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Lost Ark Of The Covenant To Be Moved To A New Location - Page 2

Indiana Jones went to a lot of trouble to locate the mythic Ark of the Covenant in the 1981 Steven Spielberg film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. It would have been a lot quicker, though perhaps not so dramatic, simply to have asked the Ethiopians.

In the first page of this article, I described how the lost Ark of the Covenant, stored in the town of Aksum, in Ethiopia's Tigray province for some hundreds of years, and more recently in the 'Chapel of the Tablet' in the 'St Mary of Zion' complex since the 1960s, was due to be moved to a replacement chapel whilst the roof of the original building is repaired. In the original article, I displayed some of the photographs that I had taken during my visit, showing the commencement of work on the replacement chapel.

Though I have not been back to Ethiopia since 2010, my local contact in Aksum has kindly sent me some more recent photos, taken in 2012, that show how the work on the replacement chapel is progressing.

A break in construction of the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum.
A break in construction of the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum.

These images were all taken by the photographer standing with his back to the new church of 'St Mary of Zion'. The original 'Chapel of the Tablet', seen to the right of the photograph, still has a tarpaulin on the roof to stop further ingress of rain water - the reason that all of this new building work is taking place. The photos on this page show that considerable progress has been made since my last visit to Aksum.

The construction of the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' for the Ark of the Covenant.
The construction of the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' for the Ark of the Covenant.

The stone plinth that supports the original 'Chapel of the Tablet', seen to the right of the photo, has been extended at a uniform height to act as a base for the replacement chapel, now well under construction and sheathed in wooden scaffolding.

A worker climbs the ramp to the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.
A worker climbs the ramp to the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.

Constructed out of poured concrete, with plenty of steel reinforcing rods, the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' is obviously designed to be a permanent addition to the 'St Mary of Zion' complex, and not just a temporary building to do service whilst the original chapel is repaired, as was at first thought.

Detail of the access ramps and scaffolding for the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.
Detail of the access ramps and scaffolding for the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.

Though not as decorative as the original chapel, the replacement one still has some progress to be made, so lets hope that the concrete shell will be plastered or tiled to match the styling of its brother chapel.

Overview of the construction site for the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.
Overview of the construction site for the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' at Aksum, Ethiopia.

My local contact could not gain permission to enter the new chapel or take any interior photos, so we can't get a good idea of what the interior of the replacement chapel is like, but it appears to have two or three rooms on the main level, and an arched main entrance that faces the original 'Chapel of the Tablet'. When the Ark of the Covenant is moved to its new home, it certainly won't have far to travel !

Pilgrims gather outside the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet', now without its scaffolding.
Pilgrims gather outside the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet', now without its scaffolding.

The replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' with new domed roof and banner in national colors.
The replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' with its new domed roof and a banner in the national colors.

Here we see work on the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' progressed still further. The exterior wooden scaffolding has been removed, and banners in the green, yellow, and red colors of the national flag have been wrapped around the upper storey. A dome has been added to the roof, which when completed will have the traditional cross with ostrich eggs or other decorative features.

Work progresses on the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' - the new home of Moses' original Ark of the Covenant.
Work progresses on the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' - the new home of Moses' original Ark of the Covenant.

 

Note: larger versions of these images are all available for licensing - please Contact me for details.

 

New Photos as the replacement 'Chapel of the Tablet' has its dedication ceremony...

I have been sent some recent photos of the new home for the Ark of the Covenant by my contact in Aksum - please visit Ark of the Covenant - Page 3 to see them.

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