Biblical and American Archaeologist

Adventurers, Archaeologists and Researchers continue to ask,

"Where is the Lost Ark of the Covenant?"

Archaeology has confirmed that Sheshonk I (c. 945-924 BC) is the "Shishak" of the Old Testament (I Kings 14:25-28; II Chronicles 12:2-12). At ancient Thebes on the south eastern bank of the Nile, there exists on a wall in a partially ruined Karnak Temple, a relief which tells the story of Sheshonk's raid on Palestine. He is the first Pharaoh mentioned by name in the Old Testament. Pharaoh was believed, by the Egyptians, to be god on earth, the physical presence of Amen-Ra and Horus (deities of the sun). Sheshonk I was a Libyan prince by descent, and his Libyan successors were to rule Egypt for over two centuries.

Solomon, King of the Jews had died, and with him the unity of Israel. The Jewish nation split into two Kingdoms. Ten of the original twelve tribes of Israel, formed a new government in northern Palestine, becoming the new nation of Israel, which made a new secret alliance with one of the super powers of the day, the Egyptians. In the south, the remaining two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, became the nation of Judah under Rehoboam, King Solomon's son. No longer was Egypt ruled from Thebes in the south or from Memphis in the Delta. This new Pharaoh, Sheshonk, ruled from Tanis in the northern Egyptian Delta. It was here that he amassed his army and prepared, in C. 925, to attack Rehoboam's tiny Kingdom of Judah. For days the soldiers of the 22nd dynasty poured into the Delta. Standards of red, blue, green or white in the shape of fans, ostrich feathers, solar boats, Egyptian gods, lotus and papyri plants were carried at the lead of charioteers, archers, spearmen and swordsmen. Surrounding the commander and chief, were standards with two magical oval shaped designs (the cartouches) containing, in the finest hieroglyphic hand, the names of his majesty, King of Kings, Bull of Bulls, the god-man, sent from Amen-Ra himself, Sheshonk the First, founder of the 22nd Egyptian Dynasty. Seeing that the time was right, a serious weakening of the Israelite tribes by division of the Monarchy and noting the situation was further accentuated by the exhausting wars between the separate Israeli Kingdoms, Sheshonk launched a full scale invasion in the fifth year of Rehoboam.

Pharaoh's well oiled fighting machine moved into southern Judah, grinding up each city in its path as it closed in on Sheshonk's main prey - Jerusalem! Winding their way through the Judean hills, watchmen on the northeastern Jerusalem walls could see in the distance a huge cloud of dust rising from the wheels of 1,200 chariots, followed by 6,000 horseman and by an infantry so large the Bible describes it as "people without number who came with him out of Egypt--the Lubim (Lybia) and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. (II Chronicles 12:3). In a matter of hours the Egyptians hit Jerusalem from the north. After a severe struggle, the Egyptians army scaled the Jerusalem walls, ransacked the Temple of God, and plundered King Solomon's palace. Then as quickly as they had come, Sheshonk's troops departed the Holy City carrying the campaign northward through Judah, even into the border regions of Israel, home of the Ten Tribes.

Why had Sheshonk I waged such a desperate campaign against Israel, a nation with which Egypt has secret alliance? Pharoah had desperate need of financial backing. For years, he had heard stories of the tremendous wealth of Solomon and great wealth amassed in the Temple treasury. History has recorded that in just one raid on Jerusalem, Sheshonk stole enough gold and silver from the palace of Solomon and the Temple which Solomon constructed, to finance his twenty-second Egyptian dynasty for two hundred years!

Now the question that many archaeologists, treasure-seekers, researchers, and Hollywood screen writers, have tried to answer is: Since Sheshonk stole the gold shields of Solomon, the wealth of Solomon's palace and the accumulated wealth of Solomon's Temple, did he steal the Golden Ark of God too?

I believe the answer is to be found in archaeological and historical records. Let us note two facts--one, is the excavation of the tomb of Sheshonk I. The second is that history verifies the sacred objects of the Temple such as the Golden Table of Shewbread, the Golden Menorah, and the Golden Alter of Incense, were somehow overlooked by Pharaoh and his men.

In 1938-39, archaeologists were heavily at work at Tanis, headquarters of Sheshonk I, founder of the 22nd Dynasty. It is at Tanis that the only other intact royal burials have been found. Geography had, like at Thebes, affected the type of tombs excavated at Tanis. The land area is low and the water table very high. Shallow land excavation work in the Delta will always produce water without digging down very far. This condition forced ancient Egyptian tomb architects and builders of the 21st and 22nd Dynasties to construct burial places for the Royal dead above ground in simple stone structures. Modern archaeologist call this type of tomb a MASTABA. A "mastaba" was a rectangular structure with slightly sloping walls. The super structure was originally solid over an underground burial chamber - in later times it was honeycombed with highly decorated rooms. Often people imagine Egyptian Pharaohs buried beneath great pyramids - this is an erroneous misconception. It must be remembered that King Tut was buried beneath a mastaba tomb structure.

During the late 1930's and early 1940's, the Royal tombs of Tanis were uncovered. The walls of Sheshonk's mastaba was in places some 58 1/2 feet thick and constructed of mud brick. In this rare find was Sheshonk I, along with several other mummies, including the mummy of a son of Sheshonk I, the noble Prince Harnakht. Their coffins were of solid silver, some falcon headed, other human-headed. Remember, silver at this time was still more precious than gold. There were fine gold and silver vessels, solid gold collars, a marvelous collection of jewelry: bracelets, ear rings, pectorals, girdles, and amulets. Then in the style of King Tutankhamen, Sheshonk I was outfitted with a solid mask of gold! But it is to be noted: there was no sign of Solomon's Ark of God!

Another powerful fact that gives witness against Sheshonk I removing the Ark as well as the other fantastic treasures from the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple is the inscription of Sheshonk carved on the walls of the Temple of Amen-Ra at Karnak(ancient Thebes). It is a well known fact that the Egyptian Pharaohs were incredible braggers, liars and communicators of the greatest fish stories of all time! If they lost a battle, somehow it was never told exactly like that. Any information that related defeat was somehow reinterpreted to give the reader the impression of victory. If the Egyptians had truly taken the Ark back to Tanis as some want to believe or any of the other great trophies of the Hebrew Temple were removed, Sheshonk's PR agent would have blasted the story all over the walls of the Karnak Temple in the most glamorous hieroglyphic verbiage the priests of Amen could have imagined. If the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Egyptians, this triumph would have been attributed to the god Amen-Ra and its theft would most certainly have been given coverage in this most climactic defeat over the Hebrew people and their God, Jehovah!

So, the treasure hunt goes on. Where is the lost Ark?