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NARRATOR: It is the most highly
coveted lost relic in the world.
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KATHLEEN McGOWAN COPPENS:
The Ark of the Covenant
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00:00:06,715 --> 00:00:08,295
is without question
the most significant
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and powerful artifact
in human history.
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NARRATOR:
It was a weapon
of extraordinary power.
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ANDREW COLLINS:
It was said to smite
the enemies of Israel.
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It was said
to bring about disease.
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It was said to bring down
the walls of Jericho.
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NARRATOR:
And it provided direct
communication with the heavens.
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WILLIAM HENRY:
It was the only
physical manifestation
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of God on Earth.
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NARRATOR:
But what happened
to the Ark of the Covenant?
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AMIR HUSSAIN:
There’s all sorts of stories.
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Is it buried somewhere?
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Was it looted? Was it stolen?
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NARRATOR:
There are those who believe
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that if the Ark is ever found,
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it will provide undeniable proof
of extraterrestrial visitation.
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NICK POPE:
The Ark of the Covenant
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is the ultimate alien artifact.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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in the universe.
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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands
we question everything
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we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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The future is
right before our eyes.
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We are not alone.
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We have never been alone.
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NARRATOR:
Jerusalem.
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January 28, 2011.
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It is a quiet winter night
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inside the al‐Aqsa
Mosque compound,
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which sits on the Temple Mount,
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a site considered
hallowed ground
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by Muslims, Christians and Jews.
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But at roughly 1:00 a.m.,
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in the sky above
the Dome of the Rock,
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an extraordinary scene unfolds
that is captured on video.
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This pulsating light,
which was witnessed
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from multiple different sources,
descends down...
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(people speaking
in foreign language)
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...right on top
of the Temple Mount,
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and all of the sudden, a flash.
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(people shout)
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And it disappears
up into heaven.
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POPE:
If this is genuine,
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‐it’s of extreme significance.
‐MAN: Whoa!
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It’s a site
of immense significance
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to all three of the world’s
main religions.
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They have all, for thousands
of years, worshiped there.
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It is a site where they believe
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there are things of great power,
maybe still hidden.
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TZADOK:
What happened? What was that?
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There are those who interpret
and understand this
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to have been
something technological
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possibly turning on.
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(people shout)
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TZADOK:
Activating something
buried beneath.
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There are many who believe
that this pulsating light
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was connecting
with the Ark of the Covenant.
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NARRATOR:
The Ark of the Covenant?
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The golden chest built
to house the Ten Commandments?
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Could this incredible UFO event
have been connected
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to one of the most revered
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and most mysterious religious
artifacts of all time?
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TZADOK:
Is it possible
that the Ark of the Covenant
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is still with us to this day?
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It’s possible. We don’t know.
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NARRATOR:
According to the stories
of the Hebrew Bible,
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the Ark of the Covenant did,
at one time,
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reside in this very spot,
and there are those who believe
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it is still hidden
somewhere on the site.
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But this holy relic went missing
more than 2,500 years ago,
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and people have been
searching for it ever since.
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Considered the most sacred
and mysterious artifact
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in ancient Israel,
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the Ark of the Covenant
was revered by the Hebrew people
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as the embodiment
of God’s presence on Earth.
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MICHAEL CARTER:
What was so special
about the Ark
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was that it housed the history
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of the Israelites
once they left Egypt.
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It reminded a people
who had been slaves
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in Egypt for millennia
that they were not alone.
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That this god was
constantly with them.
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NARRATOR:
The story of the Ark
begins in the 15th century BC.
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According to the Bible’s
Book of Exodus,
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after the Israelites
were released from Egypt,
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God summoned Moses
to the peak of Mount Sinai
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and gave him two stone tablets
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carved with
the Ten Commandments.
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He also gave him
specific instructions
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for building
the Ark of the Covenant.
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McGOWAN:
Moses was given
very specific measurements.
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It was to be
two and a half cubits long,
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00:05:07,015 --> 00:05:09,765
one and a half cubits wide,
one and a half cubits deep.
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So, we’re looking at a container
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that was a little over
four feet long
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and about two feet wide
and two feet deep.
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The container must be made
of acacia wood,
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that it must be covered
with gold.
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The top of the Ark was
to be surmounted by angels,
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two cherubim with large wings
that would face each other,
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and their wings
would cover the top of the Ark.
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NARRATOR:
The Ark was designed
to be carried by poles,
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inserted into four gold rings,
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two on each side
of the container.
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JONATHAN YOUNG:
It was very important
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that no one touch the Ark.
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It was too powerful, too holy,
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and a person would die
if they touched it.
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It was also covered
in a very elaborate way
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so that passersby
wouldn’t look at it.
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Such was the power of
the Ark of the Covenant,
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that it would be dangerous
even to look at it.
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HUGH NEWMAN:
The lid of the Ark
was called the "mercy seat."
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And there was said to be
two cherubims on top
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with their wings
pointing to each other
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with a gap between them.
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This is actually the gap
where Yahweh, or God,
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was supposed to have spoken.
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MCGOWAN:
In Exodus 25:22,
God tells Moses,
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"When you build this,
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"I will meet you
between the cherubim,
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and I will give you commands."
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NARRATOR:
Ancient accounts of the Ark
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portray it as possessing
mysterious powers
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that aided the Israelites
during their journey
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to the Promised Land,
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parting rivers,
leveling mountains
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and destroying armies.
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But it was also incredibly
dangerous to handle.
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ERICH VON DANIKEN:
Whatever the Ark
of the Covenant was,
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the object was definitely
very, very dangerous.
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In the second, uh,
Book of the King,
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you can read that
several accidents happened.
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A priest with the name
of Uzzah touched the Ark
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and like an electrical shock,
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he just fell on the ground,
and he was dead.
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GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
In the Bible,
we have multiple stories
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of people not only dying
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when they came
in contact with the Ark,
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but some didn’t die, but only
died a week or two later.
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And how did they die?
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Because they had boils
on their skin
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and their hair
started to fall out.
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Well, that is a sign
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of radioactive poisoning
or radioactive fallout.
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COLLINS: The most important
thing about trying to understand
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how the Ark of the Covenant
functioned
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is the fact
that specific instructions
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were given by God to Moses
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about how
it was to be manufactured.
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The exact size,
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how it is to be raised
off the ground,
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how it is to be carried.
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So there was specifics here
that had to be carried out,
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and this tells us,
almost certainly,
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that we are dealing
with technology.
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00:08:06,861 --> 00:08:10,621
A technology that was given
either by God
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or by some kind of entity or
being of non‐terrestrial origin.
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NARRATOR:
Is it possible,
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as ancient astronaut
theorists suggest,
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that the baffling powers
ascribed to the Ark
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00:08:25,046 --> 00:08:28,296
provide evidence that
it contained highly advanced
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and perhaps
extraterrestrial technology?
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In 957 BC,
construction was completed
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00:08:36,975 --> 00:08:39,355
on King Solomon’s Temple
in Jerusalem,
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built on the same site
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where the Dome of the Rock
stands today,
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and designed
with the primary purpose
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of housing
the Ark of the Covenant.
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The Ark would remain here
for 350 years
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and then disappear from
the historical record forever.
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In 586 BC,
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the Babylonians,
under King Nebuchadnezzar,
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00:09:03,585 --> 00:09:09,175
sacked and destroyed Jerusalem
and the Temple of Solomon.
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It was said that
they carried away, to Babylon,
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all of the treasures
of the Israelites,
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the treasures of the temple.
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However, there is no mention
in any account
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that they took away
the Ark of the Covenant.
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So, what happened
to the Ark of the Covenant?
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CARTER:
The first theory is that
Jeremiah or King Josiah
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took the Ark
and hid it away in a cave.
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There’s another, uh,
piece of speculation
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is that the Babylonians just
took it and they desecrated it.
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But if they had done that,
people would’ve known about it.
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POPE:
The voice of God
was heard though the Ark.
