Archaeologists from the University of Hamburg announced May 12, 2008 they found the palace of Queen of Sheba in Axum, Ethiopia. But in a strange twist, they also tied the discovery to the mysterious disappearance of the Jewish Ark of the Covenant.

According to the team, headed by Helmut Zeigert of the university's archeological institute, the palace -- dated to 10 BC -- was found underneath the remains of a structure built by a later Christian King.

Zeigert was trying to determine the religious history of Ethiopia -- the origins of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and in this dig pinpoint the arrival of Judaism in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has a long-established tradition of both Judaism and Christianity.

However, the story takes an interesting twist. Zeigert said they found an altar at the site extensively used for animal sacrifices evidenced by the bullock remains scattered around. The site also had two columns which Zeigert suggested originally housed the Jewish Ark of the Covenant.

The Queen of Sheba gained notoriety due to her encounter with King Solomon recorded in 1 Kings.

According to Ethiopian tradition, she converted to Judaism after her visit with Solomon -- a distinct possibility. But tradition also states the two married and had a son named Menelek. The ark was either given to Sheba when she visited Solomon or Menelek returned to Israel later and smuggled it out of the country.

At Axum, the "Church of St. Mary of Zion" to this day claims to have the Ark of the Covenant housed in a chapel next door. No one can verify this as the guardian won't allow anyone to see it.

Based on their archaeological dig, Zeigert and his team concluded that after his mother died, Menelek left Judaism and converted the palace into a temple dedicated to the god Sirius indicated by numerous Sirius insignias at the site and the orientation of the temple towards the star Sirius.

"The results we have suggest that a Cult of Sothis [Greek name of the star Sirius] developed in Ethiopia with the arrival of Judaism and the Ark of the Covenant, and continued until 600 AD the team said in its news release. 1

Who was the Queen of Sheba?

According to the Biblical record, the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his wisdom and decided to visit (1 Kings 10:1-13, 2 Chron 9:1-12). 

Now when the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions. So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart." (1 Kings 10:1, 2 NASV)

The Bible mentions Shebaites in a number of passages. In the book of Ezekiel, when the Prophet brought his word against Tyre, he spoke of traders from Sheba who bartered in the  same goods as Queen of Sheba -- spices, precious stones and gold (Ezekiel 27:22-24 see also Job 6:19; Psalm 72:10, 15; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20).

Many believe the Shebaites were originally part of a nomadic group known as the Sabeans, some of who eventually settled between 12 BC and 10 BC in what is modern Ethiopia. 2

Queens were a rarity in this day and the usage of the Hebrew word "malkan" (queen) in this passage is the first time the Bible describes a woman as the head of state. Though we have references to queens prior, different Hebrew words were used and only in the context of a Royal mother or Royal wife.3 

The Assyrian records also spoke of Queens from this region, indicating though rare elsewhere, it was a well-accepted practice in Northern Africa.

As a trader, the Queen of Sheba received a number of goods in return:

"King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desires which she requested, beside what he gave her according to his royal bounty..."  (1 Kings 10:13 NASV)

Some conclude this is when Solomon gave Sheba the Ark of the Covenant. Though Solomon gave Sheba all she asked for, the ark wasn't requested since it's mentioned later in Israel's history.

Nevertheless this verse leaves the impression Solomon was smitten by this exotic queen, as it subtly suggested he was taken to the cleaners in the trading.

The Queen also displayed a genuine interest in Jehovah, saying, "Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you upon the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king to do justice and righteousness (v 9 NASV).

This sincere expression was even noted by Jesus who referring to this visit said:

The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon; and behold something greater than Solomon is here. (Mathew 12: 42 NASV).

Ethiopia has a long-standing tradition of both Judaism and Christianity and we have seen how Judaism arrived but when did Christianity first make its appearance.

Acts 8:27 may provide the answer. Here we have the interesting account of the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch by Philip. The eunuch was a court official of Queen Candace of Ethiopia, who was in Jerusalem to worship Jehovah. Did this conversion open the door for Christianity in Ethiopia? Many say yes.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant consisted of a chest made of acacia wood, approximately 4' x 2.5'. It was overlaid with gold inside and out (Ex 25:11). There was a lid on top made of pure gold referred to as the Mercy Seat (v 17) where two winged cherubim (angelic beings) made of hammered gold sat on each end (V 18). The Presence of God rested on the Ark between the two Cherubim which was why it was also referred to as the throne of God (1 Sam 4:4; Jer 3:16).

The ark, which contained the Ten Commandments, was placed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle of Moses and later in the Tabernacle of David.

Its final resting place was the temple built by King Solomon (1 Kings 6:19). After placement, the temple was so filled with God's Glory, the priests were forced to leave (1 Kings 7:10-11).

