Scientists believe that the relic was initially used for pagan cults
According to the Bible, stone tablets with the text of the Ten Commandments were kept in the Ark. They were given to Moses on Mount Sinai on the 50th day after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. However, about 2600 years ago, one of the main shrines of Christianity and Judaism disappeared without a trace. This happened not long before the army of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in March 597 BC. e. entered Jerusalem. The city was surrendered without a fight, but the Ark does not appear in the detailed register of the treasures captured by the Babylonians. He also did not appear in the list of property that the 18-year-old Jewish king Jeconiah took with him - as an honorary prisoner, he, along with 10 thousand citizens, was exiled to Babylon. Most likely, before the surrender of the city, the religious shrine was safely hidden. But where?
IN FOLLOWING INDIANA JONES
The search for the Ark was tirelessly pursued by fanatics, adventurers, adventurers of all stripes. The plot of the acquisition of this treasure formed the basis of the first film of the famous Hollywood film saga about the adventures of Indiana Jones, it was called "In Search of the Lost Ark." It is curious that the film was based on a completely real story about how the highest hierarchs of the Third Reich, inclined to religious mysticism, hunted for Christian shrines.
However, this year several teams of archaeologists began excavating two ancient cities at once, where, according to the biblical text, the Ark was kept before it came to Jerusalem. These are the cities of Shiloh (located 40 kilometers from Jerusalem) and Kiriat Yarim, which is 15 kilometers from the capital of Israel.
It is logical to assume that they decided to hide the relic there. Indeed, although the Ark was made of pure gold, it first of all had great religious significance. And the cities that had previously stored the Ark had a ready-made "infrastructure" for storing such a shrine.
The plot of the acquisition of this treasure formed the basis of the first film of the famous Hollywood movie saga about the adventures of Indiana Jones. Photo: still from the movie & quot; Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark & quot;
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SACRED ANIMALS
The Bible claims that in the town of Shiloh (in ancient times it was the spiritual center of Judea, there was the residence of the high priest), the Ark was located for 369 years, until in the 11th century BC the war with the Philistines began. Going to battle with the enemy, the Jews took the Ark from the temple, hoping that it would bring good luck on the battlefield. However, the Philistines won a complete victory and captured a valuable trophy.
“During excavations in Shiloh of one of the sites, we found a huge amount of animal bones,” says the director of archaeological work, Dr. Scott Stripping. - We believe that this place was a temple for the storage of the Ark. Because otherwise it is difficult to explain the origin of so many animal remains. But if we assume that sacrifices took place here for 350 years, then everything falls into place. Now bone tissue samples have been sent for examination. There is a list in the Bible that clearly regulates which animals and at what age can act as sacrificial victims. If the bones are of the specified type, then this will become clear evidence that the temple is somewhere nearby.
SCIENTISTS ARE READY TO EDIT THE BIBLE
According to historical information, the Ark did not last long with the Philistines. 7 months after a series of epidemics, the invasion of mice, rats and other bad signs, they decided to return it to its previous owners. So the Jewish shrine ended up in the city of Kiriath-Yarim, which is now also being excavated by archaeologists. The Bible says that in this city the Ark was kept for about 20 years, and then was transported by King David (born 1035 BC) to Jerusalem and ended up in the Temple of Solomon. But scientists are already claiming that the reality was different.
- Most likely, the Ark moved to Jerusalem about 300 years after the supposed era of King David (scientists have no consensus about its historicity - author), - says one of the leaders of the excavations in Kiriath Yarim, Professor Thomas Roemer from the training and research center of the College de France (Paris). - Today we know that different texts of the Bible were written by different people at different times. Often, later inserts were made for political reasons. We assume that in fact the Ark was transported to Jerusalem by Josiah - the sixteenth king of Judah (born in 648 BC). He was a supporter of the concentration of political power and cultural life in one center, fought against idolatry and upheld monotheism. To popularize his ideas, he decided to use the authority of King David. And his scribes attributed to David the idea of transporting the main shrine to Jerusalem, so that Josiah looked like "a glorious successor of the work of his famous predecessor."
Therefore, in reality, the Ark appeared in Jerusalem several decades before the invasion of the Babylonians. And three centuries before that he was in Kiriath-Yarim.
This theory is indirectly confirmed by archaeological finds. Scientists have unearthed the remains of an impressive retaining wall: its width reaches three, and its height, despite the destruction, is two meters. Judging by the clay shards, the structure was built in the 7-8th century BC. This wall supports an artificial terrace leading to the top of the hill. There, apparently, was the temple where the Ark was kept. Scientists believe that the presence of a building of such a scale confirms the theory that this city had a cult center for years, which if not surpassed the temple in Jerusalem, then competed with it. And if the main shrine was not here, then why start a grandiose construction?
IN IT WAS WEARING AN IDOLISH?
According to legend, the Ark was created in order to store the Tablets of the Covenant. However, Thomas Roemer believes that the matter was not limited to this precious cargo.
“The peoples who inhabited this region have a wandering story about a precious chest, where two sacred stones or statues of two gods are kept,” says the professor. - It was a common place for pre-Islamic Arabs and Bedouins. The Israelites weren't always monotheists either. They used to worship Canaanite gods such as Baal and Astarte. Perhaps their statues were originally carried in the ark?
Baal is a thundering god, patron of war and fertility. Roemer notes that it is no coincidence that the city of Kiriath-Jarim has a second name in the Bible, Kiriath-Baal. During the war, the Ark itself was taken out to the battlefield as a secret weapon. Astarte is the goddess of love and power. And it is characteristic that in the Bible women who worship the Ark were cured of sterility, and those who did not show due respect were punished with sterility. According to historians, the Bible reflects the echoes of many ancient cults. And many riddles will be solved if the Ark with its contents can be found.
HOW LOOKED?
The ark was made of desert acacia wood. The width was about 70 cm, the length was 115-120 cm, the height was about 70 cm. Inside and outside it was sheathed with gold plates. Above the Ark was closed by a massive cover made of pure gold, 4 fingers thick. On top of the lid were golden cherubs with outstretched wings, facing each other. Four gold rings were attached at the edges, into which were inserted poles decorated with the same precious metal.
YAROSLAV KOROBATOV