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And for those people
that believe the voice of God
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was extraterrestrial,
well, the Ark of the Covenant
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00:09:53,176 --> 00:09:56,636
is the ultimate alien artifact.
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NARRATOR:
Ancient astronaut theorists
believe that finding the Ark
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00:10:01,392 --> 00:10:03,732
will result
in incredible revelations
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00:10:03,812 --> 00:10:06,862
about humanity’s
extraterrestrial past
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00:10:06,981 --> 00:10:10,361
and could also facilitate
direct communication
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00:10:10,485 --> 00:10:14,205
with otherworldly entities
still watching over Earth today.
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00:10:16,658 --> 00:10:20,288
But does the Ark still lie
hidden at Temple Mount?
199
00:10:20,370 --> 00:10:23,080
Many claim the most
compelling evidence
200
00:10:23,164 --> 00:10:27,004
points to the Ark leaving
Jerusalem centuries ago,
201
00:10:27,085 --> 00:10:31,925
spirited away by a band
of warrior monks.
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NARRATOR:
July 1099 AD.
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Muslim‐controlled Jerusalem
204
00:10:41,307 --> 00:10:43,977
is captured
by medieval Christian forces.
205
00:10:44,060 --> 00:10:46,600
The bloody siege
leaves the city ransacked
206
00:10:46,688 --> 00:10:49,648
by the victorious crusaders.
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00:10:51,359 --> 00:10:53,189
But spared from destruction
208
00:10:53,319 --> 00:10:57,449
are two mosques that have stood
on Temple Mount for 400 years.
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These holy sites were saved
to serve another purpose.
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00:11:02,370 --> 00:11:04,750
The Dome of the Rock
is converted
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00:11:04,873 --> 00:11:07,673
into a Catholic church.
212
00:11:07,750 --> 00:11:10,630
And the al‐Aqsa Mosque
is given to a newly‐formed
213
00:11:10,712 --> 00:11:15,132
monastic fighting force,
the Order of Solomon’s Temple,
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00:11:15,216 --> 00:11:18,216
also known
as the Knights Templar.
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00:11:19,888 --> 00:11:22,178
YOUNG: This was
a holy order of knights
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00:11:22,265 --> 00:11:24,685
who were interested
in the safety of travelers
217
00:11:24,767 --> 00:11:27,977
going from Europe
to Jerusalem, to the temple.
218
00:11:28,062 --> 00:11:29,652
And they would guard them...
219
00:11:30,899 --> 00:11:32,819
...and they would
protect their wealth.
220
00:11:32,901 --> 00:11:36,071
They essentially invented
banking as a way to protect
221
00:11:36,196 --> 00:11:38,156
travelers from highwaymen.
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NARRATOR:
But protecting pilgrims
223
00:11:39,949 --> 00:11:41,869
was not the Templars’
only directive
224
00:11:41,951 --> 00:11:44,621
while stationed at Temple Mount.
225
00:11:44,746 --> 00:11:48,036
They were also charged
with searching for treasure
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00:11:48,124 --> 00:11:50,634
and religious artifacts.
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CHILDRESS: The Knights Templars
got a commission from the pope
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00:11:54,964 --> 00:11:57,594
to actually do excavations
at Solomon’s Temple.
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00:11:57,717 --> 00:12:00,387
And the Templars, uh,
that is largely what they did
230
00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:02,350
while they were in Jerusalem.
231
00:12:02,430 --> 00:12:07,060
The story there goes that
the Templars actually discovered
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00:12:07,143 --> 00:12:11,313
a secret chamber
beneath the temple.
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00:12:11,439 --> 00:12:15,029
They claimed to have found
all sorts of holy relics.
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00:12:15,109 --> 00:12:18,029
And we know
they found certain things
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00:12:18,112 --> 00:12:21,572
because they became
very rich very quickly.
236
00:12:21,658 --> 00:12:26,038
But legend said that amongst
all these things they found
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was the Ark of the Covenant.
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NARRATOR:
On July 4, 1187,
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00:12:34,879 --> 00:12:37,969
the Knights Templar
were forced to leave Jerusalem
240
00:12:38,091 --> 00:12:41,641
when Muslim armies
retook the holy city.
241
00:12:43,638 --> 00:12:47,058
The Templars set sail
for Europe, and it was rumored
242
00:12:47,141 --> 00:12:49,061
that they carried with them
the holy relics
243
00:12:49,143 --> 00:12:51,353
they had recovered
at Temple Mount,
244
00:12:51,479 --> 00:12:54,819
including the Ark
of the Covenant.
245
00:12:54,899 --> 00:12:57,439
By the end
of the 13th century,
246
00:12:57,527 --> 00:12:59,277
the Knights Templar
had established
247
00:12:59,362 --> 00:13:02,782
a new base of operations
in France.
248
00:13:02,865 --> 00:13:06,285
CORNWALL: I do believe that
the Templars did find the Ark
249
00:13:06,369 --> 00:13:10,079
and successfully
transported it to Paris,
250
00:13:10,164 --> 00:13:14,134
where they were hailed as heroes
for some reason overnight.
251
00:13:14,210 --> 00:13:16,960
Nobles were trying
to join the order.
252
00:13:17,046 --> 00:13:18,956
The king of France
was promoting them.
253
00:13:19,048 --> 00:13:21,628
I believe the reason for that
is because they succeeded
254
00:13:21,718 --> 00:13:23,968
in their mission
to find the Ark,
255
00:13:24,053 --> 00:13:26,263
which is why they were there
in the first place.
256
00:13:26,347 --> 00:13:29,347
NARRATOR:
The Templars used
their vast wealth
257
00:13:29,434 --> 00:13:32,944
to finance the construction
of Chartres Cathedral,
258
00:13:33,021 --> 00:13:36,021
one of the finest examples
of Gothic‐style architecture
259
00:13:36,149 --> 00:13:38,149
in the world.
260
00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:40,364
And it was rumored
that the Cathedral
261
00:13:40,486 --> 00:13:43,906
had a direct connection
to the Ark of the Covenant.
262
00:13:44,032 --> 00:13:47,662
COLLINS:
In 1966, in a book called
263
00:13:47,744 --> 00:13:50,834
The Mysteries
of Chartres Cathedral,
264
00:13:50,913 --> 00:13:52,833
Louis Charpentier claimed
265
00:13:52,915 --> 00:13:57,285
that the Templars had indeed
found this holy object
266
00:13:57,378 --> 00:14:00,668
and had brought it
back to France.
267
00:14:00,757 --> 00:14:03,467
And that this had,
some way, inspired
268
00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:07,891
the design
of Chartres Cathedral,
269
00:14:07,972 --> 00:14:12,142
which embodied many principles
of sacred geometry,
270
00:14:12,226 --> 00:14:16,056
mathematical ideas
that had been brought over
271
00:14:16,147 --> 00:14:20,357
from the Sufi, and Islamic
peoples of the holy land.
272
00:14:20,443 --> 00:14:26,823
Sufism included a lot of ideas
relating to sacred architecture.
273
00:14:26,908 --> 00:14:31,828
This was how to design
the perfect house of God.
274
00:14:31,913 --> 00:14:34,583
NARRATOR:
Some believe
that the Knights Templar
275
00:14:34,707 --> 00:14:36,877
actually built
this breathtaking cathedral
276
00:14:36,959 --> 00:14:39,169
to house the Ark
of the Covenant.
277
00:14:39,253 --> 00:14:42,423
And they point to one
very credible source
278
00:14:42,507 --> 00:14:45,217
that claims the Ark
was deposited here:
279
00:14:45,301 --> 00:14:47,431
the cathedral itself.
280
00:14:47,512 --> 00:14:52,022
Carvings on the north portico
depict the Templars
281
00:14:52,100 --> 00:14:55,100
recovering the Ark of the
Covenant, then carrying it off,
282
00:14:55,228 --> 00:14:59,398
led by an angel with God
hidden overhead in a cloud.
