1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Ooh, this one, this classic episode is for anyone in 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: the audience tonight who is like us, a fan of 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones. The Arc of the Covenant? Where is it? 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Can you look at it? Et cetera, et cetera? Will 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: it melt your face off? Right? Or is that the 6 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: other thing? 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 2: No? 8 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: That was that was this one? Now? That was the one? Yeah? Yeah, 9 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: According to according to multiple sources, for quite some time, 10 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: the Arc of the Covenant is around still today, and 11 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: it is in a specific location, just maybe not where 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: you might think if you're the West. 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: Is this the one about Oxen or something else? 14 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: This is the idea that the Church of Our Lady 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: Mary of Zion in Ethiopia is home to the Ark 16 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: of the Covenant. This is where we learn about the 17 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: priestly class or cast. They're the only folks who are 18 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: allowed to enter in view the art. Yes, but they'll 19 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: talk to you in detail about it as long as 20 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: you don't try to go in. It's all coming back 21 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: to me now and soon it'll be coming back to 22 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: you right in your ears. 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 3: Here we go from UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. 24 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 3: History is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back 25 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 3: now or learn the stuff they don't want you to know. 26 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,639 Speaker 2: Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt Nol. 27 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: He's on an inventor somewhere. 28 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: That's true. They call me Ben. We are joined as 29 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 1: always with our super producer Paul Decant. Most importantly, you 30 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: are you, and you are here, and that makes this 31 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: stuff they don't want you to know. Let's get right 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: into it. 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: You want to, Yeah, Paul? 34 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: Could we get some sweeping Spielberg esque music? 35 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: Yeah? Have for a certain you know, character that likes 36 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: to go spilunking sometimes and other forms of treasure hunting. 37 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess we should, uh, for legal reasons, call 38 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: him Illinois smith Yep. Yeah, okay, it's we're We're obviously 39 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: huge fans of the Indiana Jones series has a bunch 40 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: of problems. You know, the thuggy cult in Temple of 41 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: Doom is vastly misrepresented. 42 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: You know. I feel like you could listen to that 43 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: music and watch someone search for their keys in a 44 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: couch or something and it would feel just as epic. Yes, 45 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: searching for treasure? 46 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: Do you ever do that, Matt? When when you're doing 47 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: a mundane task, do you ever put on sweeping cinematic music. 48 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 2: No, I just to myself, I'm like, oh, where did 49 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: I put writer's water bottle? Oh don't see us. 50 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: Oh that's that's a great idea. I guilty of playing 51 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: soundtracks when I am on a mundane task to make 52 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: it feel more like a mission something righteous, you know, Oh, totally. 53 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: And today's episode concerns one of the biggest religious questions 54 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: in modern history, the fate of something called the Arc 55 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: of the Covenant. 56 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 2: Yes, relic, an artifact, a highly important fixture, physical fixture 57 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: within the Christian and several other faiths. 58 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: Yes, and older obviously than Christianity, but yes, older than 59 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: we initially suspected. 60 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: Yes. 61 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: And a long time ago, you and I did a 62 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: video together, a video episode on this. It was part 63 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: of a series called Secret Places. 64 00:03:58,360 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: Yep. 65 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: Wherein we explored North Sentinel Island, which yeah, I stand 66 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: by that one, which we have an update on that 67 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: we'll save for the end of the show. And wherein 68 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: we explore the fate or the current location of the 69 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: Ark of the Covenant. But maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. 70 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: Let's start at the beginning. Here are the facts, right, 71 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: the facts about the Arc of the Covenant, We've mentioned 72 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: that it is ancient, and I'm sure it's familiar to 73 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: all of us, right, conspiracy realists listening to this. Regardless 74 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: of what your spiritual or religious orientation is, you are 75 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: familiar with the concept of the Arc of the Covenant 76 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: due to the circumstances of my early days. I learned 77 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: about the Ark of the Covenant through the Spielberg film 78 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones Raiders of Lost Ark. 79 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: That's how you learned about it, That's how I learned 80 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: about it. You know, I bet that's true for a 81 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: lot of people because it's hidden away kind of not 82 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 2: really but a little bit within popular culture until that 83 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 2: movie comes out. There are a couple of things that 84 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 2: you could maybe point to. And it's also not a 85 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: major part of this one book of the Bible Exodus. 86 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: Yes, and I defer to your knowledge of biblical text. 87 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: You and Joe McCormick from Stuff to Blow Your Mind 88 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: are my favorite people to quiz about this literature. So 89 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: what exactly is the Ark of the Covenant the actual thing, 90 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: not the Spielberg thing. 91 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 2: Well, the Ark of the Covenant is it's a couple 92 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: of things. The first thing is a container, this gilded 93 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 2: or kind of golden not kind of golden container that 94 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: has a couple of attributes to it that holds within 95 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: it something very very precious, and that is stone tablets 96 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 2: that Moses held forth that you might remember from some 97 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 2: film or television series where he's standing on top of 98 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 2: Mount Sinai and he's proclaiming that these this is the 99 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: word of God. These are the commandments that we must follow. 100 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: Right. Thou shalt not kill, that's a big one, right. 101 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: The sins, yeah, the dos and don'ts of how to 102 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: be a righteous person. 103 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 2: Correct. 104 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: The real thing, yeah, not a metaphor not a some 105 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: sort of strange analogy. This is a physical container that 106 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: holds within it the tables of the law, the stone 107 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: tablets that bear the word of God. 108 00:06:52,680 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: Yes, some of the oldest maintained word of God on stone. 109 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: Right. And you can read various translations of these tablets 110 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: and their construction in Exodus thirty four to one. Correct. 111 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: So a year after Israelites leave Egypt, the Eod after 112 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: the Exodus. Yes, the arc is created according to the legend, 113 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: following the guidelines of a pattern that God gives to 114 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: Moses when the Israelites are living at the foot of 115 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: Mount Sinai and thereafter this this chest it is it 116 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: is gilded, as you said, Matt, it is gold plated. 117 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: But it is a wooden chest, which is the kind 118 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: of wood it's made out of is typically translated as 119 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: acacia wood. And it is carried like a palanquin like 120 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: on staves. 