The Ark of the Covenant Found?

'For centuries a search has been made for the Ark of the Covenant, a search extending from Jerusalem to the top of Tara Hill in Ireland, site of the ancient halls of Parliament for the Irish kings and nobles. The trail to its resting place now leads us back to MOUNT PISGAH, highest peak of the Mount Nebo range, in modern Jordan. What better source than Scripture to the whereabouts of the Ark?

'For the answer to the whereabouts of the Ark we look at II Maccabees 2:4. Here we find that Jeremiah 'prompted by a divine message, the prophet gave orders that the Tent of Meeting and the Ark should go with him.' He did not take it to Egypt. On the contrary, 'he went away to the mountain from the top of which Moses saw God's promised land (Mount Pisgah). When Jeremiah reached the mountain, 'he found a cave dwelling; he carried the tent, the ark, and the incense altar into it, then blocked up the entrance' (II Maccabees 2:4-6). Here is solid documentary evidence of where the Ark was placed. Several of Jeremiah's followers returned to mark the site, but 'when Jeremiah learned of this he reprimanded them. 'This place shall remain unknown,' he said, 'until God finally gathers His people again and shows mercy to them. Then the Lord will bring these things to light again.' ' (verses 6-8 NEB).

'Here God's word says that the whereabouts of the Ark would be hidden until the Last Days. Through the word of God, through Jeremiah, we know that the Ark was not taken by him to Egypt...but was buried in a cave on the top of Mount Pisgah. This was the point from which the Lord showed Moses the Promised Land, saying to him, 'I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross over into it' (Deuteronomy 34:4 NEB).

'Quite recently, the Ark of the Covenant was located by Tom Crotser, an American archaeologist, who heads the Institute for Restoring Ancient History, with headquarters at Winfield, Kansas. In October 1980 he stood with his wife on Mount Pisgah, Jordan, and took preliminary photos of the probable hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant. Returning to the United States, he began to pool his research materials, matching them with other recent photos, ancient manuscripts from the (Tohkapi Palace) archives in Istanbul, Turkey; the Ethiopian Naga; assorted Moslem writings; II Maccabees 2; the King James Bible and the writings of A. F. Futterer on the subject. Through this study the Lord showed him the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant! Said archaeologist Crotser, 'I knew that God had chosen us to find this most sacred box that belongs to the Almighty. It belongs to Him for this specific purpose: the Regathering of His People Israel for the receiving of the Kingdom of God on earth.'

'In the Autumn of 1981, Crostser and three of his men visited the Franciscan monastery on the summit of Mount Nebo which owned the property where he believed the Ark was located. A permit was obtained from the military commander of the district to photograph the area, while another was granted by the director of the monastery. They found a plaque inside the chapel which indicated that the Ark of the Lord was buried there. The entrance to the cave where the Ark was reputed to be was found to be close by the monastery.

'At night they entered a tunnel 35 feet in length, 4 feet wide and 7 feet high. A primitive wall impeded their passage, but through a hole the explorers were able to enter one by one. At the end of another 300 feet of tunnel they ran into another wall. After knocking the stones down they entered, one by one, into a small cave about 10 by 12 ft. and by the light of their flash-lights they were able to make out a large object covered with blue material. Tom Crotser reports that he felt God's presence in such power that he hesitated to remove the covering. But under the covering the men could see a golden box which Crotser did not touch. However, he did measure the sides to discover that the box was 62 inches long, 37 inches high and 37 inches deep. Remembering what had happened to others who had dared to touch the sacred box (I Samuel 5-7; II Samuel 6) they did not open the top of the box. They photographed it and then withdrew from that awesome place. Asked later why he did not bring the Ark of the Covenant out to show the world, He replied, 'God sent me only to locate the Ark. I was not to open it; neither was I to bring it out.

'When they travelled with the Ark, Numbers 4:11 states that: 'over the gold altar they shall spread a violet cloth, cover it with a porpoise-hide covering, and sling them from a pole.' Crotser says, 'The interesting thing I found about the Ark of the Covenant was that I had always had a concept that the staves and rings to carry it were attached to the legs and those legs were taken off when the box sits flat on a levelled spot such as on a foundation stone. Anytime the Ark was transported or moved, those legs fit up into four sockets. Then the staves are carried with the rings and chains on the shoulders. That also explains why the staves must remain with the Ark all the time. These he found wrapped beside the box, ready for use since 586 B.C.!

'Curiously, they found the golden altar but not the golden cherubim that was placed on top of the box! The mercy seat was missing! It is said to be buried in another cave nearby on Mount Pisgah.'