283
00:14:59,482 --> 00:15:02,232
Inscribed in Latin text
are the words:
284
00:15:02,318 --> 00:15:04,948
"Here is hidden
the Ark of the Covenant."
285
00:15:05,071 --> 00:15:06,741
McGOWAN:
There are many legends
in France
286
00:15:06,823 --> 00:15:09,413
about where the Ark was kept
during the time period
287
00:15:09,492 --> 00:15:11,122
the Templars were the guardians.
288
00:15:11,244 --> 00:15:13,754
Some say it was in the crypt
of Chartres Cathedral.
289
00:15:13,830 --> 00:15:16,870
It’s likely that the Ark of
the Covenant was moved around
290
00:15:16,958 --> 00:15:20,088
to different locations in France
to protect it
291
00:15:20,169 --> 00:15:22,589
and to keep it
from being discovered.
292
00:15:22,672 --> 00:15:25,932
NARRATOR:
All who have attempted to find
the Ark of the Covenant
293
00:15:26,008 --> 00:15:29,598
at Chartres Cathedral
have come up empty‐handed.
294
00:15:29,679 --> 00:15:33,809
But if the Templars truly were
in possession of the Ark,
295
00:15:33,891 --> 00:15:36,441
there is good reason to believe
they would have moved it
296
00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:40,939
at least once more,
to keep its otherworldly powers
297
00:15:41,023 --> 00:15:43,283
from the hands
of a dangerous enemy:
298
00:15:43,359 --> 00:15:46,399
the king of France, Philip IV.
299
00:15:46,487 --> 00:15:48,947
CORNWALL:
The Templars were
incredibly rich,
300
00:15:49,031 --> 00:15:52,281
and King Philip was
engaged in a series of wars
301
00:15:52,368 --> 00:15:54,618
that were depleting his coffers.
302
00:15:54,704 --> 00:15:57,164
He tried to become
their Grand Master
303
00:15:57,290 --> 00:16:00,670
and they said no.
They refused him.
304
00:16:00,751 --> 00:16:03,801
So, he decided to take
what they had by force instead.
305
00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,550
But they did know he was coming.
306
00:16:06,674 --> 00:16:10,304
It was obviously time
to get the Ark out of Paris.
307
00:16:10,386 --> 00:16:14,466
NARRATOR:
On Friday, October 13, 1307,
308
00:16:14,557 --> 00:16:16,927
King Philip of France,
with the backing
309
00:16:17,018 --> 00:16:19,138
of Pope Clement V,
310
00:16:19,228 --> 00:16:23,018
ordered the arrest
of every Templar in France.
311
00:16:25,693 --> 00:16:28,363
King Philip accused
the Templars of heresy,
312
00:16:28,446 --> 00:16:31,946
immorality, and worship
of a demonic idol.
313
00:16:32,033 --> 00:16:35,663
But ancient astronaut theorists
suggest that,
314
00:16:35,745 --> 00:16:37,665
based on accounts of the idol,
315
00:16:37,747 --> 00:16:41,457
this may be a case
of misunderstood technology.
316
00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:43,172
TSOUKALOS:
There were rumors
that the Templars
317
00:16:43,252 --> 00:16:47,012
were in possession
of this horrible‐looking idol
318
00:16:47,089 --> 00:16:49,549
with one glowing red eye
319
00:16:49,634 --> 00:16:52,344
and another eye
that’s barely blinking.
320
00:16:52,428 --> 00:16:57,218
Of course, a‐a technologically
primitive person
321
00:16:57,308 --> 00:17:01,188
would not recognize that
that is a type of a machine,
322
00:17:01,270 --> 00:17:05,020
but I think this was
an extraterrestrial device.
323
00:17:05,107 --> 00:17:07,687
McGOWAN:
It was said they spoke
to this demon.
324
00:17:07,777 --> 00:17:09,647
That this demon
would speak back to them
325
00:17:09,737 --> 00:17:11,357
and give them instructions.
326
00:17:11,447 --> 00:17:13,697
We know from scripture,
327
00:17:13,783 --> 00:17:15,373
we know from the Bible itself
328
00:17:15,451 --> 00:17:18,041
that the Ark was built
as a communication device.
329
00:17:19,664 --> 00:17:21,084
NARRATOR:
For some researchers,
330
00:17:21,165 --> 00:17:23,375
the description
of a demonic idol
331
00:17:23,459 --> 00:17:25,169
with glowing red eyes
332
00:17:25,253 --> 00:17:27,883
that gave instructions
to the Knights Templar
333
00:17:27,964 --> 00:17:30,134
brings to mind
the biblical accounts
334
00:17:30,258 --> 00:17:33,218
of how the Israelite priests
communicated with God
335
00:17:33,302 --> 00:17:35,352
through the Ark of the Covenant.
336
00:17:35,429 --> 00:17:37,559
TZADOK:
The high priest
337
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,230
was required
by biblical law to wear
338
00:17:40,309 --> 00:17:42,349
a special type
of a breastplate,
339
00:17:42,436 --> 00:17:44,856
which had special types
of gemstones on it.
340
00:17:44,939 --> 00:17:48,529
The high priest could
oscillate his voice
341
00:17:48,609 --> 00:17:51,779
to create specific
types of sounds.
342
00:17:51,904 --> 00:17:56,124
It would cause these stones
to come alive.
343
00:17:58,828 --> 00:18:01,748
The stones on the breastplate
would light up.
344
00:18:01,831 --> 00:18:04,001
They would begin to emit
rainbow colors.
345
00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:07,925
So, you have light flashing
off of this high priest
346
00:18:08,004 --> 00:18:10,924
as he’s firing up
the Ark of the Covenant.
347
00:18:11,007 --> 00:18:14,927
And then the Ark had
rainbow light coming off of it.
348
00:18:16,971 --> 00:18:19,891
NARRATOR:
To this day,
many researchers believe
349
00:18:19,974 --> 00:18:22,734
that the idol the Templars
were accused of worshipping
350
00:18:22,810 --> 00:18:25,440
was the Ark of the Covenant.
351
00:18:25,521 --> 00:18:28,151
But if so, what became of it?
352
00:18:28,232 --> 00:18:32,952
Some suggest the world’s
most sacred religious relic
353
00:18:33,029 --> 00:18:35,109
ultimately ended up
354
00:18:35,197 --> 00:18:37,447
hidden in a mysterious chapel
355
00:18:37,533 --> 00:18:40,333
in Scotland.
356
00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:48,593
NARRATOR:
Paris, France. March 18, 1314.
357
00:18:48,669 --> 00:18:52,509
Jacques de Molay,
the 23rd and final Grand Master
358
00:18:52,590 --> 00:18:53,920
of the Knights Templar,
359
00:18:54,008 --> 00:18:58,098
is executed
by order of King Philip IV.
360
00:18:58,179 --> 00:19:00,759
But according
to historical accounts,
361
00:19:00,848 --> 00:19:03,268
he already had a plan in place
362
00:19:03,351 --> 00:19:05,561
for the surviving Templars
to make their escape
363
00:19:05,686 --> 00:19:07,596
in the event of his capture.
364
00:19:07,688 --> 00:19:10,938
McGOWAN: Jacques de Molay
had an enormous responsibility
365
00:19:11,025 --> 00:19:12,235
to protect the legacy
366
00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,650
of who the Templars were
and what they stood for.
367
00:19:15,738 --> 00:19:17,868
And part of this legacy
368
00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:20,950
was their guardianship
of these holy relics
369
00:19:21,035 --> 00:19:23,505
and, specifically,
the Ark of the Covenant.
370
00:19:23,579 --> 00:19:28,919
NARRATOR:
King Philip set out to capture
a fleet of 18 Templar ships
371
00:19:29,043 --> 00:19:31,463
that were said to be docked
at the port of La Rochelle
372
00:19:31,545 --> 00:19:33,625
on the Atlantic coast of France.
373
00:19:33,714 --> 00:19:36,134
But when the king’s
forces arrived,
374
00:19:36,217 --> 00:19:38,137
there was not a ship in sight.
