Some modern scholars and archaeologists believe that the Ark may have survived, at least partially, and have attempted to figure out its current location. Suspected locations include several sites throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Some even think that the Ark may have ended up in England. Although many possible locations have been offered, the Ark has never been located. The Ethiopian Orthodox church in Axum (pronounced AK-sum), a city in northern Ethiopia, claims that it possesses the Ark of the covenant, although church leaders refuse to display the artifact or allow experts to verify that it is genuine. Jewish and christian followers consider the Ark of the covenant to be important because it contains the original copy of the contract between the Hebrews and God, and it is likely the search for the Ark will continue for decades to come.
Unlike the cultures of their Canaanite enemies, the Hebrews did not believe in worshiping idols, or physical representations of their god. This is demonstrated in the Ten Commandments, which forbid making or worshiping idols, and in sections of the Hebrew Bible that refer to God in the abstract, rather than as someone in human form. The Ark of the Covenant was not a physical representation of God, but carried the actual presence of God, and was so sacred that even touching the Ark would result in immediate death. Hebrew monotheism (belief in just one god) was unique in a world where polytheism (the belief in many gods) was the norm; it was one way in which the Hebrews set themselves apart from the groups around them and preserved a unique identity. The capture of the Ark of the Covenant by their enemies was shameful to the Hebrews, not only because it signalled their military defeat but also because the capture was a sign of God’s anger towards them because of their disobedience—they had turned the Ark into an idol and brought it into battle, hoping it would help them defeat their enemy. By blaming themselves, rather than their God, the Hebrews could explain how their all-powerful God was defeated by the inferior gods of their enemies.
Their God could continue to be the one true God, despite the conquest of the Hebrews by other nations.
World History
