(Author provided) The Origins of the Lost Ark of the Covenantīuilt by Moses after the Exodus from Egypt, sometime in the 13th century BC, the Ark of the Covenant was the earliest tangible link between the early Israelites and their god, Yahweh, a deity with no cult statue – a complete novelty in that era. The original Ark of the Covenant prop from the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, on display in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

For instance, 1 Samuel 6:19 relates: “But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord.” According to many Jewish and Christian theologians, its rediscovery could even be a harbinger to the end of the world. It could also mean unleashing a new calamity upon the world, for the Ark has always been associated with God’s terrifying destructive powers, as we all remember from Raiders. It is the quintessential missing treasure – an artifact of supposed great power and terror, connected to the supernatural world, crafted from pure gold, and a tangible link to an ancient religion three thousand years old.įinding it could mean confirming the origins stories of Israel described in the Old Testament, and also the existence of Moses. I have been fascinated with it ever since watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, the movie that kick-started so many archaeological careers.

The Ark of the Covenant is perhaps history’s most famous archeological relic.

Myths of pharaohs treasure of akhenaten