375
00:19:39,553 --> 00:19:42,973
COLLINS: The Knights Templar
disappeared, as well as
376
00:19:43,057 --> 00:19:44,637
many of the holy relics
377
00:19:44,725 --> 00:19:48,595
that they unquestionably
held in their possession.
378
00:19:48,729 --> 00:19:51,149
NARRATOR:
Vatican records suggest
379
00:19:51,232 --> 00:19:53,442
the fleet of ships carried
the escaping Templars
380
00:19:53,567 --> 00:19:56,147
and their mysterious treasure
to Scotland,
381
00:19:56,237 --> 00:19:59,317
where they were welcomed
by King Robert the Bruce.
382
00:19:59,407 --> 00:20:01,117
Like the Knights Templar,
383
00:20:01,242 --> 00:20:04,872
Robert the Bruce had been
excommunicated by the Pope.
384
00:20:04,954 --> 00:20:08,004
He was also embroiled
in a bitter war of independence
385
00:20:08,082 --> 00:20:10,462
against Edward II of England,
386
00:20:10,584 --> 00:20:12,004
and according to the story,
387
00:20:12,086 --> 00:20:14,496
the Templars joined his forces
388
00:20:14,588 --> 00:20:16,508
on the battlefield.
389
00:20:16,590 --> 00:20:19,010
CORNWALL:
There is a wonderful legend
390
00:20:19,093 --> 00:20:22,393
of knights in white
391
00:20:22,471 --> 00:20:24,811
at the Battle of Bannockburn
defeating, decimating
392
00:20:24,932 --> 00:20:26,852
the English army.
393
00:20:26,934 --> 00:20:28,854
The Templar Knights
394
00:20:28,936 --> 00:20:31,476
had to have been at that battle.
395
00:20:31,605 --> 00:20:35,605
NARRATOR:
The Templars were revered
as great warriors,
396
00:20:35,693 --> 00:20:37,743
but some question
whether they were aided
397
00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:40,530
by a powerful weapon they may
have been carrying with them,
398
00:20:40,614 --> 00:20:42,994
the Ark of the Covenant.
399
00:20:44,410 --> 00:20:47,370
People have asked, could this
actually be used as a weapon?
400
00:20:47,455 --> 00:20:48,545
Of course it could be.
401
00:20:48,622 --> 00:20:50,212
I mean, can you imagine
402
00:20:50,291 --> 00:20:52,001
having that kind of technology?
403
00:20:52,126 --> 00:20:54,496
HENRY: There’s no question
that the Ark of the Covenant
404
00:20:54,628 --> 00:20:56,458
radiated a power
that could be used
405
00:20:56,547 --> 00:20:58,007
for military advantage.
406
00:20:58,132 --> 00:21:00,472
When the Israelites
carried it into battle,
407
00:21:00,593 --> 00:21:05,013
it assisted them
in assuring their victory.
408
00:21:06,390 --> 00:21:08,350
McGOWAN:
If the Ark was carried
before an army,
409
00:21:08,476 --> 00:21:10,726
that army would
become invincible.
410
00:21:10,811 --> 00:21:12,441
There are stories
of the Ark killing scorpions
411
00:21:12,521 --> 00:21:13,901
and serpents.
412
00:21:13,981 --> 00:21:15,481
The Ark, in many ways,
was protective,
413
00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:18,068
it was protective of the
Israelites on their journey.
414
00:21:19,653 --> 00:21:22,493
TZADOK: The Ark of the Covenant
would march before
415
00:21:22,573 --> 00:21:25,743
the children of Israel
as they went through the desert,
416
00:21:25,826 --> 00:21:29,996
clearing out anything
that was a danger to them.
417
00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,540
When you’re in the wilderness,
you have wild animals,
418
00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:35,417
you have poisonous serpents.
419
00:21:35,503 --> 00:21:37,593
The Ark would prepare the way.
420
00:21:37,671 --> 00:21:40,341
How it did this
we still do not know.
421
00:21:40,424 --> 00:21:45,354
No one had actual
visual awareness
422
00:21:45,429 --> 00:21:48,179
or contact
with what was happening.
423
00:21:48,307 --> 00:21:49,727
All we have is the mystery
424
00:21:49,850 --> 00:21:53,400
of knowing that it did march
miles before the people,
425
00:21:53,521 --> 00:21:55,061
preparing the way for them.
426
00:21:57,233 --> 00:21:59,693
COLLINS:
In my opinion,
the Ark of the Covenant
427
00:21:59,777 --> 00:22:02,397
functioned as a capacitor,
428
00:22:02,530 --> 00:22:07,080
drawing in electrostatic
energies from
429
00:22:07,201 --> 00:22:10,701
the environment
into its interior.
430
00:22:10,788 --> 00:22:13,668
But that something
was then triggering it
431
00:22:13,749 --> 00:22:17,959
to radiate out some kind of
electromagnetic field.
432
00:22:18,045 --> 00:22:19,955
One that was so strong
433
00:22:20,047 --> 00:22:24,177
that it would strike people down
who came too close.
434
00:22:24,260 --> 00:22:25,800
And I would say
435
00:22:25,886 --> 00:22:28,806
that it contained
something radioactive.
436
00:22:28,889 --> 00:22:32,309
NARRATOR:
Is it possible that
the Ark of the Covenant
437
00:22:32,393 --> 00:22:33,983
was a radioactive device
438
00:22:34,061 --> 00:22:36,651
that could be used
as a devastating weapon?
439
00:22:36,730 --> 00:22:39,650
And could knowledge
of the Ark’s awesome powers
440
00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:41,233
be a reason that
441
00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:43,950
the Knights Templar kept
this dangerous object hidden
442
00:22:44,071 --> 00:22:47,071
and away from the hands
of their enemies?
443
00:22:47,157 --> 00:22:50,327
Some researchers say
that Templar allies,
444
00:22:50,411 --> 00:22:52,751
the powerful Sinclair family,
445
00:22:52,830 --> 00:22:54,500
understood the importance
446
00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:56,172
of protecting the Ark and built
447
00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:59,290
an elaborate hiding place
for the dangerous object,
448
00:22:59,420 --> 00:23:01,380
Rosslyn Chapel.
449
00:23:01,463 --> 00:23:03,013
COLLINS:
Rosslyn Chapel
450
00:23:03,090 --> 00:23:05,130
is one of the most mysterious
451
00:23:05,259 --> 00:23:08,009
holy places
in the whole of Scotland.
452
00:23:08,095 --> 00:23:12,015
Many people have
likened its design,
453
00:23:12,099 --> 00:23:14,019
its cruciform design,
454
00:23:14,101 --> 00:23:17,851
to the layout
of King Solomon’s Temple.
455
00:23:17,938 --> 00:23:20,268
And this has raised the question
456
00:23:20,357 --> 00:23:22,357
of whether or not
457
00:23:22,443 --> 00:23:24,443
the Knights Templar
458
00:23:24,570 --> 00:23:27,700
may have brought
the Ark of the Covenant
459
00:23:27,781 --> 00:23:29,121
to Scotland,
460
00:23:29,241 --> 00:23:33,451
and that Rosslyn Chapel
could have been constructed
461
00:23:33,537 --> 00:23:36,207
as its new resting place.
462
00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:39,380
CHILDRESS:
That chapel contains a crypt
463
00:23:39,460 --> 00:23:40,880
deep beneath it,
464
00:23:40,961 --> 00:23:43,511
and many historians believe
that the Ark of the Covenant
465
00:23:43,631 --> 00:23:45,631
was kept there for a while.
466
00:23:45,758 --> 00:23:49,718
McGOWAN:
Rosslyn Chapel is full
of Templar symbolism, including
467
00:23:49,803 --> 00:23:52,223
carvings of Templar Knights and
468
00:23:52,306 --> 00:23:55,886
a gravestone that belonged
to another Templar.
