Ark of the Covenant Discovery, part 1
The Ark of the Covenant
Written by Mary Nell Wyatt
Ron Wyatt's Story of the Discovery
There are many claims being made today as to the discovery of the
Ark of the Covenant, and the purpose of this article is to give the reader
an opportunity to hear Ron Wyatt's story. It also contains information on
the Biblical history of the Ark and what Ron believed the significance of
the discovery of the Ark to be. As of this date, conclusive evidence has
not been released. Therefore, we only ask you, the reader, to consider
carefully what you are about to read, and wait until the evidence is made
public.
The complete video documentation on this subject is NOT available at
this time and will not be forthcoming until the time at which the Ark is
made public. However, we do offer a 2 1/2 hour video which contains all
the documentation on the discovery of the Ark than can be shared at this
point. It is entitled "Surprising Discoveries Vol. 3 - Ark of the
Covenant".
Over the years Ron mentioned tests that were done on blood samples
taken from the Ark. At this time, these have not been released. When the
appropriate time comes, our plan is to have independent geneticists take
their own specimens and perform their own tests, all of which will be well
documented.
This article and the video just mentioned contains the most extensive
coverage that has been released at this time.
Again, reserve your decision on this subject until the point in time
when you can see positive evidence for yourself. We believe that time will
soon arrive - but how soon, we cannot and will not say.
The Story of the Excavation and Discovery
More and more we are hearing of new books and tales about the location
of the Ark of the Covenant, some based on theories and some based on
actual claims of sightings. Ron Wyatt also claims that he found the Ark in
1982 - but how do you know who to believe? Until you can see solid
evidence for yourself, you cannot know for sure who is telling the true
story. In Feb. 1988, when Ron first publicly told about his discovery, he
concluded his talk with the request that people "just watch, and wait."
The time is getting closer when you will no longer have to simply wonder,
or believe anyone just because you think they may be an honest person. The
most awful and solemn events of man's history are soon to take place-
events which men have also been theorizing about, but which will certainly
be beyond anyone's wildest imaginings or theories.
Events have already begun to occur which have led us to believe that we
are quite near the time when the Ark of the Covenant will be made known to
the world. How near we are, I do not know, but we have reason to believe
we are quite near. Therefore, we have decided that now is the proper time
to present the details of Ron's excavation which resulted in his discovery
of the Ark.
The Story Begins
In 1978, Ron and his sons, Danny and Ronny, made two trips to Israel in
order to drive to the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba to go scuba
diving in search of chariot parts in the Red Sea. This was during the time
that Israel was occupying the Sinai Peninsula and therefore the place Ron
believed to be the crossing site could only be reached by traveling from
Israel instead of Egypt. During his second dive trip, he learned a very
painful lesson. He swam for hours, searching the sea floor, at a depth of
about thirty feet, believing that the water would filter out the suns
harmful rays. However, this wasn't the case and as a result, his legs and
feet became painfully swollen to such an extent that he couldn't get his
fins on. Unable to dive, and with no motel in the area, he and the boys
had no choice but to return to Jerusalem to wait until their flight from
Tel Aviv left for the US.
One day, after the swelling in Ron's legs and feet went down a bit, he
decided to go sightseeing in the immediate area around his hotel near the
Damascus Gate. Walking along an ancient stone quarry, known to some as
"the Calvary Escarpment," he began conversing with a local authority about
Roman antiquities. At one point, they stopped walking, and Ron's left hand
pointed to a site being used as a trash dump and he stated, "That's
Jeremiah's Grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there." Even though
these words had come from his own mouth and his own hand had pointed, he
had not consciously done or said these things. In fact, it was the first
time he had ever thought about excavating for the Ark. The man with him,
quite out of character, also reacted strangely. He said, "That's
wonderful! We want you to excavate, and we'll furnish your permits, put
you up in a place to stay and even furnish your meals!"