121 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 2: Like exactly, there are two staves, staffs whatever you want 122 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 2: to call them. Staves is probably the correct word, but 123 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: their wooden sticks essentially, and they're they're very long, and 124 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 2: so you can have at least two people on either 125 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: side of it on their shoulders carrying the thing. And 126 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 2: it's usually portrayed as having cherubs on top of it, yes, 127 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 2: or some kind of small winged angel creature that looks 128 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 2: like a young child, yeah, exactly. And there's you know, 129 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 2: there are so many depictions of it, of what it 130 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 2: possibly could look like. We can't really give you an 131 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 2: exact picture, but if you you know, if you go online, 132 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 2: you can see some of the circular stuff that a 133 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 2: lot of times is depicted as being on the sides 134 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 2: of it, right, and just it's basically it would basically 135 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: be gold finishing work. 136 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah. And these these two figures which we will 137 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: examine in detail later in today's episode. They have their 138 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 1: wings reach out toward one another such that the wings 139 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: form a seat of sorts, and this is called the 140 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: Mercy seat. And the belief is that God Yahweh itself 141 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: sits at this seat. And the arc is sort of 142 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: functioning as a footstool. Yeah. And after its construction, when 143 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: the Israelites are moving or when there is a war occurring, 144 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: this chest is carried two thousand cubits, which today translates 145 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 1: to about twenty six hundred feet or eight hundred meters 146 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: for the entire rest of the world, in advance of 147 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: the population. 148 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 2: Yeah, with a mass Okay, don't want to use the 149 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 2: word exos. When there's mass migration with this group of people, 150 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 2: this thing goes at the front. It's almost like it's 151 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 2: the word of God carrying them and taking them on 152 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: the path. 153 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: Yes, And it is a powerful artifact that it's not 154 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: a passive thing. In the stories. The arc is so 155 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: powerful in fact, that it is always carried under a 156 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: veil of skins and cloth. It can never touch the ground. Yeah, 157 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: pretty much, no one can ever look at it. And 158 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: God speaks directly to Moses in that space created by 159 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: the two cherubim or angels that we mentioned earlier. 160 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 2: It's like a portal basically, kind of. I don't mean to, 161 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: you know, secularize it too much, but that's what it 162 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 2: kind of functions as God's little portal. 163 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: And you're I don't think you're being dismissive at all, 164 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 1: because a lot of the things that we see today 165 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:54,319 Speaker 1: in secular fiction descend from these ancient religious traditions. And 166 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: we're probably going to ruin several sci fi films for 167 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: you along the way here, because many of the depictions 168 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: of artifacts in science fiction are essentially just retellings of 169 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: this original story. So no one can look at it. 170 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: God speaks to Moses directly through it. It can never 171 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: touch the ground, and it is incredibly important. It is 172 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: credited with parting the sea right, Moses uses it to 173 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: part the Red Sea. It creates other miracles for the tribe, 174 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: for the Israelite community. It also brings woe and misfortune 175 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: upon those who do not treat it respectfully, or who 176 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: wrong it or attempt to use it. 177 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely don't try. 178 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: To use it for ungodly purposes. And according to the 179 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: written tradition, the arc is lost in a terrible, terrible 180 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: battle with the Philistines, and the Philistines take it from 181 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: the Israelites, and God punishes the Philistines with plagues, with sickness, illness, terrible, terrible, 182 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: terrible stuff. 183 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 2: And you know, you're looking for a reason, why is 184 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 2: this happening. Maybe it's that thing you went and put 185 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 2: in the treasure room. 186 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: Maybe the Israelites were correct, they say so. Eventually they 187 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: returned the Ark to its original owners, and the Israelites 188 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: keep it at a place called Kiriath Jerem for about 189 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: twenty years, and then King David, again, according to the story, 190 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: takes the Ark to Jerusalem. At first it is housed 191 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: in a tent, and then later it is housed in 192 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: King Solomon's temple. 193 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 2: Solomon's Temple, Yes, that's the big one. That's the one 194 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 2: that Freemasonry models all of its buildings after. 195 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: And it is one of the most important buildings in history. 196 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 197 00:12:55,559 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 1: From that point until Jerusalem's destruction by the Battle Bologians, 198 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: the Arc disappears from the story. 199 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. From the Bible. 200 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, poo vanished gone. 201 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it says here in the notes kaiser SoSE style. 202 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, we were talking about that off air A little bit. 203 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: So that's a spoiler for Usual Suspects, which is a 204 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: great film. I don't I don't think we spoiled that. 205 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 2: I think we have in the past. Unfortunately, Ah well, 206 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 2: it's worth a rewatch. The hint is he's no longer 207 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 2: employed by Netflix. 208 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: Shots fired, Matt. It's it's true on all these accounts, 209 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: this mystery person is no longer employed by Netflix, and 210 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: the arc vanishes from the narrative, and it's it's a 211 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: strange it's a strange absence because it plays such an 212 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: important role, this artifact in the story of the people 213 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: of Israel. So like many physical things, places and artifacts 214 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:18,719 Speaker 1: and people even described in ancient text, experts today are 215 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: still debating over whether or not it's real. And this 216 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: is a thing that pops up pretty often. Is King 217 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: Arthur Reel tell us about its caliber? What happened to 218 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: Noah's Arc? Is it really in Turkey? You know what 219 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: I mean? 220 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: And one of the things that we find as we 221 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 2: look into subjects such as this is that there usually 222 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 2: is something genuine there. Perhaps the stories around it have 223 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 2: been embellished and grown beyond, well beyond themselves over time, 224 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 2: but usually there is something there. If it's recorded in 225 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 2: at least two or three places. 226 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: True true, and especially if they are independent written yes, 227 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: by which we mean those two or three sources are 228 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: not rephrasings of the original source. And now we get 229 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: to the question with the Arc of the Covenant. This 230 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: is fascinating because unlike some other ancient artifacts, there does 231 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: appear to be a genuine physical thing. And ah man, 232 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: I can't wait until we get into the really cool stuff. 233 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: We have to do the background first. But let's talk 234 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: about what could be proven about the arc as a 235 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: physical artifact. So we'll put to the side the claims 236 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: of the extraordinary power of the arc just as a 237 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: physical artifact. Is there an actual thing? According to Baruch Halpern, 238 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: who is a professor of ancient history, classics in ancient 239 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: Mediterranean studies a penn State, as well as religious studies. 