469
00:23:55,976 --> 00:23:57,186
The Templars are inextricable
470
00:23:57,311 --> 00:23:59,021
with the legends
of Rosslyn Chapel.
471
00:23:59,146 --> 00:24:01,396
Rosslyn Chapel
is really the symbol
472
00:24:01,482 --> 00:24:03,232
of Templar presence in Scotland.
473
00:24:03,317 --> 00:24:06,607
NARRATOR:
While millions of people
are convinced
474
00:24:06,695 --> 00:24:08,445
that the Knights Templar
recovered
475
00:24:08,530 --> 00:24:10,370
the Ark of the Covenant
at Temple Mount
476
00:24:10,491 --> 00:24:13,581
and hid it somewhere
along their journeys,
477
00:24:13,661 --> 00:24:16,711
likely in France or Scotland,
478
00:24:16,830 --> 00:24:19,170
there are just as many
who believe
479
00:24:19,291 --> 00:24:21,211
that it was taken
out of Jerusalem
480
00:24:21,335 --> 00:24:23,755
long before the Templars
even existed.
481
00:24:23,837 --> 00:24:27,047
And some profess
to have seen the Ark
482
00:24:27,174 --> 00:24:29,264
and witnessed
its ethereal powers
483
00:24:29,343 --> 00:24:31,343
with their own eyes
484
00:24:31,428 --> 00:24:33,388
in a most unlikely place:
485
00:24:33,514 --> 00:24:36,184
Ethiopia.
486
00:24:41,647 --> 00:24:43,147
NARRATOR:
Aksum, Ethiopia.
487
00:24:43,232 --> 00:24:45,532
November 2020.
488
00:24:45,651 --> 00:24:49,281
Pro‐government troops storm
the ancient sacred city,
489
00:24:49,363 --> 00:24:51,993
searching out soldiers
aligned with the region’s
490
00:24:52,074 --> 00:24:54,834
former ruling party, the TPLF.
491
00:24:54,910 --> 00:24:57,160
It is one episode in a conflict
492
00:24:57,246 --> 00:24:59,326
that has been raging for weeks,
493
00:24:59,415 --> 00:25:03,295
but this time, the soldiers
target Aksum’s holiest site,
494
00:25:03,377 --> 00:25:07,007
the Church of Our
Lady Mary of Zion.
495
00:25:07,089 --> 00:25:09,509
Incredibly, hundreds
496
00:25:09,591 --> 00:25:11,131
of civilians race to the defense
497
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:13,348
of the church
and prevent the soldiers
498
00:25:13,429 --> 00:25:14,799
from gaining access.
499
00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:20,020
A staggering 800 are reportedly
killed in the process.
500
00:25:20,102 --> 00:25:22,942
But more than the church itself,
501
00:25:23,063 --> 00:25:26,193
they were protecting the
extraordinary religious artifact
502
00:25:26,275 --> 00:25:28,695
that is said to be held inside,
503
00:25:28,777 --> 00:25:31,777
the Ark of the Covenant.
504
00:25:31,905 --> 00:25:34,315
HENRY:
There are many who believe
that the Ark is in Aksum.
505
00:25:34,408 --> 00:25:37,538
In fact, it’s believed
by millions
506
00:25:37,619 --> 00:25:40,869
of Orthodox Christians that the
Ark of the Covenant is there.
507
00:25:42,291 --> 00:25:44,421
NARRATOR:
Although many
researchers believe
508
00:25:44,543 --> 00:25:47,713
there is strong evidence that
the Knights Templar recovered
509
00:25:47,796 --> 00:25:49,756
the Ark of the Covenant
during their excavations
510
00:25:49,882 --> 00:25:51,302
at Temple Mount,
511
00:25:51,425 --> 00:25:55,305
others say that the Ark
had been removed from Jerusalem
512
00:25:55,429 --> 00:25:58,349
centuries before
the Templars even arrived.
513
00:25:58,432 --> 00:26:01,312
The main proponents
of this theory are the
514
00:26:01,435 --> 00:26:03,275
Christians of Ethiopia,
515
00:26:03,353 --> 00:26:05,483
who believe the Ark
was brought to Aksum
516
00:26:05,606 --> 00:26:08,016
nearly 3,000 years ago,
517
00:26:08,108 --> 00:26:12,648
where it has continued to exert
its strange powers ever since.
518
00:26:12,780 --> 00:26:17,160
One version of the fate
of the Ark of the Covenant
519
00:26:17,284 --> 00:26:22,214
is contained within
a Ethiopian holy book
520
00:26:22,289 --> 00:26:25,079
known as the Kebra Nagast.
521
00:26:25,167 --> 00:26:27,957
It’s a story involving
King Solomon,
522
00:26:28,087 --> 00:26:30,587
who had the Ark,
523
00:26:30,672 --> 00:26:33,762
and his meeting
with the Queen of Sheba.
524
00:26:33,842 --> 00:26:36,932
And it was said that
they had a liaison,
525
00:26:37,012 --> 00:26:40,522
and that a son was born
to the Queen of Sheba
526
00:26:40,641 --> 00:26:42,601
by the name of Menelik.
527
00:26:42,684 --> 00:26:44,734
And that, eventually,
528
00:26:44,812 --> 00:26:48,942
Menelik traveled from
his homeland of Ethiopia
529
00:26:49,024 --> 00:26:53,744
to visit his father
Solomon in Israel.
530
00:26:53,821 --> 00:26:56,491
NARRATOR:
According to the story,
531
00:26:56,573 --> 00:26:58,453
when Menelik left Israel,
532
00:26:58,534 --> 00:27:01,334
he and his men secretly took
the Ark with them.
533
00:27:01,453 --> 00:27:03,913
The details of
their journey back
534
00:27:03,997 --> 00:27:06,117
to Ethiopia
once again illustrate
535
00:27:06,208 --> 00:27:07,578
the otherworldly power
536
00:27:07,668 --> 00:27:10,298
of the Ark of the Covenant.
537
00:27:10,379 --> 00:27:13,719
They first go
from Jerusalem to Gaza,
538
00:27:13,841 --> 00:27:15,971
and then from there
they travel into Egypt
539
00:27:16,051 --> 00:27:17,301
with the Ark of the Covenant.
540
00:27:17,386 --> 00:27:20,596
And then the Ark of the Covenant
541
00:27:20,681 --> 00:27:23,771
is made to fly their wagon,
542
00:27:23,851 --> 00:27:27,811
and they then fly
across the Red Sea
543
00:27:27,896 --> 00:27:32,606
to the Saudi Arabian Yemen
side of the Red Sea.
544
00:27:32,693 --> 00:27:35,323
This is all detailed
in the Kebra Nagast.
545
00:27:35,404 --> 00:27:37,414
This book is thousands
of years old.
546
00:27:37,531 --> 00:27:40,161
It is clearly described
that Solomon’s son
547
00:27:40,242 --> 00:27:43,452
were flying with
the Ark of the Covenant.
548
00:27:43,537 --> 00:27:46,667
They were not on the ground,
they were flying
549
00:27:46,748 --> 00:27:48,288
over Egypt.
550
00:27:48,375 --> 00:27:49,825
Some temples were destroyed
551
00:27:49,918 --> 00:27:51,838
because of the noise
and the trembling.
552
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,960
They were flying
and came to Ethiopia.
553
00:27:55,257 --> 00:27:58,837
The Ark of the Covenant was
then put in a special church
554
00:27:58,927 --> 00:28:01,217
built for it in Aksum.
555
00:28:02,556 --> 00:28:05,636
One Ethiopian Coptic priest
556
00:28:05,726 --> 00:28:08,186
is allowed to live
557
00:28:08,270 --> 00:28:11,190
in that special church
558
00:28:11,273 --> 00:28:12,983
and only he
559
00:28:13,066 --> 00:28:16,026
is allowed to view the Ark,
560
00:28:16,111 --> 00:28:18,071
and he is essentially,
while he lives,
561
00:28:18,155 --> 00:28:20,495
the custodian
of the Ark of the Covenant.
