FINAL WARNING: The Shining Star
mother, the Queen of Sheba, died. When he was twenty years old, he
returned to Israel, and Solomon treated him with so much favor, that
the elders were jealous and wanted him to return home. Solomon
agreed to send him home, on the condition that the first born sons of
all the elders would go with him. Solomon wanted to give him a replica
of the Ark to take with him. However, Azarius, the son of Zadok, the
High Priest, worried about the idol worship which was flourishing,
switched the Arks, and took the real one.The Ark was taken to Egypt, on the island of Elephantine in the middle
of the Nile, near Aswan, where a temple was built to protect it. It
remained there for 200 years, until the temple was destroyed. The Ark
was carried along the Nile, and the Takazze tributary into Ethiopia.
They arrived at Lake Tana, which was considered a holy place. The Ark
stayed on the island of Tana Kirkos for 800 years, where it was taken
to the Church of St. Mary of Zion, which had been built in 372 to hold
the Ark. During the 1530’s, when the Muslims attacked, it was moved
to safety, but returned a hundred years later to a rebuilt St. Mary’s,
which had been constructed on the ruins of the first. It remained there
until 1965, when Emperor Haile Selassie (who called himself the
“Conquering Lion of Judah” and claimed to be a direct descendent of
King Solomon) moved it to the Church of Zion near the center of
Aksum (Axum), in northern Ethiopia. Though the communists
overthrew the monarchy in 1974, killed Selassie, and imprisoned much
of the Royal family, the Ark remained safe because of its reputation for
possessing an awesome amount of power, which has generated
enough superstition to prevent people from trying to get to it. During
all these years, the Ark has been guarded by Menelik’s descendents,
and the descendents of those who accompanied him, who became
known as ‘Falasha’ (exile) Jews, or the ‘Black Jews’ This area became
part of the independent nation of Eritrea in 1993.It was alleged, that when Israel became a nation, an appeal was made
to Emperor Salassie to return the Ark. He said: “In principle, I agree
that the Ark should be returned to the Temple, but the correct time has
not yet come.” Many researchers believe that the Ark is at the chapel
at Aksum, although it has never been seen.Is Israel waiting for the discovery of the Ark, so they can rebuild the
Temple; or are they waiting for the time when they can freely rebuild