240 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: According to him, there is a thing because from his 241 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: perspective he is a very well read expert, the references 242 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: to the arc throughout the religious text are consistent and 243 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: do not change or vary over translation. And this means 244 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: that whatever the original purpose of this artifact was, whatever 245 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: its actual origin story is, he believes there is a 246 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: genuine real physical thing, not a metaphor. Yeah, not some 247 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: sort of symbol that people talk about. You can't look 248 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: inside yourself and find your own arc of the covenant. 249 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: You can't have that young adult novel moment where you're like, ah, 250 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: it was me the whole time. No, this is a 251 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: real thing, this real thing you can hold and you 252 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: shouldn't look at Yeah. 253 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 2: So, whatever it is, it was genuinely taken by the 254 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 2: Philistines and then genuinely given back, and it was it 255 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: genuinely had something in it probably, and it exists, it existed. 256 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 2: And yet here's one of the biggest problems. Ben it 257 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,199 Speaker 2: is so stinkin old, and it was made of wood, 258 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 2: well gold plated wood. 259 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:13,360 Speaker 1: Right, right, Yes, that's a question that incorporates some hard science. 260 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: How long does a wooden construct last. It's that's dependent 261 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: upon numerous environmental factors. 262 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: Exactly where's this thing. 263 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: Been, right, and where is it now if it's still around, 264 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: and how old is it? Actually? Because according to various scholars, 265 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: this physical thing, again, this very real container, this artifact 266 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: is so ancient that it may predate Judaism entirely, which sounds. 267 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 2: Crazy, older than Abraham himself. 268 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: Right, that's that's the idea, because the various biblical stories 269 00:17:53,359 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: of the Arc may all contain echoes of pre judaic 270 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: religious practices. Holy Moly, you'll see some people calling them 271 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: ancient cults. And it's very difficult to untangle the layers 272 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 1: of history and myth that have been added to this 273 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: story in the great millennia old game of telephone that 274 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: has written in oral tradition. But we don't want to 275 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: let anybody feel as if it is impossible to find 276 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: the Arc. We hunted down some rumored locations, places where, 277 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: according to various people, you can find the arc today 278 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen. Again, don't look. 279 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 2: At it, and don't look at it when we come 280 00:18:47,560 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 2: right back from a word for our sponsors. 281 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: And we're back, Matt. You found a number of play 282 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,360 Speaker 1: where people claim the arc exists. 283 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, this, I got some information from IO nine that 284 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 2: had an article that just kind of had a list 285 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 2: is a list article. But then there are a couple 286 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 2: other places that have been mentioned just throughout time and 287 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 2: rumors that have existed. So let's just go through a 288 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 2: couple of these really quickly, and then later on we 289 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 2: can expound a lot further on these. 290 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: You know, the one I'm excited about. 291 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: Oh a, I do so one of the first places, 292 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,679 Speaker 2: and this one's a bit of a softball. It's a 293 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: Catholic church. It's the Cathedral of Our Lady of Shot 294 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 2: in France, and that's in Shot, France, Ar t r. 295 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 2: E s. It's a really interesting place. It's a World 296 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 2: Heritage Site. It's it's a very Gothic church, like a 297 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,120 Speaker 2: in this case French Gothic church. So it's got those 298 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 2: jagged lines with the steeples heading up into the sky. 299 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,680 Speaker 2: It's it's got you know, it's the things that you 300 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 2: would see if you're looking at a very old cathedral. 301 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: It's got the flying buttresses and it's really I don't know, 302 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 2: it's very cool. Is built in like eleven hundred eleven 303 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,439 Speaker 2: night No. Eleven ninety four is when it was constructed. 304 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 2: That's when it began. So you know, perhaps this is 305 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 2: one of the places where the arc ended. 306 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: Up due to the cathedral's association with the Knights Templar. 307 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 2: Correct another group that we have we done in Knights 308 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 2: of Templar episode. 309 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: We are far overdue for the see okay, absolutely should 310 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: that's happening. It's another chance to reference Indiana Jones to 311 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,120 Speaker 1: be completely candid. So the one of the reasons that 312 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: people historically believed that the actual arc could be located 313 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 1: this cathedral is because of the Knights Templar involvement and 314 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: a carving at the cathedral depicting the arc itself. 315 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 2: But you know, that's kind of shaky ground to go on. 316 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, the story here comes from a twentieth century French 317 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: author that said the original nine members of the Night 318 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: Templart discovered the arc early on in the Templar's history 319 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: while they were digging under the Temple mount in search 320 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 1: of treasure and secret things. 321 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 3: Yeah. 322 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 2: This is during the Crusades too, where there's lots of 323 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 2: slaughter and lots of plundering. 324 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, absolutely, And that's not the only place. There's 325 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: also a pretty strong tradition or folkloric narrative that argues 326 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: the Arc of the Covenant, or an arc of the Covenant. 327 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: We'll explain that later exists with the Lemba tribe in 328 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: Southern Africa in Zimbabwe. The Limba tribe may sound familiar 329 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: to some of us because this tribe has Jewish roots. 330 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: Genetic testing infirms the traditional beliefs of this community they've 331 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: always said that they have these roots, that they are 332 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: of the people of Israel, and for a long time 333 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: there were various other forces and institutions that felt this 334 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: was entirely a legend. 335 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's really interesting because there is an arc 336 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 2: of the Covenant that exists that the Limba tribe has 337 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 2: and they're just a place called the Museum of Human 338 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 2: Science in Zimbabwe. And the group claims that this arc 339 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 2: that they have is a replica, like it's not the 340 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 2: actual arc, except that it's built from the remnants of 341 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 2: what the arc became after all of these thousands of. 342 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: Years and the forces of decay upon the wood. And 343 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: the argument is that this arc does contain again those 344 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: physical stone tablets. 345 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just the wooden part as a rec creation essentially. 346 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: And then people say, no, you fools. Of course it 347 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,719 Speaker 1: is located in modern day Israel. 