reacted strangely. He said, “That’s wonderful! We want you to excavate, and we’ll furnish your permits, put you up in a place to stay and even furnish your meals!” But Ron didn’t know what to think – he knew it was a “supernatural” experience, but was it of God, or was it of “someone else”? By this time, Ron had made major discoveries in Turkey, and had found numerous chariot parts in the Red Sea. But not once had he ever had an experience such as this. It was like a thunderbolt out of the blue on a perfectly sunny day. He had to decline the man’s offer, at least until he could figure out if there was any reason to believe the Ark could be in that location. So, he and the boys came on home as planned. But once at home, Ron began some serious research and study. What is the “Ark of the Covenant”? “Types and Antitypes” All of the objects of the earthly tabernacle were “patterns of things in the heavens” (see Hebrews 9:23). The Ark represented God’s Throne – it was where He manifested His Presence among His people. This earthly Throne was a “copy”, so to speak, of the Great Throne in Heaven. Beneath His Throne, God’s immutable Law, the 10 Commandments, lie inside the earthly Ark, just as the great originals are beneath His Throne in Heaven. In the side of the Ark was placed a copy of the Mosaic law. At one time, Aaron’s rod and the pot of manna were in it, but when the Ark was placed in Solomon’s temple, we learned that those were no longer there. (1Kings 8:9) Above the Mercy Seat of the earthly Ark was where God communed with Moses; it was where He met with the high priest once a year on the Day of Atonement, when the sins of the people that had been confessed throughout the year were figuratively cleansed from the sanctuary. His Presence was always there, until He left the temple forever, just before they went into Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel saw, in vision, the Glory of the Lord leave the temple. (Eze. 8:6 and 11:22,23) Later, Ezekiel was given, in prophetic vision, the new instructions for the re-instituting of the sacrificial system which contained no mention of the Ark. (Eze. 42-44) And of course, everyone is familiar with the fact that the Ark was sacred – so sacred that if anyone touched it or looked upon it, they were struck dead immediately. We’ve had a number of people approach us with the theory that it is electrically charged, etc. and they wonder if it is still dangerous to touch. Let’s discuss that point for a moment. These folks have a legitimate question. “Instant Death” Why was it instant death for anyone to touch it or gaze upon it? The Bible doesn’t specifically spell out the answer – but the answer, I believe, is there. The Ark is where God actually manifested His Presence: LEV 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. EXO 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. The physical Presence of God was upon the Mercy Seat and as we know that God cannot look upon sin, it meant instant destruction to any human, except the high priest, who came in contact with the earthly “Throne of the Lord”: HAB 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: God would not permit men to defile His earthly Throne. This was the one object on earth which they were powerless to defile. This entire planet is temporarily “ruled” by its prince, Satan – and in order for God to be able to meet with His chosen people, He provided Himself a Throne that was not defiled by Satan or his followers (angels or men.). What is the Ark’s significance today? We believe the key to this subject lies in the “types” and “antitypes” of the sacrificial system. Sins of the People Transferred to the Sanctuary, then the DAY OF ATONEMENT The sacrificial system was designed to teach the people how to approach God through the merits of the future Sinbearer, Who would die once and for all for their sins. It represented the work of Christ as both Sacrifice and High Priest. “Important truths concerning the atonement were taught the people by this yearly service. In the sins offerings presented during the year, a substitute has been accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the blood of the victim had not made full atonement for the sin. It had only provided a means by which the sin was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the authority of the Law, confessed the guilt of his transgression, and expressed his faith in Him who was to take away the sin of the world; but he was not entirely released from the condemnation of the Law. ” On the Day of Atonement , the high priest, having taken an offering for the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, above the Tables of the Law. Thus, the claims of the law, which demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied. Then, in his character of mediator, the priest took the sins upon himself, and, leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel’s guilt. At the door of the tabernacle he laid his hands upon the head of the scapegoat and confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.” And as the goat bearing these sins was sent away, they were, with him, regarded as forever separated from the people, Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5) Concerning the 2nd apartment, or Most Holy Place, where the Ark was: HEB 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; The Ark wasn’t just a sacred box – it was far more. It was the central means (symbolically) of the final cleansing of the sanctuary of the sins of the people, just as the Throne room of God in Heaven is central to Christ’s final acts as our great High Priest. History of the “Ark” What Happened to the Ark? In searching the Bible, Ron found the last mention in the Bible of the Ark’s location: 2CH 35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a Passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month…. 3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, PUT THE HOLY ARK IN THE HOUSE WHICH SOLOMON THE SON OF DAVID KING OF ISRAEL DID BUILD; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,… 19 In the EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JOSIAH was this Passover kept. This was about the year 621 BC, just 35 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, when Judah went into the second phase of their Babylonian captivity. This information told Ron that the Ark disappeared from the Divine record sometime between 621 BC and 586 BC. Since the temple was completely destroyed, there is no doubt that it was NOT there after that time. As Ron continued to study, he noticed something he found strange – in 2 Kings 24:13, 2Kings 25:13-18, and Jeremiah 52:17-23, a very detailed account was given of the items taken to Babylon from the “king’s house” and the “house of the Lord” – it even mentioned small items like “spoons”, etc. But the Ark isn’t mentioned. Neither is it mentioned in the lists of things brought back from Babylon in Ezra 1:7-1:11. Since we are told in Jeremiah 28:3 that everything taken to Babylon from the “house of the Lord” would be returned, and since the Ark wasn’t among the returned items, this proves that it was never taken to Babylon . Shishak (Egyptian pharaoh) and Sennacherib (king of Assyria) are also mentioned as having taken items from the “house of the Lord” – but neither did any of those items include the Ark. So what happened to it? In 2 Kings 25:1, telling about the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon, we are told that the Babylonian army “pitched against it” and built “forts against it round about” – which means they built a “siege wall”. This verse further tells that the siege lasted over a year before the city was taken. And it was with this verse that Ron found the evidence which indicated to him that the Ark could be in the location he had pointed to. Of course, it wasn’t positive proof – to Ron it only meant that it was a possibility. What did this “siege wall” have to do with the Ark? The Siege Wall Siege walls were built by attacking armies outside of the walls of the city under attack, at a distance outside of the range of the weapons used by that city – what were these weapons during this time? 2CH 26:14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made in Jerusalem ENGINES, INVENTED BY CUNNING MEN, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, TO SHOOT ARROWS AND GREAT STONES withal. Uzziah, spoken of in this verse, was king over 100 years BEFORE the destruction of Jerusalem, and we here learn that they had “engines” on the “towers” and “bulwarks” which shot “arrows” and “great stones”. Catapults were capable of reaching over 1,000 feet, and therefore Ron reasoned that the siege wall would have been positioned out of the range of these massive devices, and therefore, further from the city wall than the site he had pointed to. He finally concluded: the Ark had to have been hidden between the 18th year of Josiah, (when we are told he had it taken to Solomon’s temple), and 35 years later, when the temple was destroyed; it was NOT taken to Babylon, based on the information from the Scriptures which told what went to Babylon & what was returned; it was most likely hidden just prior to the destruction of the temple, when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian siege wall; and it was hidden somewhere within the confines of the city wall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian siege wall. The entire city AND the temple were destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians, so the Ark could have only escaped destruction or captivity by NOT being anywhere in the city. Again, the site he had pointed to was, he believed, outside of the ancient city wall and within the siege wall. It was supposition based on study, but still only supposition. Yet, it was enough to base a decision on – he decided to go ahead with the excavation. The Ark in the Apocrypha He decided to see if any mention was found in any non-Biblical records, especially Jewish. He found 2 intriguing instances. In the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees, we read: 2 Mac 2:2 The records show that it was Jeremiah who… 4,… prompted by a divine message, the prophet gave orders that the Tent of Meeting and the Ark should go with him. Then he went to the mountain from the top of which Moses saw God’s promised land. 5 When he reached the mountain, Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling; he carried the tent, the Ark, and the incense altar into it, then blocked up the entrance. 6 Some of his companions came to mark out the way, but were unable to find it. 7 When Jeremiah learned of this he reprimanded them. `The place shall remain unknown’, he said, `until God finally gathers His people together and shows mercy to them. 8 Then the Lord will bring these things to light again, and the glory of the Lord will appear with the cloud, as it was seen both in the time of Moses, and when Solomon prayed that the shrine might be worthily consecrated. The writer, in this letter to “Jewish kinsmen in Egypt, the Jews who are in Jerusalem, and those in the country of Judaea”, explains where he got this information: “These same facts are set out in the official records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah. Just as Nehemiah collected the chronicles of the kings, the writings of prophets, the works of David, and royal letters about sacred offerings, to found his library, so Judas also has collected all the books that had been scattered as a result of our recent conflict. These are in our possession, and if you need any of them, send messengers for them.” Also worthy of note: the quote in 2 Maccabees, above, could have been mis-translated over the years and originally have stated that the Ark was hidden NOT IN the mountain Moses was ON when he viewed the promised land (Mt. Nebo, Deu. 32:49), but instead it could mean that the Ark was hidden IN the mountain that Moses SAW when he viewed the promised land. From Nebo he would have been able to see Jerusalem because of it’s altitude. In the Pseudepigraphal book called “The Paralipomena of Jeremiah” (meaning “the remaining words of Jeremiah”) it is also written that Jeremiah, in obedience to God’s command, hid the sacred objects from the temple just before the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, neither of these books are to be trusted as completely accurate – however, they do show a strong tradition that has Jeremiah hiding, or having someone else hide, the Ark and other objects from the temple. Is there any truth in these 2 books? Perhaps – since Jeremiah WAS the prophet in Jerusalem during the time of Josiah (when the Ark was brought back into the temple) and he continued through to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, it is logical to believe it possible that God directed him to have the Ark and other sacred items hidden. Also, Jeremiah, himself, wrote: JER 3:16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. The implication here is that at the time he wrote this – (during the reign of Josiah, v. 6), – they still had the Ark in their possession. This entire passage, which begins with verse 6, is a plea to return from their apostasy, although their captivity was already foretold by Isaiah. Therefore, could this above verse about the Ark of the Covenant be a prediction that they no longer will have it when they return from captivity? Just 2 verses later, he writes: JER 3:18 IN THOSE DAYS the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and THEY SHALL COME TOGETHER OUT OF THE LAND OF THE NORTH to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. The “land of the north” was Babylon where they would soon spend 70 years in captivity. If this understanding is correct, it indicates that Jeremiah DID have knowledge that they would no longer have the Ark when they returned from Babylon. But also important to note is that he CLEARLY indicated that “neither shall that be done ANYMORE”, which is proof that there is no promise of it ever being reinstated. In fact, in Ezekiel, when he gives the instructions for the temple, he gives NO instructions which included the Ark. It was never mentioned. Since Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian siege wall during the time the Ark seemed to have disappeared, Ron believed it may have been possible for someone to have taken it to a location within the siege wall and not be detected. The quotes we read above agree with the “time”, but we just don’t know for sure – and again, these books are not inspired so we cannot rely on them. The Location of the Excavation Jerusalem is situated on 2 hills, traditionally referred to as “Mt. Moriah” and Mt. Zion”. To the extreme right can be seen the beginning of the Mt. of Olives. “Moriah” is mentioned only twice in the Bible – first as the place Abraham was told to take Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice, and second as the place where the temple was built: GEN 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, th… truncated (132,670 more characters in archive)