But Ron didn't know what to think - he knew it was a "supernatural"
experience, but was it of God, or was it of "someone else"? By this time,
Ron had made major discoveries in Turkey, and had found numerous chariot
parts in the Red Sea. But not once had he ever had an experience such as
this. It was like a thunderbolt out of the blue on a perfectly sunny day.
He had to decline the man's offer, at least until he could figure out if
there was any reason to believe the Ark could be in that location. So, he
and the boys came on home as planned. But once at home, Ron began some
serious research and study.
Why Would the Ark Be in That Location?
In searching the Bible, Ron found the last mention in the Bible of the
Ark's location:
2CH 35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem:
and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first
month.... 3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were
holy unto the LORD, PUT THE HOLY ARK IN THE HOUSE WHICH SOLOMON THE SON
OF DAVID KING OF ISRAEL DID BUILD; it shall not be a burden upon your
shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,... 19 In
the EIGHTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JOSIAH was this passover kept.
This was about the year 621 BC, just 35 years before the destruction of
Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, when Judah went into the
second phase of their Babylonian captivity. What did this tell Ron? It
told him that the Ark disappeared from the Divine record sometime between
621 BC and 586 BC. Since the temple was completely destroyed, there is no
doubt that it was NOT there after that time. As Ron continued to study, he
noticed something he found strange- in 2 Kings 24:13, 2Kings 25:13-18, and
Jeremiah 52:17-23, a very detailed account was given of the items taken to
Babylon from the "king's house" and the "house of the Lord"- it even
mentioned small items like "spoons", etc.
But the Ark isn't mentioned. Neither is it mentioned in the lists of
things brought back from Babylon in Ezra 1:7-1:11. Since we are told in
Jeremiah 27:21,22 that everything taken to Babylon from the "house of the
Lord" would be returned, and since the Ark wasn't among the returned
items, this proves that it was never taken there. Shishak and Sennacherib
also took items from the "house of the Lord"- which didn't include the
Ark.
So what happened to it? In 2 Kings 25:1, telling about the siege of
Jerusalem by Babylon, we are told that they (the Babylonian army) "pitched
against it" and built "forts against it round about"- which means they
built a "siege wall". This verse further tells that the siege lasted over
a year before the city was taken. And it was with this verse that Ron
found the evidence which indicated to him that the Ark could be in the
location he had pointed to. Of course, it wasn't positive proof - to Ron
it only meant that it was a possibility. What did this "siege wall" have
to do with the Ark?
The Siege Wall
Siege walls were built by attacking armies outside of the walls of the
city under attack, at a distance outside of the range of the weapons used
by that city - what were these weapons during this time?
2CH 26:14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host
shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings
to cast stones. 15 And he made in Jerusalem ENGINES, INVENTED BY CUNNING
MEN, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, TO SHOOT ARROWS AND
GREAT STONES withal.
Uzziah, spoken of in this verse, was king over 100 years BEFORE the
destruction of Jerusalem, and we here learn that they had "engines" on the
"towers" and "bulwarks" which shot "arrows" and "great stones". Catapults
were capable of reaching over 1,000 feet, and therefore Ron reasoned that
the siege wall would have been positioned out of the range of these
massive devices, and therefore, further from the city wall than the site
he had pointed to. He concluded that:
1) the Ark had to have been hidden between the 18th year of Josiah,
(when we are told he had it taken to Solomon's temple), and 35 years
later, when the temple was destroyed;
2) it was NOT taken to Babylon, based on the information from the
Scriptures which told what went to Babylon & what was returned;
3) it was most likely hidden just prior to the destruction of the
temple, when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian siege wall; and
4) it was hidden somewhere within the confines of the city wall of
Jerusalem and the Babylonian siege wall.
The entire city AND the temple were destroyed in 586 BC by the
Babylonians, so the Ark could have only escaped destruction or captivity
by NOT being anywhere in the city.
Again, the site he had pointed to was, he believed, outside of the
ancient city wall and within the siege wall. It was supposition based on
study, but still only supposition. Yet, it was enough to base a decision
on- he decided to go ahead with the excavation.
Continued....
Next Page: The Ark of
the Covenant, Continued
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