348 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that's the thing that's been a rumor for 349 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 2: a long time, and it's essentially, well, there are a 350 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 2: couple of places where it might be. One of them 351 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 2: is deep within tunnels underground basically of Jerusalem, that there's 352 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 2: some secret chambers that exist where artifacts such as the 353 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:33,360 Speaker 2: Ark of the Covenant are kept. 354 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: Right, And I believe you were telling me off air 355 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:42,120 Speaker 1: that one of the locations is beneath a lake. 356 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, this one is. It's a slightly different version of 357 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 2: this because it's very close. It's Israel's largest freshwater lake, 358 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,639 Speaker 2: Lake Tiberius, and it's supposedly just at the bottom of 359 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 2: this lake, and it's inaccessible at this point. 360 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: Right, which we see as a common theme for a 361 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: lot of these rumored locations. There's another rumored location, subterranean 362 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: location rather in modern day Jordan, a secret cave or 363 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: mountain known to a select few, right people, people who 364 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: are tasked to guard the Ark. That's another thing we see. 365 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: It's a very consistent thing throughout the narratives, from the 366 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: first mention of the arc to the modern day mentions. 367 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: It always has an elite guard of some sort. 368 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know, speaking of an elite guard, sometimes 369 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 2: it's not a physical elite guard. It's a curse of 370 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 2: some sort. Because for a long time it was thought 371 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: that perhaps King Tut's tomb, for some reason, not sure why, 372 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 2: contained in one of these secret chambers that was purported 373 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 2: to exist the Ark of the Covenant. Yeah, yeah, that 374 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 2: is up until around this year I think May of 375 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 2: this year or a little before that, there was some 376 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 2: extensive scientific testing of King Tut and Commons tomb that 377 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 2: essentially proved no, there are no super secret, hidden awesome 378 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 2: treasure chambers. 379 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: Sadly in that particular tomb. Yes, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, 380 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: I agree. 381 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:20,360 Speaker 2: I agree. 382 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: It's interesting because the stories about the tomb and the 383 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 1: legends of the curse, and the idea that it is 384 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 1: a repository for arcane, secret valuable things, A lot, a 385 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: lot of these legends spring up when Egyptology is experiencing 386 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,679 Speaker 1: its Western Renaissance. Yeah, you know, and there are a 387 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:49,439 Speaker 1: ton of British people saying, ah, yeah, it's there, whatever 388 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: it is. What did you just did you say? You 389 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: say the arc of the Covenant. Yeah, yeah, totally that yeah, 390 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: King Tut Man, Oh. 391 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 2: King Tut's it is? 392 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, boy, King is We get all the stuff. 393 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: And that has been our completely accurate reenactment of Egyptology 394 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: in Britain, So that one has been disproven primarily through 395 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:17,360 Speaker 1: the use of modern technology. 396 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 2: Yes, at least, as you're saying, in that particular King 397 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 2: Tut's tomb, if there may be, King Tut had multiple tombs. 398 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: You know, he was an enterprising guy. You never know. 399 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 1: Well, the Valley of the Kings is home to many 400 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:32,880 Speaker 1: mysteries still, and it would be wonderful to visit one day, 401 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: can we? I think you know what, if Paul is in, 402 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go. 403 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 2: Okay, Oh he said no, he said no, Yeah, he 404 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 2: said no. 405 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: Hang on, let me. 406 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 2: I just got daggers. Oh okay, shrugs a little better. 407 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: All right, Well, write to us and let us know 408 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 1: if you have explored this area of Egypt. Who want 409 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: to hear your experiences. And while we were waiting to 410 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 1: hear from you, we're getting to the crux of today's question. 411 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: We've done a very high level look at the history 412 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: of the Ark of the Covenant, the various claims by 413 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: differing experts about what it actually was, and the various 414 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: claims about where it might be. And that leads us 415 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,400 Speaker 1: to the question where is the Ark of the Covenant today? 416 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 2: And we'll take a different trip, this time to Ethiopia. 417 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 2: After a word from our sponsor. 418 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 1: Yere's where it gets crazy. 419 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 2: Oh that's the stuff. 420 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: Oh, watching the video has really brought it back. We 421 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 1: are traveling to northern Ethiopia, come with us on this 422 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: journey of the mind. We are going to Aksum. Some 423 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: of some of us who have researched ancient African history 424 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 1: in the past will be familiar with this name spelled 425 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: a x M. It's something that was written out of 426 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 1: a lot of Western history books. But Axum was a 427 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: very powerful kingdom that was founded around four hundred BCE. 428 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: And the city in modern day Ethiopia Aksum is the 429 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:22,400 Speaker 1: former capital of this ancient kingdom and it is replete 430 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: with cultural and architectural history and along with that come legends. 431 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: One legend is that the Queen of Sheba herself lived 432 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: in this city. And while you can go back and 433 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: forth about the historosity or that's the fancy word for 434 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: the accuracy of these claims, we can say that in 435 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: the modern day UNESCO recognizes these locations, these sites, these 436 00:28:55,480 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: constructs and buildings as World Heritage Sites. Whether or not 437 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: all the legends are true, everyone can agree that this 438 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: is Eldridge stuff. 439 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, And there are some incredible ruins that you 440 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 2: can find in an Oxom in modern day Oxom, and 441 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 2: it's just I mean, it's so cool. Everything from obelisks 442 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 2: to entire just I don't know what you would call it. 443 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 2: Just a lot of standing stones, a lot of places 444 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 2: where there are large parts of stone walls and buildings 445 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 2: that are that remain. But it's just it is ruins. 446 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 2: But it is just so cool to see. I've used 447 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 2: so many pictures of this place over the course of 448 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 2: stuff they don't want you to know, as as like 449 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 2: stock footage, just because it is fascinating looking. It's it's 450 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 2: very very cool. 451 00:29:55,600 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. And in this city there is is a church. 452 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: It's called the Chapel of the Tablet. It's part of 453 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:11,479 Speaker 1: the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. The Chapel 454 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: of the Tablet, just if you're a casual passer by, 455 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: looks like an old building. It's not huge, it's clearly, 456 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: clearly ancient, but it's something that you might not look 457 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:30,719 Speaker 1: at twice as you're strolling through this city that is 458 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: filled to the brim with ancient wonders. Absolutely, but this 459 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 1: church has a particular claim to fame and importance in Ethiopia, 460 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: in the world at large, and across the Abramaic religions. 461 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: It is the home of the actual arc of the Covenant, 462 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: or so they claim. 463 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 2: Well, here's the deal. There is only one human being 464 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 2: that can see this, and it's not unfortunately. 