NEW!!!  We have an exclusive slideshow from Axum, Ethiopia.  It's from a recent (2004) trip.  It's about 5mb in size and you can freely download and stream it!  This slideshow features much of the country and the Timkat festival.  Plus, we also have over 40 pictures from Axum on our site.

The following statements came from a video and lecture in San Diego, California.  One of my church's pastors had returned from a trip to Africa and wanted to share what he saw and heard.

Ethiopia is the oldest Christian country in Africa.

Bob Cornuke read Graham Hancock's book about his discovery of the Ark of the Covenant.  Consequently, he decided to lead an expedition there.

Menanick was the son of Solomon and Sheba.  One legend has it that he stole the Ark and brought it to Ethiopia.

Countless people migrate to this temple to worship the Ark.  This place is called The Chapel of Saint Mary of Zion and it's in Axum, Ethiopia.

There are more than 20,000 churches in Ethiopia and each one has a replica of the Ark of the Covenant.  If this replica is removed, then they are considered impure.  Even the replica is considered to be very holy and people want to be touched by it because they believe they receive a blessing from it.

Graham Hancock believes the Ark made it to Ethiopia much later than their tradition states and it eventually found it's way to Axum.

Bob Cornuke thinks that the Ark of the Covenant rested on the rock that is currently inside the Dome of the Rock.  He thinks this was the location of the holy of holies.  Previously, this may have been the last, known location of the Ark.

Ethiopian Jews are called Falasha Jews.  In 1989, they had "Operation Moses" and many of these Jews came to Israel.

Dr. Shalva Weil from the Hebrew University states that about 65,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, today.

Chaim Jutkowitz is from The Temple Institute and he spoke to Cornuke about the Ark of the Covenant.  Their institute wants to rebuild the next temple.  He did not offer any information on the whereabouts of the Ark.

Manasseh installed a pagan symbol in the holy of holies.  He practiced sorcery and even sacrificed his son in the temple.  Therefore, it is largely possible that the priests took the Ark and removed it.

1 Chronicles 28:2 indicates why the temple was built.  During the first temple period, a Jewish temple was built on the Nile River.  Aswan, Egypt is this place and it is a possible location for where this Ark went.

This temple on the Nile River is at Elephantine Island and was shown to have ruins from priests that built it during Manasseh's reign.  This island is on the border of Egypt and Ethiopia.  There is a museum and some ancient ruins there.

Dr. Atif Hanna at the Institute of Cairo spoke to Bob Cornuke.  He found some ancient writings that would indicate the Ark was there and rested in this temple.  They found writings that were asking how to do the blood sacrifices that God required in the temple.

This temple had the same dimensions as Solomon's temple.  Unfortunately, this temple was very close to the Egyptian temple.  Egyptian symbols and writing were found here, too.  Egyptians worshiped the ram god.  The Hebrews sacrificed rams.  This probably caused the conflict and destruction of their temple around 410 B.C.  There is not evidence of Jews being massacred.

These Jews and the Ark likely fled down the Nile River to Ethiopia.  Lake Tana is were the Nile River flows and there is a remote island there called Tana Kirkos Island.  It takes 3 1/2 hours on a boat to get there.  This island is considered a holy island and in the middle of Lake Tana.  It is restricted to visitors.  Only a select few men are allowed to visit.

It is possible that the Ark came here.  There is a legend by these Ethiopian monks that the Ark stayed here for several hundred years, in a tent, on a rock ledge.  They claim it was here for 800 years!

These monks claimed that thousands of people would come here as they sacrificed an animal to God on the site where the Ark was.  There are socket holes on this rock altar.  These holes fit roughly the size that was required by the Bible.

They believe that the King of Axum stole the Ark from them.  These monks possess some temple instruments from Solomon's temple.  They have two, large, meat hooks for putting the sacrifice on the fire.  They also have a large bowl (or gomer) that was used to hold the blood.

The monks told Bob Cornuke that he was the first one to be shown these instruments.  They were metal and extremely old.  They surely weren't produced on this island because the technology and people are extremely primitive.

There is an image of the Queen of Sheba and an image of the Ark in an old church.  By the way it is constructed in stone, it looks like the Ark followed the Queen.

