Quest for the Lost Ark
C4 9pm Mon 14 April 2008
What became of the sacred chest that the Israelites carried from the Sinai desert to the Temple in Jerusalem? Professor Tudor Parfitt believes he has discovered its location.
Origins
Professor Tudor Parfitt
The Ark of the Covenant disappeared over 2,500 years ago. According to the Bible, this sacred container, lined inside and out with gold, was made to house the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai after the Israelites had escaped from slavery in Egypt. This places its origins at around 3,500 years ago. When King Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem, the Ark was kept there, until the Temple was destroyed in 586BC. Since then, despite many attempts to locate it, no trace of it has ever been found.
For the last 20 years Professor Tudor Parfitt has been searching for the last resting place of the Ark. The quest has taken him on a journey across the Middle East, Arabia and Africa.