465 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: Well it might be it might be one of us. 466 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: If you happen to be listening, if you're this one 467 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 1: person and you happen to be a fam stuff. They 468 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: don't want you to know. 469 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 2: You lonely, one person with such a burden to bear. 470 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to the show and for taking 471 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 2: care of the Ark of the Covenant. 472 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: That's right. There is a single guardian, yeah, appointed for 473 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: life to protect the Ark of the Covenant, and they 474 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: are not allowed to leave the bounds of the temple. 475 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: They're also always male. They are the only person allowed 476 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: to view this artifact. 477 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 2: And it's a lineal thing too. There's a lineage to 478 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 2: it because you, as the guardian, you continue protecting and 479 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 2: protecting and staying in this place and protecting and protecting, 480 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 2: and then you eventually start to die, and when you're 481 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 2: on your deathbed and you're laying there taking your last breaths, 482 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 2: you have to choose somebody or maybe not in that moment, 483 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 2: but you have to choose the next guardian, and then 484 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 2: that person has to stay in that place forever, yes. 485 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: Until their death. They have to stay so according to 486 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: the story, this is where the Ark of the Covenant 487 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: ends up due to the actions of an Ethiopian prince. 488 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: According to the Axonite Christians, the Ark of the Covenant 489 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: is first brought to Ethiopia during the reign of King Solomon, 490 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: and the Queen of Sheba travels to meet Solomon and 491 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: has a child with him named Menlik, and this is 492 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: the guy who reputedly takes the ark. So that's according 493 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: to this version of events, that's how it ends up here. 494 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: And it's still around, it hasn't decayed. 495 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. The story is essentially that because they had this child, 496 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 2: at some point the Queen of Sheba travels to meet 497 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,719 Speaker 2: or for travels to see Solomon with the child so 498 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 2: that they can actually meet the father and the son. 499 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 2: And then when they return back to where they are 500 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 2: in Ethiopia, they take. 501 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: It with them. Ah I see. Which is an interesting 502 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: story plot wise, because this is one of the most 503 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: powerful artifacts that Solomon possesses, right. 504 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 2: And perhaps it's keep it hidden, keep it safe kind 505 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 2: of thing. 506 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: Maybe it is. Maybe it is. It's just strange that 507 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: he would give this away. If he consentually gave it away, it's. 508 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 2: A gift to his son. 509 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 1: There we go. Maybe maybe. Despite the official stance that 510 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: only the guardian of the ark may gaze upon this artifact, 511 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: over the years, several other people have claimed that they 512 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: also happened to see it, one of whom was a 513 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: former administrator of the church. Here's the thing, though, so 514 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: it's it's one person typically looking at it, and a 515 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: couple of other people, for one reason or another, have 516 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,839 Speaker 1: been able to gaze upon it or glance at it. 517 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 1: Their descriptions all match, just like the descriptions in ancient 518 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: Judaic text. Everyone is looking at the same physical thing, 519 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: and the description furthermore of this arc based in Ethiopia, 520 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:35,480 Speaker 1: largely jibe with the descriptions of the container mentioned in 521 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: Exodus Exodus twenty five versus ten through twenty two. 522 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 2: Do you mind if I just go through here and 523 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,800 Speaker 2: read the NIB version? 524 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: Yeah? Please do, please do? And could we bring back 525 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 1: the music? Oh? 526 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 2: Okay ooh that sounds so all right. Here we go. 527 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,839 Speaker 2: So this is Exodus twenty five to ten through twenty two, 528 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 2: New International Version of the Bible. Have them make an 529 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 2: arc of a kaisha would two and a half half 530 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 2: cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a 531 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:06,240 Speaker 2: cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, 532 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 2: both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 533 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 2: Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to 534 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 2: its four feet, with two rings on one side and 535 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,720 Speaker 2: two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia 536 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,439 Speaker 2: wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into 537 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,839 Speaker 2: the rings on the sides of the arc to carry it. 538 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 2: Feels very putting together a piece of furniture kind of thing. 539 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,320 Speaker 2: I guess that's kind of what it is. The poles 540 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 2: are to remain in the rings of this arc. They 541 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 2: are not to be removed. Then put in the ark 542 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:41,399 Speaker 2: the tablets of the Covenant Law, which I will give 543 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 2: you Ben. 544 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: Do you want to continue, well, think you bet. I 545 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:48,240 Speaker 1: would love to make an atonement cover of pure gold 546 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: two and a half cubits long and a cubit and 547 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: a half wide, and make two cherublem out of hammered 548 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:57,360 Speaker 1: gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub 549 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: on one end and the second cherub on the other. 550 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: Make the cherubim of one piece with the cover at 551 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:05,840 Speaker 1: the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings 552 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The Cherubim are 553 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: to face each other looking toward the cover. Place the 554 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: cover on top of the ark, and put in the 555 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: ark the tablets of the Covenant Law that I will 556 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 1: give you there above the cover, between the two Cherubim 557 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: that are over the ark of the Covenant Law, I 558 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,040 Speaker 1: will meet with you and give you all my commands 559 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: for the Israelites. Oh, you know, it's very specific, so specific. 560 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: It reads like assembly instructions. Yeah, which it is, Yeah, 561 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: it is. 562 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 2: But twice it's said, hey, look, seriously, put the tablets 563 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,720 Speaker 2: in there. Okay, we got that, or I'm gonna keep going, Okay, 564 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 2: put the tablets in there. You got this. But then 565 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 2: that last bit of I will meet you and give 566 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:54,480 Speaker 2: you all my commands for the Israelites at the end. Yeah, 567 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 2: in between those wings. 568 00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 1: And the specificity here is crucial to this story. Yeah, 569 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 1: because it gives us in the modern day a very 570 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: very good profile of what to look for, what is 571 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:12,759 Speaker 1: the arc. 572 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 2: But it also gives anyone who is anyone instructions on 573 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 2: how to make an arc. Yes, so if you want 574 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 2: to make a recreation, you could make it to a 575 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 2: t like seriously, at any point in history, you could 576 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 2: age it let's say you made it in the sixteen hundreds. 577 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 2: You could make an arc then, and then it would 578 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 2: look so aged at this point, unless you had someone 579 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 2: come in and actually do testing on the wood, it 580 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,719 Speaker 2: would be difficult to prove you know, that it's some 581 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,399 Speaker 2: not some miraculous ancient thing. 