'Ark of the Covenant' about to be unveiled

[Pepsei]

link

The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world Friday the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, perhaps the world's most prized archaeological and spiritual artifact, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos.

Abuna Pauolos, in Italy for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this week, told the news agency, "Soon the world will be able to admire the Ark of the Covenant described in the Bible as the container of the tablets of the law that God delivered to Moses and the center of searches and studies for centuries."

The announcement is expected to be made at 2 p.m. Italian time from the Hotel Aldrovandi in Rome. Pauolos will reportedly be accompanied by Prince Aklile Berhan Makonnen Haile Sellassie and Duke Amedeo D'Acosta.

Religion aside, i'm always fascinated by the historic value of this artifact as describe in the bible, (i read the old testament for fun & neat stories). since the construction of the ark is described in detail, i'm surprised we don't see more replicas being built.

edit: let's get the melty face out of the way.... close your eyes!!

edit 2:
Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday

plese, i'm only interested in discussing the historical significance of it.

Here's a blurb on Ethiopian Orthodox Church's claim on it

Ethiopian Orthodox Church
The Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum allegedly houses the original Ark of the Covenant.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant or tabot in Axum. The object is now kept under guard in a treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, and used occasionally in ritual processions. But versions of the Axum tabot are kept in every Ethiopian church, each with its own dedication to a particular saint, most popularly Mary, George and Michael.

The Kebra Nagast is Ethiopia?s greatest national document, composed to legitimise the new royal line established in 1270 by claiming its descent from Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and contains a reference to the Ark of the Covenant being brought to Ethiopia by Menelik. However, recent scholarship suggests that that reference is a later interpolation: many important manuscripts later than the thirteenth century make no reference to it, and it only became a core element of Ethiopian beliefs in the seventeenth century.

my personal take on it... I believe it existed as it has been mentioned many times. I do not know if it has been 'rebuilt' or not over the thousands of years, the chances of finding the tablets and manna in the ark is probably slim to none.

 

[dainthomas]

Fine, as long as I'm on a different continent when they open it.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: dainthomas
Fine, as long as I'm on a different continent when they open it.

Same. It's be pretty cool if it was real, but I don't want my face melting.

 

[SagaLore]

I know how this ends. Keep your eyes closed.

 

[brandonbull]

I'm not going to open my eyes on Friday. I saw what happened to those German guys.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: dainthomas
Fine, as long as I'm on a different continent when they open it.

This, I don't want to be melted/electrocuted. If true, pretty damned cool event.

 

[sjwaste]

Will Kaiser Wilhelm be present?

 

[Platypus]

Shut your eyes, Marion, and don't look at it... no matter what happens!

 

[Crono]

I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

 

[Gooberlx2]

/screams!
/head explodes

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

because religion is phoney

edit: plus they've had thousands of years and unlimited cash to come up with an elaborate forgery and backstory.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I know how this ends. Keep your eyes closed.

 

[spacejamz]

chick: Are you sure it's the Ark?
Indy: Yeah, I'm pretty sure....

 

[alkemyst]

has morgan freeman been cast yet?

 

[sunzt]

WTF is it doing in Ethiopia?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

because religion is phoney

edit: plus they've had thousands of years and unlimited cash to come up with an elaborate forgery and backstory.

Regardless if religion is phony are you debating the pyramids and temple of solomon exist?

There is a lot of hokey stuff out there, but if you start back and read the history and move forward there is a lot to understand.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

because religion is phoney

edit: plus they've had thousands of years and unlimited cash to come up with an elaborate forgery and backstory.

Regardless if religion is phony are you debating the pyramids and temple of solomon exist?

There is a lot of hokey stuff out there, but if you start back and read the history and move forward there is a lot to understand.

very little has to do with anything the vatican stands for.

 

[yllus]

Wasn't this in Halo too?

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

because religion is phoney

edit: plus they've had thousands of years and unlimited cash to come up with an elaborate forgery and backstory.

...and you just thought of this so it must be true?

The Ark has been historically documented, all religion aside. It is definitely real. If it "holds tablets created by God", that's up for debate, but the Ark itself is an actual item.

 

[MixMasterTang]

Originally posted by: sunzt
WTF is it doing in Ethiopia?

Where did you expect it to be, Los Angeles?

 

[AreaCode707]

Cool if true. Can you imagine the war that's about to ensue between the Orthodox and the Jews though? For the Orthodox it's one of many sacred objects from the history of their religion. For the Jews it's THE sacred object.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

because religion is phoney

edit: plus they've had thousands of years and unlimited cash to come up with an elaborate forgery and backstory.

...and you just thought of this so it must be true?

The Ark has been historically documented, all religion aside. It is definitely real. If it "holds tablets created by God", that's up for debate, but the Ark itself is an actual item.

and Atlantis was also an actual place whats your point?

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: yllus
Wasn't this in Halo too?

Yeah well I'm all about this if master chief comes with it.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: Crono
I really doubt they have the actual Ark.

Why?

Because the Bible does not say where it went, there are many theories on what happened to it, and the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia hasn't exactly been open with allowing investigation of the validity of the ark in their possession.