The last mention of the ark is in Josiah's day who placed the ark in the temple (2 Chron 35:3). This took place in approximately 620 BC and indicated the ark was removed by a predecessor -- probably Manasseh -- who set up idols in the temple.

The mysterious disappearance of the ark

However, this is when the mystery starts. When Israel fell to the Babylonians (36 years later) in 586 BC, they plundered the city including the palace and the temple and deported most of the Israelites into captivity.

There are actual listings in three passages of items the Babylonians carted off from the temple (2 Kings 24:13, 2 Kings 25: 13-18 and Jeremiah 52:17-23).

The Jeremiah listing is particularly detailed down to the pots, spoons and pans. But missing from each of these records is any mention of the Ark of Covenant. Considering the gold and its important religious significance, this would have been a prized item for the Babylonians.

As the most important item in the temple, it was not one the writers would have overlooked THREE times.

Adding to this mystery was a prophetic word by Jeremiah that all items taken from the House of the Lord to Babylon would be returned (Jeremiah 28:3). When Ezra returned to build the second temple in 535 BC, he brought with him all the items taken and the list did not include the Ark of the Covenant (Ezra 1:7-11). According to Josephus, after the temple was rebuilt the Holy of Holies sat empty.

The third and to this point the last Jewish temple which was built in 19 BC by King Herod also did not contain the Ark. When the temple was razed to the ground in 70 AD by the Romans, the Roman General Pompey commented he couldn't understand all the fuss as the Holy of Holies was empty.4

Somewhere between 620 BC and 586 BC, the ark mysteriously disappeared.

The Jews were well aware of its disappearance and rumors and conspiracy theories circulated as to what happened to the ark. In addition, others have also proposed alternate theories, and we will look briefly at some of them:

Taken by Jeremiah the prophet

One of the Jewish theories surfaces in the book of 2 Maccabbees, an apocryphal book not considered part of the Bible, but nevertheless with some historical significance. In 2 Mac 2:2, the writer records that prior to Jerusalem's fall to Babylon, Jeremiah took the Ark of the Covenant along with other sacred items and hid them in a cave on a mountain outside the city and sealed the entrance. 5

Though the mountain is not mentioned by name, it is described as the one from which Moses saw Canaan -- Mt Nebo (Num 33:47, Deut 32:49, 34:1). This required Jeremiah to remove the ark before Babylon began its year long siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1, 2).

The writer adds to the conspiracy suggesting that later some of Jeremiah's companions -- who helped hide the items -- went back, but couldn't find the cave.

The writer of 2 Maccabbes says he got this information from the "memoirs" of Nehemiah -- the unpublished version of course -- as there is no mention of this in the Book of Nehemiah.

Another apocryphal book -- "The Paralipomena of Jeremiah" -- which claims to be the final words of the Jeremiah also states he hid the ark. The same idea is mentioned in 2 Esdras 10:22, another ancient Jewish writing.

Though of questionable heritage, these documents provide clues on what many Jews believed happened to the Ark.

Why would Jeremiah even be a suspect?

Well, there are a couple of reasons. First he had opportunity. In order to steal the Ark of the Covenant, you needed access to the temple. Jeremiah was from the priestly tribe.  He was born in Anathoth considered the ancestral home of the priests (Jer 1:1, 29:27; 32:7).

"The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin." (Jeremiah 1:1 NASV)

This lineage would give him direct access to the temple or -- because the priesthood was a family inheritance -- connections with those who had.

Secondly there was motive. Jeremiah had prophesied a day would come when the Ark of the Covenant would no longer be needed.

Jeremiah said, "It shall be in those days, when you are multiplied in the land, declares the Lord, 'they will not say, 'The ark of the covenant of the Lord,' And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again." (Jeremiah 3:16 NASV)

This is a curious verse because Jeremiah was prophesying the end of the Ark of Covenant as the most significant religious icon in Israel. Since the presence of God rested on the ark it provided a vital connection with Jehovah. What could replace it?

This prophetic word was looking ahead to the New Covenant, where the Apostle Paul explains that Christians are now the Temple of God, because the Holy Spirit is resident inside them.

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16 NASV)

Because of this, Christians have no need or even desire for an ark. However, the same can't be said for the nation of Israel, where conservative Jews have long standing plans to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

This verse in Jeremiah -- prophesied to the nation of Israel -- tells us the church is now the true Israel of God.

Of course, because of this verse it would be easy for the cynics in Jeremiah's day to think the prophet was behind the disappearance.

Now, it is possible God told Jeremiah to hide the ark because a time was coming when Israel would no longer need it. That part of the prophecy, for obvious reasons, was never publicly delivered.