582 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 1: Right. That's that's a really good point. You got me. 583 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: It's not gotcha, man, come on, I go my hands 584 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: up about that one, because it is it is true. 585 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: The specificity is a sword that swings both ways cognitively 586 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:03,080 Speaker 1: and makes it difficult for people who are attempting to 587 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 1: track down the actual location of the physical arc. This 588 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: is the stuff they don't want you to know about it. 589 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:13,400 Speaker 1: Which which of the claimed arcs is replica? Which is 590 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: the real deal? And the most important aspect of the 591 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: arc that would separate it from a replica is going 592 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: to be that it can the true arc contains these 593 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: two tablets. 594 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:34,400 Speaker 2: Yes, two tablets made of stone. Yeah, that are stone 595 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 2: cold chisel if you really wanted. 596 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:42,239 Speaker 1: To oh man, yeah, you're on fire today. That's just 597 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: it's a really good point. It's a really good point. 598 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 1: So then if that doesn't work as the indicator of 599 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,879 Speaker 1: the true arc, the last thing we are left with 600 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: is the God or the ability of the arc to 601 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:03,719 Speaker 1: do extraordin supernatural things. Miraculous things will probably be a 602 00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 1: better word in this context, so accept no substitutions. The 603 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: true arc of the Covenant is occupied by God right 604 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 1: sitting there on the mercy seat. The arc is a 605 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 1: footstool talking to Moses, or in this case, talking to 606 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: the single guardian there at that church in Axham. 607 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 2: And you get to ask yourself, what is this guardian 608 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 2: doing with all the information that he's getting, right? Is 609 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 2: he like one of the most powerful men on earth 610 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 2: or perhaps of the most. 611 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 1: Or does the guardian only guard it and never really 612 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 1: upon it. 613 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 2: See, this is what we need. We need to have 614 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 2: a team of people who are willing to look into 615 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:51,359 Speaker 2: the arc and try and use it to see whether 616 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 2: or not faces melt and you know, anything bad happens 617 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 2: to those people. That's how we begin testing all of 618 00:39:57,719 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 2: these various arcs. 619 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:01,480 Speaker 1: And we have I think we have yet to talk 620 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 1: about the idea that the arc is a piece of 621 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 1: anachronistically sophisticated technology. The oh man, that's almost a different episode. 622 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:15,359 Speaker 1: It maybe we should do that for a different episode. 623 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 2: But let me just tell you right now. My favorite one, 624 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 2: personally is that it was some form of radioactive either 625 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 2: material or weapon, or something that was very, very bad 626 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 2: that you should not ever open because there's nuclear or 627 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 2: radioactive energy in there. 628 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: Right, which sounds as if it would be something straight 629 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:41,879 Speaker 1: out of science fiction. However, I believe a few years 630 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: ago you and I were both startled to discover that 631 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: ancient nuclear reactors did exist. 632 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 2: In a technical. 633 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,600 Speaker 1: You got it. It's okay, they're not as far as 634 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,840 Speaker 1: we know, they're not man made, but there are on 635 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,280 Speaker 1: the African continent. In modern day Gabon. I want to say, 636 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 1: there are clear indications that there were three naturally occurring 637 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 1: nuclear reactors. 638 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,759 Speaker 2: But if you look at ancient Indian texts, perhaps you 639 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:17,399 Speaker 2: may believe that there was an ancient war of some 640 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 2: kind with flying machines and weapons that could light up 641 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:27,359 Speaker 2: the sky and turn deserts to glass, and maybe it's 642 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:28,680 Speaker 2: a remnant of that war. 643 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:35,480 Speaker 1: Right. And furthermore, as insane as some of this sounds, 644 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,399 Speaker 1: we're going down a rabbit hole. Please come with us 645 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: or send help. As insane as this stuff sounds, the 646 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:46,840 Speaker 1: fact of the matter is that human beings are extraordinarily bad. 647 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 1: At holding on to stuff over time. We've lost people 648 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:52,920 Speaker 1: and thought they were fictional, to find out they were real. 649 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,440 Speaker 1: We've lost cities and thought they were legends or pure 650 00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:58,920 Speaker 1: acts of symbolism, only to the or find out they 651 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: are real. And we have lost entire civilizations. We have 652 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:02,879 Speaker 1: done that. 653 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:04,800 Speaker 2: Humans. 654 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 1: Now, is it probable that there is ancient sophisticated technology 655 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,400 Speaker 1: that was somehow lost? Yeah, it's only probable because we 656 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 1: have found or rediscovered ancient technologies, But we haven't found 657 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:26,640 Speaker 1: anything like a spaceship. They're usually going to be something 658 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:31,359 Speaker 1: like Greek fire or Damascus steel, you know what I mean. 659 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:38,279 Speaker 1: They're more techniques and the unique mixes of chemicals. But 660 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: it would be really cool to find an ancient aircraft 661 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 1: please please see. And one of the arguments against that 662 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:53,120 Speaker 1: is that if something like that. First off, the argument 663 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: is no, you're crazy, that would never happen because we 664 00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: would have heard more about it. And then the second 665 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 1: argument is, oh, even if someone somehow did something like that, 666 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 1: it would have decayed due to the vast span of 667 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,839 Speaker 1: time and the chasm between the ancient world and the 668 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:17,959 Speaker 1: modern day. But that brings us back to your original point, 669 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:22,479 Speaker 1: which I love about a gilded wooden artifact. How could 670 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:27,120 Speaker 1: it be intact for so long? This question leads many 671 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:30,960 Speaker 1: scholars to assume that the object within the church in 672 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:37,600 Speaker 1: Ethiopia is itself a replica. You can call it a 673 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,920 Speaker 1: forgery and call it a replica. I think forgery has 674 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 1: some negative connotations, so let's just say replica. But they 675 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:49,759 Speaker 1: think the arc or the artifact in that church, while 676 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,279 Speaker 1: being a replica, is a very old one. Yeah, it 677 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:57,879 Speaker 1: wasn't made in nineteen seventy or something, right, And this 678 00:43:58,239 --> 00:44:05,279 Speaker 1: is a believable claim because the forgery of holy objects, 679 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 1: relics of saints, pieces of the True Cross, and so 680 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 1: on are historically quite common. Yeah there. I cannot remember 681 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:18,520 Speaker 1: who said it, but there is a great quotation wherein 682 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:22,719 Speaker 1: someone says They're shown a piece of the quote unquote true. 683 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:25,320 Speaker 2: Cross, the one that held Jesus right. 684 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 1: Upon which Jesus Christ was crucified, And they say, you know, 685 00:44:29,239 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: I've seen so many of these, they're enough to make 686 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 1: a forest. Wow, how big is this cross? Right? And 687 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:43,880 Speaker 1: while that is true, while counterfeit relics and artifacts are 688 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 1: ubiquitous in the ancient world, that doesn't prove or disprove 689 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 1: the Church's claims it's just something that's important for us 690 00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:58,280 Speaker 1: to know. And of course not everyone agrees spoiler alert 691 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:01,480 Speaker 1: that this is the actual arc. There are people like 692 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: Ron Wyatt who claimed to have discovered the arc for themselves. 