Lalibela, Ethiopia is a place were magnificent stone churches remain.  They are carved out of a mountain of solid granite.  There are many underground crypts and passageways under these stone churches.

These churches were built around 1185 A.D.  King Lalibela had them built.  The crusaders may have been here after they left Jerusalem because of the Muslim attacks.

There are a number of Knight's Templar mementos around Lalibela.  This place was designated to represent Jerusalem.  They have a similar "Golgotha" and "Mount of Olives".  However, Bob Cornuke does not think the Ark ever made it here.

The people of Ethiopia claim the Ark is in their temple in Axum.  This temple has a red fence around it with spikes on the top.  There are also guards with machine guns that watch it.  People come to worship there.  They believe that they will be struck dead if they actually see the Ark.

Bob Cornuke thinks the Ark was brought to Axum around 400 A.D. - about 1600 years ago.

There is evidence of a Christian presence there around 500 A.D.  There are symbols and writings on the walls.

The Knight's Templar could have brought the Ark here.  An Armenian historicist records men with "red hair" taking the Ark there.  These knights had red hair in their helmets.

Bob Cornuke met a small, Ethiopian counsel about the Ark.  This counsel stated that they will keep the Ark hidden and not reveal it to the public.  There is only one monk that is allowed to see the Ark.  He is considered the "guardian of the Ark" and a direct descendant of the priesthood in Jerusalem.

Right now, this guard is the 30th in Axum's history.  He was chosen because of his purity.  He will spend the rest of his life as the Ark's guardian and he can never leave.

These people have a supreme indifference regarding letting the world know about the Ark.  They don't care if people believe them or not because they know they have the Ark.

Bob Cornuke spoke to an old, Ethiopian priest who had seen the Ark.  Along with the guardian, he is the only, living person who has seen the Ark.  This man became fearful when he came close to it.  He described the 10 Commandments that were in it.

The Axum monks entered the temple's treasury and revealed ancient trumpets.  Numbers 10:1 was inscribed on them.  They were very long.  The monks also revealed a helmet that was worn by one of the chief musicians.

Titus sacked Jerusalem and he may have taken these trumpets.  There is a stone structure called The Arch of Titus in Rome.  It has a craving on it that depicts a grand procession that involved Titus' people and these trumpets.  This stone carving was on a large structure that was dedicated to Titus.

Once a year, they have the Festival of Timkat.  The guardian goes into the holy of holies, removes the 10 Commandments and puts them into a red box.  They are carried on a man's head.  For a brief moment, you can see the transference of the commandments to the chest.

They blow trumpets and beat drums.  Thousands of people line the streets.  The guardian goes back inside to guard the mercy seat.

The acacia wood that was used on the Ark has decomposed.  It was covered with gold, but it is sunken in, now, and collapsed.

At 3pm, they leave the tent of meeting.  This Festival of Timkat is the celebration of David dancing in celebration of the Ark.  The whole city stays up all night and celebrates.

When the sun rises, they do a cleansing ceremony at the Queen of Sheba pool.  All of the people jump into this pool and splash each other.  After the water is declared holy, they drink it and offer it to people.  They also take the water to the "tree of life".

This tree is in the middle of the city.  The Ark is brought there, too.  Before the sun sets, on the Sabbath, the tablets are returned to the guardian and taken back inside the church.

Neroob is in training to be the next guardian  and a musician, now.  Neroob believes that He will be the one who presents the throne (mercy seat) to Jesus Christ when He returns!

The Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8 is in charge of Queen Candace's treasury.  He is reading Isaiah 53 and meets Philip.  He was likely the guardian and in charge of the mercy seat.  He heard the Christ was on the Earth and was sent to see if it was time for Him to have His throne.

Dan Stolebarger's recent (January, 2003) expedition with Chuck Missler and some others saw Rome, Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Axum, Tanos Kirkos, Cairo and Sharm.

The above information is based on a video and research by Bob Cornuke and some comments by Dan Stolebarger.

Note: I cannot verify or deny that these people in Axum actually have the Ark of the Covenant.  Incidentally, I'm not sure if anyone can.  They keep the Ark locked up and do not cater to questioners.  Nonetheless, some people that I trust have been to Axum and seen the Timkat festival, so I decided that it was important enough to mention.  If anyone has more evidence about the Ark, please email me.