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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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00:00:06,497 --> 00:00:08,081
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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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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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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provide evidence that
it contained highly advanced
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00:08:28,165 --> 00:08:32,335
and perhaps
extraterrestrial technology?
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In 957 BC,
construction was completed
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00:08:36,682 --> 00:08:38,925
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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00:09:03,367 --> 00:09:08,880
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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00:09:52,833 --> 00:09:56,511
is the ultimate alien artifact.
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NARRATOR: Ancient astronaut
theorists believe that finding the Ark
194
00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:03,435
will result
in incredible revelations
195
00:10:03,519 --> 00:10:06,605
about humanity's
extraterrestrial past
196
00:10:06,764 --> 00:10:10,183
and could also facilitate
direct communication
197
00:10:10,276 --> 00:10:13,695
with otherworldly entities
still watching over Earth today.
198
00:10:16,449 --> 00:10:19,951
But does the Ark still lie
hidden at Temple Mount?
199
00:10:20,110 --> 00:10:22,787
Many claim the most
compelling evidence
200
00:10:22,872 --> 00:10:26,708
points to the Ark leaving
Jerusalem centuries ago,
201
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spirited away by a band
of warrior monks.
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NARRATOR:
July 1099 AD.
203
00:10:38,879 --> 00:10:40,889
Muslim-controlled Jerusalem
204
00:10:40,973 --> 00:10:43,633
is captured
by medieval Christian forces.
205
00:10:43,726 --> 00:10:46,302
The bloody siege
leaves the city ransacked
206
00:10:46,387 --> 00:10:49,147
by the victorious crusaders.
207
00:10:51,058 --> 00:10:52,984
But spared from destruction
208
00:10:53,069 --> 00:10:57,238
are two mosques that have stood
on Temple Mount for 400 years.
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00:10:57,323 --> 00:11:01,993
These holy sites were saved
to serve another purpose.
210
00:11:02,078 --> 00:11:04,412
The Dome of the Rock
is converted
211
00:11:04,571 --> 00:11:07,332
into a Catholic church.
212
00:11:07,491 --> 00:11:10,418
And the al-Aqsa Mosque
is given to a newly-formed
213
00:11:10,503 --> 00:11:14,839
monastic fighting force,
the Order of Solomon's Temple,
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00:11:14,924 --> 00:11:17,676
also known
as the Knights Templar.
215
00:11:19,670 --> 00:11:21,921
YOUNG: This was
a holy order of knights
216
00:11:22,014 --> 00:11:24,424
who were interested
in the safety of travelers
217
00:11:24,517 --> 00:11:27,677
going from Europe
to Jerusalem, to the temple.
218
00:11:27,761 --> 00:11:29,145
And they would guard them...
219
00:11:30,681 --> 00:11:32,607
and they would
protect their wealth.
220
00:11:32,692 --> 00:11:35,694
They essentially invented
banking as a way to protect
221
00:11:35,778 --> 00:11:37,862
travelers from highwaymen.
222
00:11:37,947 --> 00:11:39,531
NARRATOR:
But protecting pilgrims
223
00:11:39,690 --> 00:11:41,524
was not the Templars'
only directive
224
00:11:41,617 --> 00:11:44,444
while stationed at Temple Mount.
225
00:11:44,537 --> 00:11:47,613
They were also charged
with searching for treasure
226
00:11:47,707 --> 00:11:50,458
and religious artifacts.
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00:11:50,617 --> 00:11:54,620
CHILDRESS: The Knights Templars
got a commission from the pope
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to actually do excavations
at Solomon's Temple.
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And the Templars, uh,
that is largely what they did
230
00:12:00,136 --> 00:12:02,137
while they were in Jerusalem.
231
00:12:02,221 --> 00:12:06,725
The story there goes that
the Templars actually discovered
232
00:12:06,884 --> 00:12:11,137
a secret chamber
beneath the temple.
233
00:12:11,230 --> 00:12:14,733
They claimed to have found
all sorts of holy relics.
234
00:12:14,817 --> 00:12:17,810
And we know
they found certain things
235
00:12:17,895 --> 00:12:21,322
because they became
very rich very quickly.
236
00:12:21,482 --> 00:12:25,735
But legend said that amongst
all these things they found
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00:12:25,819 --> 00:12:28,747
was the Ark of the Covenant.