693 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:12,799 Speaker 1: Wyatt specifically claims that he discovered it in Jerusalem. And 694 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,360 Speaker 1: now we get to the case of Zimbabwe, where the 695 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,800 Speaker 1: Lemba people who we mentioned earlier, claimed to have once 696 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:24,600 Speaker 1: in the past possessed the original arc and reconstructed it. 697 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 1: According to their traditions, the original container was destroyed and 698 00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 1: so the Limba, following the word of God, created a 699 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:39,239 Speaker 1: new container called the Ngoma Lungundhu for these holy stone tablets. 700 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:45,560 Speaker 1: That translates Goma Lungundhu translates to the drum that thunders. 701 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:51,320 Speaker 1: I know what an amazing name, right, And this container 702 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:56,799 Speaker 1: fits our criteria for the true arc in that it 703 00:45:56,920 --> 00:46:06,560 Speaker 1: contains those stone tablets and suitedly has extraordinary powers or capabilities. However, 704 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:11,240 Speaker 1: as you mentioned earlier in the show, Matt, big problem 705 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:14,439 Speaker 1: is people can look at this. Yeah, you look directly at. 706 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:17,320 Speaker 2: It, no no consequence whatsoever. 707 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:20,640 Speaker 1: Maybe it's I mean, we're being a big clib with this. 708 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 1: According to the legends, you're not supposed to look at 709 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,680 Speaker 1: the container out of respect. It's opening it that presents 710 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:33,359 Speaker 1: the problem. Right. So our big buzzkill for this is 711 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:38,400 Speaker 1: that other people claim the arc was real, did exist, 712 00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:41,880 Speaker 1: and is not around today, is not extant because the 713 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:46,399 Speaker 1: Babylonians destroyed it. So these are our options. The arc 714 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:54,080 Speaker 1: does exist, was destroyed, or was destroyed and then recreated 715 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:58,840 Speaker 1: to contain these tablets, or it exists in any number 716 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,760 Speaker 1: of coincidentally inaccessible. 717 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,840 Speaker 2: Places like the Vatican Archives. 718 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you brought this up. Now. 719 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:11,279 Speaker 2: This is just I did not read this anywhere. This 720 00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:13,719 Speaker 2: is just something that came to mind. If you were 721 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:18,279 Speaker 2: going to safely store an ancient artifact such as this 722 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:19,920 Speaker 2: a relic, you might want to do it at the 723 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 2: Vatican Archives because they've got some technology going on there 724 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:27,239 Speaker 2: to really protect things like this. And it would make 725 00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:29,080 Speaker 2: a whole lot of sense if this is where it 726 00:47:29,160 --> 00:47:31,919 Speaker 2: ended up, if you like think about it, it could. 727 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:34,880 Speaker 2: I don't know, it would be safe for it to 728 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,480 Speaker 2: be there, and it would be relatively unknown because there 729 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:40,200 Speaker 2: the Vatican Archives are very difficult to gain access to, 730 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:42,880 Speaker 2: and if you do gain access, you don't get to 731 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 2: see everything. 732 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:47,360 Speaker 1: And it's so oh man. The whole process of accessing 733 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:51,440 Speaker 1: the Vatican Archives is strange. So there are parts of 734 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:56,319 Speaker 1: there are parts of the archives wherein you have to 735 00:47:56,520 --> 00:48:03,000 Speaker 1: go there in person and you all are allowed to 736 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 1: read a restricted work or view a sacred object, but 737 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: you're not allowed to say, hey, so what stuff do 738 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:14,440 Speaker 1: you have here? Yeah? What's the where's the directory? You 739 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:16,399 Speaker 1: have to know, you have to know exactly what you're 740 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:20,800 Speaker 1: looking for, which is such an effective way to prevent 741 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:26,880 Speaker 1: the curious from casually investigating things. 742 00:48:27,920 --> 00:48:30,240 Speaker 2: Hi, excuse me, I'm looking for the ark of the Covenant. 743 00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:32,880 Speaker 2: Oh yes, I come right this way. I'll show you 744 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:37,080 Speaker 2: what it is. Sorry, that's perfect. 745 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:40,120 Speaker 1: No, that's perfect. That's perfect. And that was the Pope right. 746 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:42,800 Speaker 2: Oh yes, he's a papa. 747 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:48,640 Speaker 1: Yeah that's true. From nine thirty am to about four 748 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:52,960 Speaker 1: thirty pm Vatican time, you can just swing by and 749 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: speak to His Holiness himself. It's it's kind of like 750 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:01,040 Speaker 1: a bookstore. We are at absolutely kidding. 751 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:04,799 Speaker 2: We're joking, so sorry that that is not meant to so. 752 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:08,080 Speaker 1: I think I think the Pope himself would find it funny. 753 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:10,279 Speaker 2: I think at any time you have to be able 754 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,640 Speaker 2: to poke phone a little bit at very very powerful 755 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,080 Speaker 2: people just a tiny bit just to make everything else 756 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:18,319 Speaker 2: feel okay. No matter what your beliefs are. If it's 757 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:20,600 Speaker 2: super powerful, you just kind of go, you know what, 758 00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:22,720 Speaker 2: it's okay, right, we can be silly. 759 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: Well, the question holds though. The recreation that that you 760 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:32,520 Speaker 1: depicted met it still holds up because it leads us 761 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:38,040 Speaker 1: to another question. If this were in the archives, wouldn't 762 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:43,160 Speaker 1: someone have talked about it at some point? Yeah? 763 00:49:43,239 --> 00:49:45,799 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, And wouldn't it wouldn't okay, If you're a 764 00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:49,319 Speaker 2: major institution like that, rather than just protect it, why 765 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 2: wouldn't you have it in a protected place? 766 00:49:52,719 --> 00:49:52,839 Speaker 1: Right? 767 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:55,920 Speaker 2: You know where it can be displayed for tourists. Can 768 00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:58,040 Speaker 2: you imagine the tourism dollars you could get out of 769 00:49:58,040 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 2: that Vatican Church and Vatican Bank. 770 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:05,120 Speaker 1: Or probably more importantly, for that institution. Can you imagine 771 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 1: the validity? Yes, it gives to adherents, to believers, to practitioners. 772 00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:13,960 Speaker 1: People would come from across the world just version ratio 773 00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:16,040 Speaker 1: for that, Yeah, just for a chance to view it. 774 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:20,200 Speaker 1: Why would it be a secret. A poor example of 775 00:50:20,239 --> 00:50:24,279 Speaker 1: this would be the constitutions of various countries, many of 776 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:28,720 Speaker 1: which are on display, and they in a secular sense 777 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:32,759 Speaker 1: are sacred objects, right, the foundation of various nations. But 778 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:39,400 Speaker 1: the states that function under these constitutions and these declarations 779 00:50:39,440 --> 00:50:43,000 Speaker 1: and so on, they want people to see them. They 780 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:46,000 Speaker 1: have lines out the door for people to go look 781 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:50,920 Speaker 1: at these things. So it's an interesting conundrum because if 782 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:53,400 Speaker 1: the arc is stored somewhere and someone knows about it, 783 00:50:53,440 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 1: then why is it a secret? So a great question. 