562
00:28:22,409 --> 00:28:23,869
NARRATOR:
The guardian of the Ark
563
00:28:23,952 --> 00:28:26,712
chooses who will be
his successor when he dies.
564
00:28:26,788 --> 00:28:29,208
The job is both highly coveted
565
00:28:29,291 --> 00:28:30,711
and highly dangerous.
566
00:28:30,792 --> 00:28:33,802
NEWMAN:
The guardians who’ve been there
567
00:28:33,921 --> 00:28:36,591
generation after generation
protecting it
568
00:28:36,715 --> 00:28:38,715
have gone blind.
569
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,390
They’ve had radiation poisoning.
They’ve got cancer.
570
00:28:41,470 --> 00:28:45,180
So, it seems that the Ark may
have had radioactive qualities,
571
00:28:45,265 --> 00:28:47,345
which actually
cause harm to people
572
00:28:47,434 --> 00:28:49,564
if you’re in the vicinity
of it for too long,
573
00:28:49,645 --> 00:28:51,905
and this echoes
the original stories
574
00:28:51,980 --> 00:28:56,400
saying it was some
all‐powerful device.
575
00:28:56,485 --> 00:28:58,745
VON DANIKEN:
The same description
you find in the book
576
00:28:58,820 --> 00:29:01,410
of the kings of the Ethiopians,
the Kebra Nagast,
577
00:29:01,490 --> 00:29:04,240
there they say,
the inside of the Ark
578
00:29:04,326 --> 00:29:05,866
is not from this planet.
579
00:29:05,953 --> 00:29:09,083
NARRATOR:
Some believe that
the ailments suffered
580
00:29:09,164 --> 00:29:10,424
by those said to guard the Ark
581
00:29:10,499 --> 00:29:12,419
at the church in Aksum
582
00:29:12,501 --> 00:29:16,051
provide compelling evidence that
they are, in fact, protecting
583
00:29:16,129 --> 00:29:18,879
an otherworldly technology.
584
00:29:18,966 --> 00:29:20,926
But there is still another,
585
00:29:21,009 --> 00:29:23,429
even more audacious theory
regarding
586
00:29:23,512 --> 00:29:26,432
what happened
to the Ark of the Covenant
587
00:29:26,515 --> 00:29:29,735
and a man who claims
to have found it.
588
00:29:36,066 --> 00:29:38,226
NARRATOR:
Johannesburg, South Africa.
589
00:29:38,318 --> 00:29:42,108
1985.
590
00:29:42,197 --> 00:29:44,947
British scholar Tudor Parfitt
591
00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:48,163
is giving a lecture
on his academic specialty,
592
00:29:48,287 --> 00:29:51,957
the history of ancient Jews
who settled in Africa.
593
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:53,790
During his lecture,
594
00:29:53,875 --> 00:29:56,455
Parfitt is intrigued
by a group in the audience.
595
00:29:56,545 --> 00:29:59,765
They’re dressed in traditional
African garments,
596
00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:03,800
but wearing what look like
Jewish skullcaps.
597
00:30:03,885 --> 00:30:05,675
PARFITT:
They explained that they were
598
00:30:05,762 --> 00:30:07,812
the Lemba people,
599
00:30:07,889 --> 00:30:10,019
and that they were Jews.
600
00:30:10,142 --> 00:30:13,602
The story that they told me
was rather compelling,
601
00:30:13,687 --> 00:30:17,147
and they invited me to go
with them to their villages,
602
00:30:17,232 --> 00:30:18,442
which I did.
603
00:30:18,525 --> 00:30:21,435
And I was convinced
by what I saw
604
00:30:21,528 --> 00:30:23,948
in these little villages
that there was something
605
00:30:24,031 --> 00:30:25,951
profoundly Semitic
about this group.
606
00:30:26,033 --> 00:30:28,033
(speaking native language)
607
00:30:29,911 --> 00:30:32,501
NARRATOR:
Although the Lemba
are native to Zimbabwe,
608
00:30:32,581 --> 00:30:33,961
they not only observed
609
00:30:34,041 --> 00:30:37,341
Semitic dietary laws
and cultural practices,
610
00:30:37,419 --> 00:30:39,629
they claimed to be
descendants of Jews
611
00:30:39,713 --> 00:30:43,303
who fled the Holy Land
thousands of years ago...
612
00:30:43,383 --> 00:30:48,473
Jews known in history as
the ten lost tribes of Israel.
613
00:30:48,555 --> 00:30:50,305
And according to the Lemba,
614
00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:53,020
their ancestors brought
a mysterious object
615
00:30:53,101 --> 00:30:56,311
into Africa from
the great temple in Jerusalem.
616
00:30:56,396 --> 00:30:58,686
In his book,
The Lost Ark of the Covenant,
617
00:30:58,774 --> 00:31:01,994
Parfitt recounts
the description of the object,
618
00:31:02,069 --> 00:31:03,949
called the ngoma lungundu,
619
00:31:04,071 --> 00:31:05,701
as a wooden drum
620
00:31:05,781 --> 00:31:08,871
used to store sacred objects.
621
00:31:08,950 --> 00:31:11,200
PARFITT:
They would often tell me about
622
00:31:11,286 --> 00:31:15,706
the ngoma lungundu,
the‐the drum which thunders.
623
00:31:15,791 --> 00:31:19,881
It’s quite similar
to the Ark of the Covenant.
624
00:31:19,961 --> 00:31:22,551
Like the Ark of the Covenant,
625
00:31:22,631 --> 00:31:25,221
there were carrying rings
on each corner.
626
00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:26,800
Like the Ark of the Covenant,
627
00:31:26,927 --> 00:31:30,507
it had the reputation
of being a murderous weapon
628
00:31:30,597 --> 00:31:32,517
that they carried into war,
629
00:31:32,599 --> 00:31:36,389
and it assured victory
in combat.
630
00:31:36,478 --> 00:31:39,608
So, in lots of ways,
631
00:31:39,689 --> 00:31:41,899
the, uh, ngoma
632
00:31:41,983 --> 00:31:44,863
seemed to be
633
00:31:44,945 --> 00:31:48,075
very similar to the idea
of the Ark of the Covenant.
634
00:31:48,156 --> 00:31:50,776
HUSSAIN:
Not only is there this
secret object that’s lost,
635
00:31:50,867 --> 00:31:53,747
it’s a sacred wooden object
that’s carved,
636
00:31:53,829 --> 00:31:55,369
that has rings on it
637
00:31:55,455 --> 00:31:57,785
that poles are put through
to transport it.
638
00:31:57,874 --> 00:32:02,004
Let’s look at the Ark of War,
as it’s known in Deuteronomy,
639
00:32:02,129 --> 00:32:04,759
and let’s think about
this, uh, ngoma,
640
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,510
this‐this drum that thunders.
641
00:32:06,633 --> 00:32:11,763
This idea that this drum speaks
with the voice of God.
642
00:32:11,847 --> 00:32:14,887
The Ark of the Covenant
is the presence of God.
643
00:32:14,975 --> 00:32:18,235
Could they in fact be one
and the same object?
644
00:32:18,311 --> 00:32:21,111
NARRATOR:
According to the Lemba,
645
00:32:21,189 --> 00:32:25,069
the ngoma lungundu had been kept
in a cave for centuries
646
00:32:25,152 --> 00:32:27,902
before mysteriously
disappearing.
647
00:32:27,988 --> 00:32:30,988
But could the powerful
object they described
648
00:32:31,074 --> 00:32:33,994
have really been the lost
Ark of the Covenant?
649
00:32:34,077 --> 00:32:37,827
And were the Lemba
truly the descendants
650
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:40,286
of the ancient Israelites?