238
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,502
NARRATOR:
On July 4, 1187,
239
00:12:34,587 --> 00:12:37,747
the Knights Templar
were forced to leave Jerusalem
240
00:12:37,831 --> 00:12:41,092
when Muslim armies
retook the holy city.
241
00:12:43,429 --> 00:12:46,839
The Templars set sail
for Europe, and it was rumored
242
00:12:46,924 --> 00:12:48,767
that they carried with them
the holy relics
243
00:12:48,851 --> 00:12:51,093
they had recovered
at Temple Mount,
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00:12:51,187 --> 00:12:54,439
including the Ark
of the Covenant.
245
00:12:54,523 --> 00:12:57,108
By the end of the 13th century,
246
00:12:57,267 --> 00:12:58,935
the Knights Templar
had established
247
00:12:59,028 --> 00:13:02,522
a new base of operations
in France.
248
00:13:02,615 --> 00:13:05,950
CORNWALL: I do believe that
the Templars did find the Ark
249
00:13:06,109 --> 00:13:09,871
and successfully
transported it to Paris,
250
00:13:09,955 --> 00:13:13,792
where they were hailed as heroes
for some reason overnight.
251
00:13:13,951 --> 00:13:16,619
Nobles were trying
to join the order.
252
00:13:16,712 --> 00:13:18,713
The king of France
was promoting them.
253
00:13:18,872 --> 00:13:21,216
I believe the reason for that
is because they succeeded
254
00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:23,635
in their mission
to find the Ark,
255
00:13:23,794 --> 00:13:26,045
which is why they were there
in the first place.
256
00:13:26,129 --> 00:13:29,057
NARRATOR: The Templars
used their vast wealth
257
00:13:29,141 --> 00:13:32,727
to finance the construction
of Chartres Cathedral,
258
00:13:32,812 --> 00:13:35,647
one of the finest examples
of Gothic-style architecture
259
00:13:35,731 --> 00:13:37,816
in the world.
260
00:13:37,975 --> 00:13:40,142
And it was rumored
that the Cathedral
261
00:13:40,227 --> 00:13:43,646
had a direct connection
to the Ark of the Covenant.
262
00:13:43,739 --> 00:13:47,325
COLLINS:
In 1966, in a book called
263
00:13:47,484 --> 00:13:50,411
The Mysteries
of Chartres Cathedral,
264
00:13:50,571 --> 00:13:52,572
Louis Charpentier claimed
265
00:13:52,665 --> 00:13:57,001
that the Templars had indeed
found this holy object
266
00:13:57,086 --> 00:14:00,338
and had brought it
back to France.
267
00:14:00,497 --> 00:14:03,174
And that this had,
some way, inspired
268
00:14:03,259 --> 00:14:07,595
the design
of Chartres Cathedral,
269
00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:11,924
which embodied many principles
of sacred geometry,
270
00:14:12,009 --> 00:14:15,770
mathematical ideas
that had been brought over
271
00:14:15,855 --> 00:14:20,099
from the Sufi, and Islamic
peoples of the holy land.
272
00:14:20,192 --> 00:14:26,606
Sufism included a lot of ideas
relating to sacred architecture.
273
00:14:26,690 --> 00:14:31,611
This was how to design
the perfect house of God.
274
00:14:31,695 --> 00:14:34,289
NARRATOR: Some believe
that the Knights Templar
275
00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:36,457
actually built
this breathtaking cathedral
276
00:14:36,617 --> 00:14:38,951
to house the Ark
of the Covenant.
277
00:14:39,036 --> 00:14:42,121
And they point to one
very credible source
278
00:14:42,205 --> 00:14:44,790
that claims the Ark
was deposited here:
279
00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:47,135
the cathedral itself.
280
00:14:47,219 --> 00:14:51,806
Carvings on the north portico
depict the Templars
281
00:14:51,891 --> 00:14:54,884
recovering the Ark of the
Covenant, then carrying it off,
282
00:14:54,968 --> 00:14:59,055
led by an angel with God
hidden overhead in a cloud.
283
00:14:59,148 --> 00:15:01,891
Inscribed in Latin text
are the words:
284
00:15:01,984 --> 00:15:04,727
"Here is hidden
the Ark of the Covenant."