784 00:50:57,320 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 1: In two thousand and nine, the patriarch of the Ethiopian 785 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:05,960 Speaker 1: Church had planned to publicly display it display the ark 786 00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,840 Speaker 1: of the Covenant that is based there in axiom. However, 787 00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:11,360 Speaker 1: this may have been a rumor. The claim was quickly 788 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:16,080 Speaker 1: withdrawn and the church said the original reports were disinformation, 789 00:51:16,680 --> 00:51:22,360 Speaker 1: attempting who was implied to pressure the church to allow 790 00:51:22,520 --> 00:51:26,480 Speaker 1: at least photographs of the arc to be disseminated. There's 791 00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:29,879 Speaker 1: another question that you may have been wondering about as 792 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:34,400 Speaker 1: we were exploring this story. Could there be multiple arcs? 793 00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:36,600 Speaker 2: Yeah? At this point we could say there are at 794 00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:37,360 Speaker 2: least two. 795 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:41,960 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, the Limba arc, right, and the Drum that thunders, 796 00:51:42,719 --> 00:51:47,000 Speaker 1: and then this original arc at least too, at least two. 797 00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:51,120 Speaker 1: And that's if all the stories, that's if the Limba 798 00:51:51,680 --> 00:51:56,719 Speaker 1: narrative and the ancient Jedaic narrative are both correct, Yes, 799 00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:00,680 Speaker 1: but it turns out there are references in other ancient 800 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:07,120 Speaker 1: text of similar containers used to transport sacred relics. There's 801 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:11,319 Speaker 1: an author named Thomas Roemer who created a book called 802 00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:14,880 Speaker 1: The Invention of God and Roma writes that throughout the Levant, 803 00:52:15,160 --> 00:52:20,000 Speaker 1: it was common for pre Islamic Bedouins and Arab communities 804 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:24,000 Speaker 1: to carry a holy chest that contained two sacred stones 805 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:28,719 Speaker 1: or the statues of two gods, and that later after 806 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:33,880 Speaker 1: the rise of Islam, these statues were replaced by copies 807 00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:38,640 Speaker 1: of the Qur'an. Oh Wow, and even stranger. This is 808 00:52:38,680 --> 00:52:41,839 Speaker 1: something that I don't think either of us expected to find. 809 00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:47,520 Speaker 1: Matt even stranger. The arc may have originally contained two statues, 810 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: one representing yahweh and one representing a Shira. 811 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:54,880 Speaker 2: I don't know Ashira. 812 00:52:55,360 --> 00:53:03,480 Speaker 1: Ashira, according to this folkloric research, was the divine consort 813 00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:07,600 Speaker 1: of the god yahweh Aha. So if we're trying to 814 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:12,000 Speaker 1: be buzzfeedy about it and make a headline God's wife, 815 00:53:12,239 --> 00:53:13,360 Speaker 1: pretty strange. 816 00:53:12,960 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 2: Stuff, Yeah, definitely. 817 00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:19,320 Speaker 1: So that's where we leave it for now. We are 818 00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:24,319 Speaker 1: going to return with an episode on the claims of 819 00:53:24,360 --> 00:53:27,880 Speaker 1: ancient technology perhaps associated with the arc, to which we 820 00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:35,239 Speaker 1: can add other historical anachronistic objects such as the Antithera mechanism. 821 00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:39,160 Speaker 2: Dude, So it sounds like we need to start just 822 00:53:39,440 --> 00:53:42,200 Speaker 2: traveling the world trying to prove whether or not this 823 00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:44,120 Speaker 2: thing exists, because I don't think we can do it 824 00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 2: from here. We got to actually get in these rooms, 825 00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:50,600 Speaker 2: tackle the guardians. It'd be like I'm opening this. 826 00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:56,959 Speaker 1: Thing and we can only do this with your help. 827 00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:59,280 Speaker 2: Oh no, no, no, wait, don't don't tackle any guardians. 828 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:02,960 Speaker 2: Don't please, don't do that. I'm totally joking. Yes, but 829 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 2: we do need you to go explore the world for us, 830 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:06,160 Speaker 2: if that's okay. 831 00:54:06,080 --> 00:54:09,719 Speaker 1: And let us know if you have been to one 832 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:12,960 Speaker 1: of the places that we mentioned in this episode, let 833 00:54:13,080 --> 00:54:16,839 Speaker 1: us know what your take is on the art. Now, 834 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:22,440 Speaker 1: we're pretty careful to separate our opinions from our research 835 00:54:23,120 --> 00:54:27,120 Speaker 1: in every episode of every show we do, and in 836 00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:30,840 Speaker 1: this case, I'll put my opinion out there. I believe 837 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 1: it was a real historical object. Yeah, yeah, the descriptions 838 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:41,560 Speaker 1: are consistent enough. Now what did it do? What was 839 00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:47,360 Speaker 1: really inside? How many instances or iterations or versions of 840 00:54:47,400 --> 00:54:51,480 Speaker 1: this thing exist. Those are questions that I don't have 841 00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:56,759 Speaker 1: the answers to. However, there clearly was a physical thing 842 00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:00,359 Speaker 1: and may still be a physical thing there. 843 00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:04,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I tend to agree with you. Yeah, I think 844 00:55:04,120 --> 00:55:07,520 Speaker 2: the physical thing though, if it did exist, it would 845 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:11,359 Speaker 2: go the way of the limbo one, where it was 846 00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:14,560 Speaker 2: broken down into almost nothing and then it was recreated 847 00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:16,160 Speaker 2: into a new version of itself. 848 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,879 Speaker 1: And that also that makes me wonder about the old 849 00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:22,560 Speaker 1: ship of Thesis problem. 850 00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:24,960 Speaker 2: You remember that one ship of thesis. 851 00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:29,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, the Ship of Thesis. It's a thought experiment and 852 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:34,399 Speaker 1: it's baffling. So the idea is the idea is this, 853 00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:38,440 Speaker 1: Let's take a ship and say that over the course 854 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:41,759 Speaker 1: of the ship's existence, it is repaired and pieces of 855 00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:48,160 Speaker 1: it are replaced, and eventually the ship is made of 856 00:55:48,360 --> 00:55:52,560 Speaker 1: entirely new materials. None of the original ship exists. It's 857 00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:56,560 Speaker 1: just been slowly and completely repaired and replaced. Is it 858 00:55:56,640 --> 00:56:01,680 Speaker 1: the same ship in this case? Is the arc? The 859 00:56:01,719 --> 00:56:02,359 Speaker 1: same arc? 860 00:56:03,120 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 2: Is any human being the same human as we constantly 861 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:07,800 Speaker 2: lose and replace ourselves. 862 00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:12,080 Speaker 1: That's true, that's true. These are huge questions. We want 863 00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:14,840 Speaker 1: to hear. We want to hear your take. We hope 864 00:56:14,840 --> 00:56:17,759 Speaker 1: that you enjoyed this episode as always. Thank you to 865 00:56:17,800 --> 00:56:21,160 Speaker 1: our super producer Paul Dekkantt, thank you to the Guardians 866 00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:24,200 Speaker 1: of the Arc, whomever they may be and wherever they 867 00:56:24,239 --> 00:56:27,640 Speaker 1: are located. And thank you Matt for hanging out here. 868 00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:31,160 Speaker 1: I can't believe we went the whole episode and only 869 00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:33,640 Speaker 1: did a few tasteful Indiana Jones references. 870 00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:37,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, we got through it. Well, we did some tasteful 871 00:56:38,040 --> 00:56:40,640 Speaker 2: full references. Then we read the Bible Indiana Jones style. 872 00:56:41,719 --> 00:56:45,120 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, we did do it all all right. Well, 873 00:56:45,239 --> 00:56:49,360 Speaker 1: that's that's our cue. That's our cue to call it 874 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:53,080 Speaker 1: a day. This concludes our episode, but not our show. 875 00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:56,520 Speaker 1: We will be back very soon with more strange and 876 00:56:56,600 --> 00:57:00,160 Speaker 1: fascinating stuff they don't want you to know. In the meantime, 877 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:04,360 Speaker 1: you can find Matt, Nole, Paul, and myself on the internet. 878 00:57:04,520 --> 00:57:07,400 Speaker 1: We're all over the place. We're on Instagram, we're on Facebook, 879 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:09,839 Speaker 1: we're on Twitter. We'd love to see you over at 880 00:57:09,920 --> 00:57:13,000 Speaker 1: our community page. Here's where it gets crazy, where we're 881 00:57:13,040 --> 00:57:15,960 Speaker 1: getting a lot of stuff and there's actually I don't 882 00:57:15,960 --> 00:57:18,760 Speaker 1: know if you saw this, Matt, there's a guy who 883 00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:23,080 Speaker 1: I've just decided to never reply to. Oh really, with 884 00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:25,880 Speaker 1: anything other than the phrase and all caps, all Hail 885 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:26,720 Speaker 1: the King of toast. 886 00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:29,120 Speaker 2: Oh. I saw that. I just saw that. It was 887 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:30,280 Speaker 2: right before we came in here. 888 00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:32,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna take this. I'm gonna run with it. 889 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:37,440 Speaker 1: We are active on the page and we would like 890 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:40,160 Speaker 1: to hear from the most important part of every show 891 00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:42,760 Speaker 1: we do, which is you, specifically you. 892 00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:45,520 Speaker 2: If none of that really, and that's the end of 893 00:57:45,600 --> 00:57:49,520 Speaker 2: this classic episode. If you have any thoughts or questions 894 00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:52,960 Speaker 2: about this episode, you can get into contact with us 895 00:57:53,040 --> 00:57:55,120 Speaker 2: in a number of different ways. One of the best 896 00:57:55,200 --> 00:57:56,960 Speaker 2: is to give us a call. Our number is one 897 00:57:57,120 --> 00:58:01,680 Speaker 2: eight three three STDWY. If you don't want to do that, 898 00:58:01,960 --> 00:58:03,960 Speaker 2: you can send us a good old fashioned email. 899 00:58:04,200 --> 00:58:08,160 Speaker 1: We are conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com. 900 00:58:08,520 --> 00:58:10,600 Speaker 2: Stuff they don't want you to know is a production 901 00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:15,240 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 902 00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.