Archaeologists in Israel have discovered the site where the Ark of the Covenant was kept
Archaeologists in Israel have reported new findings that may point to the original location of the Ark of the Covenant. During excavations at the biblical site of Shiloh, researchers discovered the ruins of a large structure, religious artifacts, and defensive fortifications that, in their opinion, correspond to the descriptions of the Tabernacle in the Holy Scriptures.
A team from the Association for Biblical Research, working at the site of biblical Shiloh, has unearthed the walls of a monumental structure that may be part of the Tabernacle—a portable sanctuary where, according to the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was kept.
According to biblical tradition, Moses placed the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments into the Ark, after which the sacred object was kept in the Tabernacle. The Ark’s subsequent fate remains unknown—it disappears from biblical sources even before the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
Dr. Scott Stripping, the head of the excavation, reported that the most significant discovery was the identification of the structure’s southern wall, which made it possible to determine its full dimensions.
According to the researchers, the building is oriented east to west, and its proportions correspond to the biblical description of the Tabernacle. Last year, archaeologists announced that they had found a structure from the Iron Age I that may correspond to the sanctuary described in the Holy Scriptures.
During the excavations, archaeologists also uncovered objects associated with religious worship, including horns used for sacrificial altars, ceramic grenades, and murex shells, from which a costly blue dye for priestly garments was produced in ancient times.
In addition, researchers unearthed part of the northern fortification system of ancient Shiloh. According to preliminary findings, the structure may have been a complex of city gates with several rooms, which is also mentioned in biblical texts.
In another part of the archaeological site, three large Canaanite food storage jars were found, dating to the period before the arrival of the Israelites.
Inside the jars, archaeologists discovered charred remains of olives, wheat, and lentils. Researchers plan to conduct radiocarbon dating in the near future to more accurately determine the age of the finds.
Despite the sensational claims, archaeologists have not yet found the Ark of the Covenant itself. The discovered structures and artifacts only reinforce the hypothesis that the biblical Tabernacle—where one of the Old Testament’s most famous relics was kept for a time—may have been located at this very site.
The Daily Mail reports on this.
In May, a new exhibition opened at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., featuring fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient texts. The exhibition will run through September.
As a reminder, a small town near Madrid plans to erect the world’s tallest statue of Jesus Christ. However, the local authorities’ plans have “divided” the community into two camps.
Meanwhile, construction has begun on a statue of the Virgin Mary near Toruń, Poland. It will stand 55.6 meters tall, making it taller than the statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