285
00:15:04,811 --> 00:15:06,479
McGOWAN: There are
many legends in France
286
00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:09,065
about where the Ark was kept
during the time period
287
00:15:09,158 --> 00:15:10,909
the Templars were the guardians.
288
00:15:10,993 --> 00:15:13,486
Some say it was in the crypt
of Chartres Cathedral.
289
00:15:13,579 --> 00:15:16,656
It's likely that the Ark of
the Covenant was moved around
290
00:15:16,740 --> 00:15:19,751
to different locations in France
to protect it
291
00:15:19,910 --> 00:15:22,337
and to keep it
from being discovered.
292
00:15:22,496 --> 00:15:25,590
NARRATOR: All who have attempted
to find the Ark of the Covenant
293
00:15:25,749 --> 00:15:29,344
at Chartres Cathedral
have come up empty-handed.
294
00:15:29,503 --> 00:15:33,589
But if the Templars truly were
in possession of the Ark,
295
00:15:33,674 --> 00:15:36,100
there is good reason to believe
they would have moved it
296
00:15:36,259 --> 00:15:40,605
at least once more,
to keep its otherworldly powers
297
00:15:40,764 --> 00:15:42,932
from the hands
of a dangerous enemy:
298
00:15:43,025 --> 00:15:46,185
the king of France, Philip IV.
299
00:15:46,269 --> 00:15:48,613
CORNWALL: The
Templars were incredibly rich,
300
00:15:48,772 --> 00:15:51,941
and King Philip was
engaged in a series of wars
301
00:15:52,034 --> 00:15:54,285
that were depleting his coffers.
302
00:15:54,444 --> 00:15:56,862
He tried to become
their Grand Master
303
00:15:56,947 --> 00:16:00,375
and they said no.
They refused him.
304
00:16:00,459 --> 00:16:03,452
So, he decided to take
what they had by force instead.
305
00:16:03,545 --> 00:16:06,372
But they did know he was coming.
306
00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:09,959
It was obviously time
to get the Ark out of Paris.
307
00:16:10,052 --> 00:16:14,130
NARRATOR:
On Friday, October 13, 1307,
308
00:16:14,223 --> 00:16:16,557
King Philip of France,
with the backing
309
00:16:16,642 --> 00:16:18,884
of Pope Clement V,
310
00:16:18,978 --> 00:16:22,480
ordered the arrest
of every Templar in France.
311
00:16:25,475 --> 00:16:28,069
King Philip accused
the Templars of heresy,
312
00:16:28,153 --> 00:16:31,731
immorality, and worship
of a demonic idol.
313
00:16:31,815 --> 00:16:35,317
But ancient astronaut theorists
suggest that,
314
00:16:35,411 --> 00:16:37,403
based on accounts of the idol,
315
00:16:37,496 --> 00:16:41,240
this may be a case
of misunderstood technology.
316
00:16:41,324 --> 00:16:42,834
TSOUKALOS: There were
rumors that the Templars
317
00:16:42,993 --> 00:16:46,579
were in possession
of this horrible-looking idol
318
00:16:46,672 --> 00:16:49,248
with one glowing red eye
319
00:16:49,332 --> 00:16:52,084
and another eye
that's barely blinking.
320
00:16:52,177 --> 00:16:57,006
Of course, a-a technologically
primitive person
321
00:16:57,090 --> 00:17:00,852
would not recognize that
that is a type of a machine,
322
00:17:01,011 --> 00:17:04,689
but I think this was
an extraterrestrial device.
323
00:17:04,848 --> 00:17:07,358
McGOWAN: It was said
they spoke to this demon.
324
00:17:07,517 --> 00:17:09,351
That this demon
would speak back to them
325
00:17:09,436 --> 00:17:10,945
and give them instructions.
326
00:17:11,104 --> 00:17:13,355
We know from scripture,
327
00:17:13,449 --> 00:17:15,033
we know from the Bible itself
328
00:17:15,192 --> 00:17:17,535
that the Ark was built
as a communication device.
329
00:17:19,362 --> 00:17:20,705
NARRATOR:
For some researchers,
330
00:17:20,789 --> 00:17:22,948
the description
of a demonic idol
331
00:17:23,042 --> 00:17:24,950
with glowing red eyes
332
00:17:25,035 --> 00:17:27,545
that gave instructions
to the Knights Templar
333
00:17:27,704 --> 00:17:29,955
brings to mind
the biblical accounts
334
00:17:30,049 --> 00:17:32,875
of how the Israelite priests
communicated with God
335
00:17:32,968 --> 00:17:35,044
through the Ark of the Covenant.