651
00:32:42,169 --> 00:32:44,129
In 1997,
652
00:32:44,212 --> 00:32:47,132
thanks to advances
in DNA technology,
653
00:32:47,215 --> 00:32:48,715
Tudor Parfitt and a group
654
00:32:48,842 --> 00:32:51,432
of British scientists
are able to identify
655
00:32:51,511 --> 00:32:54,431
a specific genetic signature
for descendants
656
00:32:54,514 --> 00:32:58,144
of ancient Israelite priests
called kohanim,
657
00:32:58,226 --> 00:33:00,516
who were entrusted
by Moses’s brother Aaron
658
00:33:00,645 --> 00:33:01,935
with the full knowledge
659
00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:05,362
of the Ark of the Covenant’s
hidden powers.
660
00:33:05,442 --> 00:33:06,732
HENRY:
We know that it was the
661
00:33:06,860 --> 00:33:09,240
descendants of Aaron
who are responsible
662
00:33:09,362 --> 00:33:12,492
for caretaking and operating
the Ark of the Covenant.
663
00:33:12,574 --> 00:33:15,544
Recently, geneticists
have discovered
664
00:33:15,619 --> 00:33:18,659
that that lineage continues
up into the modern day.
665
00:33:18,747 --> 00:33:20,577
Now, if the Ark of the Covenant
666
00:33:20,707 --> 00:33:23,167
were brought into
our world today,
667
00:33:23,251 --> 00:33:25,001
it would make sense
that we would need
668
00:33:25,086 --> 00:33:27,006
the descendants of Aaron
669
00:33:27,088 --> 00:33:30,008
to once again operate the Ark.
670
00:33:30,091 --> 00:33:32,641
NARRATOR:
To Parfitt’s astonishment,
671
00:33:32,719 --> 00:33:36,139
when members of the Lemba
undergo DNA testing,
672
00:33:36,223 --> 00:33:38,603
they are found to have
the genetic signature
673
00:33:38,725 --> 00:33:40,385
of the kohanim,
674
00:33:40,477 --> 00:33:43,857
called the
Cohen Modal Haplotype.
675
00:33:45,357 --> 00:33:47,437
PARFITT:
We were looking for
the Cohen Model Haplotype
676
00:33:47,567 --> 00:33:49,687
among the Lemba,
677
00:33:49,778 --> 00:33:51,698
and we found the Lemba
678
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:54,370
to be relatively rich
679
00:33:54,449 --> 00:33:56,699
in the Cohen Model Haplotype.
680
00:33:58,078 --> 00:34:03,078
Once it seemed that the
priestly tribe of the Lemba was
681
00:34:03,208 --> 00:34:07,298
the same as the priestly tribe
of the Jews,
682
00:34:07,420 --> 00:34:08,880
then the question
of the ngoma became
683
00:34:08,964 --> 00:34:11,634
very much more
interesting to‐to me.
684
00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:15,178
NARRATOR:
Parfitt spent much
of the next decade
685
00:34:15,262 --> 00:34:17,762
traveling across Africa
and the Middle East,
686
00:34:17,889 --> 00:34:21,769
following every lead
in search of the ngoma lungundu.
687
00:34:21,893 --> 00:34:24,193
In 2007,
688
00:34:24,271 --> 00:34:26,561
he was ready
to give up the search,
689
00:34:26,648 --> 00:34:29,318
but decided to follow
one last lead
690
00:34:29,442 --> 00:34:33,572
to a small museum in Harare,
the capital of Zimbabwe.
691
00:34:33,655 --> 00:34:37,035
HUSSAIN:
He goes to the museum,
and he goes
692
00:34:37,117 --> 00:34:39,237
into one of the storerooms,
693
00:34:39,327 --> 00:34:40,907
and it’s almost
straight out of a movie.
694
00:34:40,996 --> 00:34:44,326
PARFITT:
I looked around
the various places
695
00:34:44,457 --> 00:34:46,917
where things might have
been deposited,
696
00:34:47,002 --> 00:34:50,382
and to my considerable surprise,
I found it.
697
00:34:51,798 --> 00:34:54,088
HUSSAIN:
It’s an old piece of wood,
698
00:34:54,175 --> 00:34:57,255
but he’s amazed because one
of the first things he notices
699
00:34:57,345 --> 00:34:59,095
is the scorch marks.
700
00:34:59,180 --> 00:35:02,230
It’s been burned
exactly like the story
701
00:35:02,309 --> 00:35:04,889
that says, oh, at a, at
a particular point in history,
702
00:35:04,978 --> 00:35:07,308
there was a fire that came out
of this that actually
703
00:35:07,397 --> 00:35:10,687
killed the people who were
standing, uh, beside this.
704
00:35:10,817 --> 00:35:14,067
NARRATOR:
Critics complained that
the crude wooden object
705
00:35:14,154 --> 00:35:17,624
did not resemble the biblical
descriptions of the Ark.
706
00:35:17,699 --> 00:35:21,119
But Parfitt points out that,
according to Lemba tradition,
707
00:35:21,202 --> 00:35:25,752
the original wooden box was
destroyed in a fiery explosion,
708
00:35:25,832 --> 00:35:28,582
and this smaller object
was reconstructed
709
00:35:28,668 --> 00:35:31,338
from a piece
of the original artifact.
710
00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:36,304
One could imagine that there
have been a succession of Arks,
711
00:35:36,384 --> 00:35:38,804
which have been used,
712
00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:42,467
but worn out and were rebuilt,
713
00:35:42,557 --> 00:35:43,977
and which finally led
714
00:35:44,059 --> 00:35:47,939
to the Ark, which, today,
is to be found
715
00:35:48,021 --> 00:35:51,821
in a small museum in Harare.
716
00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:55,490
HUSSAIN:
It’s this amazing story
because here’s Tudor Parfitt,
717
00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:57,910
this great, respected academic,
718
00:35:58,031 --> 00:36:00,661
who’s now announced
that he has discovered
719
00:36:00,742 --> 00:36:02,162
the Ark of the Covenant.
720
00:36:02,243 --> 00:36:06,123
That makes international news,
and there’s great debate.
721
00:36:07,749 --> 00:36:10,459
PARFITT:
If one is to think that the Ark
722
00:36:10,543 --> 00:36:12,803
exists anywhere,
why not in Africa?
723
00:36:12,879 --> 00:36:15,049
Makes a lot more sense
than many other places
724
00:36:15,131 --> 00:36:18,181
where it has been
imagined to be.
725
00:36:18,259 --> 00:36:20,339
The Lemba were very
straightforward about their Ark.
726
00:36:20,428 --> 00:36:23,008
They said, at a certain point,
it was destroyed.
727
00:36:23,098 --> 00:36:24,348
We made another one.
728
00:36:24,432 --> 00:36:28,482
But what I do think
is that this, uh,
729
00:36:28,561 --> 00:36:33,361
object is probably
the closest thing
730
00:36:33,441 --> 00:36:35,861
that has ever been found
731
00:36:35,944 --> 00:36:39,324
to the original
Ark of the Covenant.
732
00:36:39,406 --> 00:36:41,026
NARRATOR:
Is it possible
733
00:36:41,116 --> 00:36:43,906
that an ancient
wooden object on display
734
00:36:44,035 --> 00:36:45,865
in a museum in Zimbabwe
735
00:36:45,954 --> 00:36:49,214
represents the last remnants
of the Ark of the Covenant?
736
00:36:49,290 --> 00:36:52,460
Some researchers believe
the otherworldly
737
00:36:52,585 --> 00:36:54,875
technology that
the scorched wooden vessel
738
00:36:54,963 --> 00:36:58,053
is alleged to have held
still exists,
739
00:36:58,133 --> 00:37:01,553
and it will soon be found,
not in Africa,
740
00:37:01,636 --> 00:37:03,796
but back in its rightful home
741
00:37:03,930 --> 00:37:06,390
on Temple Mount.
742
00:37:11,271 --> 00:37:13,691
NARRATOR:
Mount Scopus, Israel.
743
00:37:13,773 --> 00:37:17,033
Here, in northeastern Jerusalem,
744
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:19,030
lie 9,000 tons of soil
745
00:37:19,112 --> 00:37:22,202
illegally excavated and removed
from Temple Mount
746
00:37:22,282 --> 00:37:25,872
in 1999 by the Islamic
religious trust.