The Ark ended up in Egypt

Others have speculated the Ark of the Covenant ended up in Egypt. In fact, the Indiana Jones movie -- Raiders of the Lost Ark -- is based upon this premise. In this case, it is believed the ark disappeared in 926 BC when Jerusalem was sacked by Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt. Again, there is a record of items taken from the temple, but no mention of the ark (1 Kings 14:25-26, 11 Chron 12:1-9).

This argument falls apart when the Bible mentions the Ark of the Covenant 300 years later in Josiah's day.

But there is another incident in the life of Jeremiah that fuels this theory. After Israel fell in 586 BC, the Babylonians set up a puppet government. This didn't go well with the Israelites still living in the land and they assassinated this Babylonian appointee (41:1, 2).

At this point, the Jewish insurgents decided to flee to Egypt (v 17). But before leaving, they approached Jeremiah for a word and he prophesied they should remain in Israel and God would protect them and use the group to set the stage for Israel's restoration to the land (42:10-12). If the group refused to stay, Jeremiah prophesied God's judgment on them in Egypt (11-22).

They ignored Jeremiah's word and packed their bags for Egypt. But then a strange thing happened:  they actually kidnapped Jeremiah and took him along (43:6). Why would anyone drag along a disgruntled prophet who is railing on you for your decision?

Good question.

Did the fleeing Jews -- believing Jeremiah had hidden the ark -- take him along hoping to find out where it was? In fact, the journey to Egypt would take them past Mt Nebo. In reality, they may have kidnapped Jeremiah for no other reason than to keep him from spilling the beans on their departure.

Jeremiah did end up in Egypt, but did they find out where the ark was?

Hidden by the priests

Another theory -- generally considered the best explanation -- is that the Ark was hidden by priests in underground catacombs in the Temple mound. We know the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon involved a year long siege (2 Kings 25:1, 2), sufficient time to hide the ark, but only within the walls.

There is also Biblical evidence to support this theory. Remember when the Egyptians sacked Jerusalem in 926 BC, we know they never took the Ark of the Covenant indicating it was hidden somewhere in the city before the walls were breached.

The same spot may have been used again when the Babylonians showed up. This time, however, there were a couple of significant changes in circumstances. First, the priests -- who hid the Ark -- were dragged off into captivity and with them any knowledge of the ark's location. Second, the temple and city were demolished destroying access to underground caverns. 6

Ark in Ethiopia

The story of Solomon and Sheba having a son and the ark ending up in Ethiopia is also plausible in one sense.

We find the account of Sheba seeing Solomon in 1 Kings 10:1-13, and sixteen verses later in 1 Kings 11:1, the writer adds "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian and Hittite." Two verses later, we are told he had 700 wives.

With these two sections so close together was the writer subtly making a connection?  Then, of course, there is that bit about Solomon giving the Queen the farm. But is this proof of a royal marriage?

But again Solomon's reign is dated between 971 BC and 931 BC and the Ark of the Covenant is mentioned 300 years later, well after Solomon, Sheba and even the son had died.

But we still have the issue of the church in Axum, Ethiopia claiming to have the Ark of the Covenant. Could they really have it?

Well, the fact that no one has been allowed to independently verify the ark's existence is suspicious.

But there is one little known fact. At one point in Israel's history, there was actually another Jewish temple besides the one in Jerusalem [three if you throw the Samaritan temple into the mix which is not technically a Jewish temple]. Some wonder if the Ethiopians have the Ark from this other temple.

But that is an article for another day...

REFERENCES

1. German archaeologist on the trail of the Ark of the Covenant by Roger Boyes (The Times: May 13, 2008)
2. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Charles Pfeiffer ed. (Moody Press: Chicago, Ill)
3. For example, Psalm 45:9, the word translated Queen is the Hebrew word "shegal" which simply means the king's wife.
4. Where is the Ark of the Covenant? by Thomas McCall, Th.D. (www.levitt.com)
5. The history of the ark (Wyatt Archaeological Research: www.wyattnewsletters.com)
6. According to Thomas McCall, Rabbi's Shlomo Goren and Yehuda Getz feel the Ark is hidden somewhere in a cave in the Temple Mound. They believe it has been there since the Jerusalem's fall to Babylon. Based on their understanding of the Talmud, the two believe there is a cave directly below the Holy Holies. In 1982, Rabbi Getz said he was close to this underground chamber, but his excavations were stopped by the Muslims. McCall says, "There is a large and growing group of Orthodox Jewish adherents who believe that the Ark is in the cave below the Holy of Holies, and awaits the right time for it to be found." -- Where is the Ark of the Covenant by Thomas McCall, Th.d. (www.levitt.com)

The Ark of the Covenant altar found in Sheba's palace (May 12, 2008: www.worldnetdaily.com)