What Happened To The Ark Of The Covenant
What happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
The Ark of the Covenant, a central part of the Israelites’ worship to God, has been an object of fascination for historians, archaeologists, and even popular culture. From the time that the Ark was created as told in the book of Exodus, it followed the Israelites in their quest into the promised land and eventually found its place in the Holy of Holies, the inner most room of the Jewish Temple that only the High Priest was permitted to enter in order to offer sacrifices to God. However, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared inexplicably off of the pages of history by the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The final reference to the Ark of the Covenant, albeit brief, states, “[King Josiah of Judah] said …show more content…
Traditional Rabbis in the nation of Israel are convinced that the Ark of the Covenant is actually not far from its traditional home within the Holy of Holies, in fact, it is right now resting directly beneath where that room once stood. Scripture references King Hezekiah constructing tunnels under the city of Jerusalem in order to have a source of water to draw on should the city come under siege and be cut off from the surrounding country. 2 Kings 20:20 states, "As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city..." To add to this, 2 Chronicles 32:30 continues with "It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David." These scriptures establish the fact that prior to the Babylonian invasion, a secret collection of underground tunnels had been developed underneath the city, and could have been used for hiding important artifacts such as the Ark of the Covenant. Rabbi Shlomo Goren and Rabbi Yehuda Getz are the rabbis entrusted with the care of the Western Wall, the remnants of the Second Temple. Their belief is that a chamber is located directly beneath where the Holy of Holies once stood, and the priests placed the Ark there under the threat of the Babylonian invasion sometime after the reign of King Josiah. The specific evidence for such a chamber is never directly referenced in Scripture, although it is discussed in the Jewish Talmud. Nevertheless, Rabbi Getz believes that he was within 40 feet of the chamber where the Ark is held, but was denied going any further with his excavation after the Muslims discovered that the Jews had been excavating underneath the Dome of the Rock. The tunnel that Rabbi Getz had been exploring, which was likely one of King Hezekiah’s
The Ark of the Covenant, a central part of the Israelites’ worship to God, has been an object of fascination for historians, archaeologists, and even popular culture. From the time that the Ark was created as told in the book of Exodus, it followed the Israelites in their quest into the promised land and eventually found its place in the Holy of Holies, the inner most room of the Jewish Temple that only the High Priest was permitted to enter in order to offer sacrifices to God. However, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared inexplicably off of the pages of history by the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The final reference to the Ark of the Covenant, albeit brief, states, “[King Josiah of Judah] said …show more content…
Traditional Rabbis in the nation of Israel are convinced that the Ark of the Covenant is actually not far from its traditional home within the Holy of Holies, in fact, it is right now resting directly beneath where that room once stood. Scripture references King Hezekiah constructing tunnels under the city of Jerusalem in order to have a source of water to draw on should the city come under siege and be cut off from the surrounding country. 2 Kings 20:20 states, "As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city..." To add to this, 2 Chronicles 32:30 continues with "It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David." These scriptures establish the fact that prior to the Babylonian invasion, a secret collection of underground tunnels had been developed underneath the city, and could have been used for hiding important artifacts such as the Ark of the Covenant. Rabbi Shlomo Goren and Rabbi Yehuda Getz are the rabbis entrusted with the care of the Western Wall, the remnants of the Second Temple. Their belief is that a chamber is located directly beneath where the Holy of Holies once stood, and the priests placed the Ark there under the threat of the Babylonian invasion sometime after the reign of King Josiah. The specific evidence for such a chamber is never directly referenced in Scripture, although it is discussed in the Jewish Talmud. Nevertheless, Rabbi Getz believes that he was within 40 feet of the chamber where the Ark is held, but was denied going any further with his excavation after the Muslims discovered that the Jews had been excavating underneath the Dome of the Rock. The tunnel that Rabbi Getz had been exploring, which was likely one of King Hezekiah’s