747
00:37:25,952 --> 00:37:28,372
Excavations are not permitted
748
00:37:28,455 --> 00:37:31,175
on the sacred space
of Temple Mount,
749
00:37:31,291 --> 00:37:34,541
but because this soil
has already been removed,
750
00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:37,957
both experts and volunteers have
been able to sift through it,
751
00:37:38,047 --> 00:37:40,047
and, incredibly,
752
00:37:40,133 --> 00:37:43,723
it has produced hundreds of
thousands of ancient artifacts.
753
00:37:43,803 --> 00:37:46,353
Might clues pointing
to the existence
754
00:37:46,473 --> 00:37:49,733
of the Ark of the Covenant
and, perhaps, its location,
755
00:37:49,809 --> 00:37:53,019
be found in the soil
from Temple Mount?
756
00:37:54,647 --> 00:37:56,727
TZADOK:
In modern‐day Israel,
757
00:37:56,816 --> 00:38:00,066
many have tried
to go under Temple Mount,
758
00:38:00,153 --> 00:38:03,413
and it is well known
that there are secret catacombs,
759
00:38:03,490 --> 00:38:06,530
and that there are passageways
that have been blocked off,
760
00:38:06,659 --> 00:38:09,249
which lead to many,
many secrets.
761
00:38:09,329 --> 00:38:13,419
What is down there, who can say?
762
00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:16,750
POPE:
Temple Mount is a site
763
00:38:16,836 --> 00:38:19,256
where many people believe
764
00:38:19,339 --> 00:38:22,589
there are things of great power,
765
00:38:22,675 --> 00:38:23,755
maybe still hidden.
766
00:38:23,843 --> 00:38:27,893
It’s a site
of immense significance
767
00:38:28,014 --> 00:38:32,564
to all three of
the world’s main religions.
768
00:38:34,354 --> 00:38:36,864
HUSSAIN:
The importance of Temple Mount
is really interesting.
769
00:38:36,981 --> 00:38:40,781
For Jews,
when Isaac is offered up
770
00:38:40,860 --> 00:38:42,700
for sacrifice by Abraham,
771
00:38:42,779 --> 00:38:45,779
this happens
on the Temple Mount.
772
00:38:45,865 --> 00:38:47,735
It then gets connected
773
00:38:47,867 --> 00:38:50,617
to the Christian tradition
that comes later.
774
00:38:50,703 --> 00:38:52,413
For Muslims,
775
00:38:52,539 --> 00:38:54,329
this spot is important
because this is where
776
00:38:54,415 --> 00:38:57,745
the prophet Muhammad
ascends up to heaven.
777
00:38:57,877 --> 00:38:59,627
There very much is this idea
778
00:38:59,712 --> 00:39:01,512
that there’s a holiness
in this spot.
779
00:39:01,589 --> 00:39:03,969
Observant Jews aren’t even
supposed to walk
780
00:39:04,050 --> 00:39:06,220
on the area of the Temple Mount
781
00:39:06,302 --> 00:39:08,432
because the space
is so powerful.
782
00:39:08,555 --> 00:39:11,725
The idea is that
the presence of God is here.
783
00:39:11,850 --> 00:39:15,640
NEWMAN: Interestingly,
this is the actual site where,
784
00:39:15,728 --> 00:39:19,148
in 2011, there were
multiple reports of
785
00:39:19,232 --> 00:39:22,402
strange lights
seen above Jerusalem.
786
00:39:22,527 --> 00:39:24,737
(men exclaiming)
787
00:39:24,863 --> 00:39:27,823
NARRATOR:
If the event recorded on video
over Temple Mount
788
00:39:27,907 --> 00:39:30,737
on January 28, 2011,
789
00:39:30,869 --> 00:39:33,999
was, in fact, related
to the Ark of the Covenant,
790
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,790
as some ancient astronaut
theorists suspect,
791
00:39:36,916 --> 00:39:40,496
could it be evidence that
the Ark still resides there?
792
00:39:40,587 --> 00:39:42,547
Many people think it was fake,
793
00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:45,840
but we have too many witnesses
from too many sources
794
00:39:45,925 --> 00:39:48,505
that can prove that this
actually happened.
795
00:39:48,595 --> 00:39:51,855
It gives us to speculate
796
00:39:51,931 --> 00:39:54,141
that, indeed, the Ark
797
00:39:54,267 --> 00:39:56,937
was sending
and receiving signals
798
00:39:57,020 --> 00:39:59,810
from some actual,
tangible place,
799
00:39:59,939 --> 00:40:04,859
from which we will have contact
in time to come.
800
00:40:04,944 --> 00:40:09,324
NARRATOR:
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
801
00:40:09,449 --> 00:40:12,619
whether the Ark of the Covenant
lies beneath Temple Mount
802
00:40:12,702 --> 00:40:15,872
or is hidden
thousands of miles away,
803
00:40:15,955 --> 00:40:17,535
one thing is certain,
804
00:40:17,624 --> 00:40:21,924
it remains the world’s
most important lost relic.
805
00:40:23,630 --> 00:40:24,880
CHILDRESS:
I think it’s very possible
806
00:40:24,964 --> 00:40:28,184
that the Ark of the Covenant
does still exist.
807
00:40:28,301 --> 00:40:32,681
And I feel that it’s likely
that at least some people
808
00:40:32,805 --> 00:40:34,345
actually know where it is.
809
00:40:34,474 --> 00:40:36,734
TSOUKALOS:
The Ark of the Covenant
810
00:40:36,809 --> 00:40:39,399
is one of the greatest pieces
811
00:40:39,479 --> 00:40:41,479
in the ancient astronaut theory
812
00:40:41,564 --> 00:40:45,404
because there was
an actual physical object
813
00:40:45,485 --> 00:40:47,905
that had a connection
814
00:40:47,987 --> 00:40:50,867
to the so‐called
celestial realm.
815
00:40:50,990 --> 00:40:53,240
So, I mean, the Ark of the
Covenant is one of the most
816
00:40:53,326 --> 00:40:57,406
enduring ancient mysteries
of all time.
817
00:40:57,497 --> 00:41:00,327
HENRY:
The Ark holds the promise
818
00:41:00,458 --> 00:41:03,588
that it will bring
a new revelation with it.
819
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:07,260
It could completely transform
our civilization.
820
00:41:07,340 --> 00:41:10,760
This is the potential power
with the Ark of the Covenant.
821
00:41:12,178 --> 00:41:15,428
TZADOK:
The Ark might actually
be the proof
822
00:41:15,515 --> 00:41:18,605
that we have been seeking
throughout human history
823
00:41:18,685 --> 00:41:21,695
of our forgotten past
824
00:41:21,771 --> 00:41:25,191
and our greater potential
of contact
825
00:41:25,316 --> 00:41:27,276
with the greater universe
and world.
826
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:31,200
Indeed, if we could have the Ark
827
00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:33,532
and operate it
828
00:41:33,616 --> 00:41:35,576
and make contact,
829
00:41:35,702 --> 00:41:37,082
who would we be talking to?
830
00:41:37,203 --> 00:41:39,623
What would we be opening up?
831
00:41:41,207 --> 00:41:42,957
NARRATOR:
Could an otherworldly device
832
00:41:43,042 --> 00:41:44,922
of unfathomable power
833
00:41:45,044 --> 00:41:48,804
that our ancestors encountered
thousands of years ago
834
00:41:48,881 --> 00:41:51,631
still exist somewhere
on Earth today?
835
00:41:51,718 --> 00:41:55,968
Perhaps the Ark of the Covenant
will soon be revealed
836
00:41:56,055 --> 00:41:59,015
to humanity once again,
837
00:41:59,100 --> 00:42:01,770
and within this sacred box,
we will find
838
00:42:01,894 --> 00:42:05,774
the undeniable proof
of our celestial origins.
839
00:42:05,898 --> 00:42:08,398
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