Many of us are fascinated by the biblical Ark of the Covenant, one of history’s most enduring apparent mysteries. The search for the lost ark involves a search for the proof of God, and for some, possibly an attempt to obtain the power of God.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas built on this theme in their wildly popular Raiders of the Lost Ark film from 1981. In this story, the ark is discovered by Professor Indiana Jones at the site of a Nazi expedition in Egypt in 1936 at the lost city of Tanis. While it is not believed that the Nazis ever made efforts to search for the ark, many others have attempted — and are still attempting — to uncover the mystery of the location of the lost relic. But are they looking in the right places, and for the right reasons?

 

Background of the Ark

The Ark of the Covenant (also referred to as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God) is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Exodus. The word ark is a Hebrew word that simply means “box” or “chest.” The ark was built by Moses upon instruction by God during his 40-day stay on Mount Sinai. After it was built it could not be touched by human hands and could be carried only using wooden poles by the Levites.

The Book of Exodus contains a detailed description of the ark’s size, what it looked like — including the two cherubim mounted on the lid with their wings spread and facing each other — and what it was made of (acacia wood overlaid with gold). The inside of the ark contained the original stone tablets from the Ten Commandments (the Tablets of the Law), which were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. Later in the New Testament, the ark is described to have also contained the staff of Aaron and a jar of manna.

In biblical terms, the ark may be best known as being used by the Israelites in their success at the Battle of Jericho, as recounted in the Book of Joshua. It was later captured by the Philistines, although they eventually returned it after misfortune fell upon them (which they attributed to the ark). King David ultimately brought the ark to Jerusalem, where it was eventually housed in the Temple built by his son King Solomon, in a chamber called the “Holy of Holies.”

Where Is the Ark Today?

After the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians around 587 BC, the ark disappeared, and some believe that it may have been carried off to Ethiopia (Aksum), where it resides today in an off-limits location. Others have speculated (some more wildly than others) that it’s hidden somewhere in Israel (Qumram or Djaharya), Ireland (under the Hill of Tara), Rome (inside the Basilica of St. John Lateran), or even Zimbabwe.

In another theory, the Jewish historian Josephus wrote of a tradition among Samaritans that states the ark was hidden on Mount Gerizim (which is located within the West Bank, halfway between Jerusalem and Nazareth). Additionally, ancient Jewish tradition speculates that the ark may have been hidden in a secret vault somewhere beneath the Temple Mount.

For most Catholics, however, there is a much simpler answer to this great puzzle. According to an inspired Old Testament book (2 Maccabees) that does not appear in the Jewish or Protestant canon, the ark is said to have been hidden in a cave on Mount Nebo (located in modern-day Jordan) following a divine revelation from God before the destruction of the First Temple. The passage further provides that the location of the ark is to remain unknown, only to be revealed when the Lord returns at the end of time. After thousands of years have passed, the ark built by Moses has still not been found.

While there is no mention of the ark in any of the Gospels, the Book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament reveals that “God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the Ark of the Covenant could be seen in the temple.”

Thus, according to the Bible’s last book, the ark is now in heaven. But if the original ark remains hidden somewhere in or on Mount Nebo, what is the new ark in heaven?

The New ‘Ark’

Different from its original form, Catholics have come to know the new ark as a person, rather than a thing.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the “new” Ark of the Covenant is Mary, our blessed mother and the mother of Jesus:

Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is the ‘dwelling of God … with men.’

As we are aware that God’s intent with the ark was to hold his presence, we know that Mary serves exactly this role after her agreeing to bear the Son of God. But isn’t the ark also historically known to be a powerful weapon? Yes, and on this point, it is worth noting that Mary has become known as one of God’s most powerful weapons against the dark forces of evil.

The Revelation to John contains a beautiful reference to “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” in heaven. It is hard to imagine this “woman” referring to anyone else but the mother of God. While Mary is considered the new Eve, she is also the new Ark of the Covenant.

Seek and You Shall Find

So what does this ultimately mean? It means that many people today are missing the point (and wasting their time) by looking for the wrong ark in the wrong places, and for many of the wrong reasons. They should be aware that the physical ark that was built by human hands holds no supernatural powers in and of itself, as God’s presence is what gave the original Ark of the Covenant its power. Since we are aware (or should be aware) that the ark built by Moses hidden on Mount Nebo is not to be found until the end of time, and that our new spiritual ark resides in heaven, we can now search for and find God’s presence in the holy of holies — Our blessed mother Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.