336
00:17:35,128 --> 00:17:37,221
TZADOK:
The high priest
337
00:17:37,380 --> 00:17:39,807
was required
by biblical law to wear
338
00:17:39,966 --> 00:17:42,134
a special type of a breastplate,
339
00:17:42,219 --> 00:17:44,637
which had special types
of gemstones on it.
340
00:17:44,721 --> 00:17:48,232
The high priest could
oscillate his voice
341
00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:51,486
to create specific
types of sounds.
342
00:17:51,570 --> 00:17:55,573
It would cause these stones
to come alive.
343
00:17:58,577 --> 00:18:01,412
The stones on the breastplate
would light up.
344
00:18:01,571 --> 00:18:03,823
They would begin to emit
rainbow colors.
345
00:18:03,916 --> 00:18:07,576
So, you have light flashing
off of this high priest
346
00:18:07,669 --> 00:18:10,588
as he's firing up
the Ark of the Covenant.
347
00:18:10,747 --> 00:18:14,425
And then the Ark had
rainbow light coming off of it.
348
00:18:16,753 --> 00:18:19,680
NARRATOR: To this day,
many researchers believe
349
00:18:19,765 --> 00:18:22,424
that the idol the Templars
were accused of worshipping
350
00:18:22,509 --> 00:18:25,094
was the Ark of the Covenant.
351
00:18:25,187 --> 00:18:27,930
But if so, what became of it?
352
00:18:28,014 --> 00:18:32,527
Some suggest the world's
most sacred religious relic
353
00:18:32,686 --> 00:18:34,770
ultimately ended up
354
00:18:34,863 --> 00:18:36,948
hidden in a mysterious chapel
355
00:18:37,107 --> 00:18:39,784
in Scotland.
356
00:18:43,864 --> 00:18:48,292
NARRATOR:
Paris, France. March 18, 1314.
357
00:18:48,377 --> 00:18:52,121
Jacques de Molay,
the 23rd and final Grand Master
358
00:18:52,205 --> 00:18:53,706
of the Knights Templar,
359
00:18:53,790 --> 00:18:57,802
is executed
by order of King Philip IV.
360
00:18:57,886 --> 00:19:00,388
But according
to historical accounts,
361
00:19:00,472 --> 00:19:02,974
he already had a plan in place
362
00:19:03,058 --> 00:19:05,226
for the surviving Templars
to make their escape
363
00:19:05,385 --> 00:19:07,386
in the event of his capture.
364
00:19:07,470 --> 00:19:10,565
McGOWAN: Jacques de Molay
had an enormous responsibility
365
00:19:10,649 --> 00:19:11,983
to protect the legacy
366
00:19:12,142 --> 00:19:15,236
of who the Templars were
and what they stood for.
367
00:19:15,395 --> 00:19:17,572
And part of this legacy
368
00:19:17,656 --> 00:19:20,658
was their guardianship
of these holy relics
369
00:19:20,742 --> 00:19:23,327
and, specifically,
the Ark of the Covenant.
370
00:19:23,486 --> 00:19:28,741
NARRATOR: King Philip set out to
capture a fleet of 18 Templar ships
371
00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:31,085
that were said to be docked
at the port of La Rochelle
372
00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:33,329
on the Atlantic coast of France.
373
00:19:33,413 --> 00:19:35,756
But when the king's
forces arrived,
374
00:19:35,841 --> 00:19:37,633
there was not a ship in sight.
375
00:19:39,344 --> 00:19:42,671
COLLINS: The Knights Templar
disappeared, as well as
376
00:19:42,756 --> 00:19:44,348
many of the holy relics
377
00:19:44,433 --> 00:19:48,344
that they unquestionably
held in their possession.
378
00:19:48,437 --> 00:19:50,930
NARRATOR:
Vatican records suggest
379
00:19:51,014 --> 00:19:53,191
the fleet of ships carried
the escaping Templars
380
00:19:53,350 --> 00:19:55,860
and their mysterious treasure
to Scotland,
381
00:19:55,944 --> 00:19:59,021
where they were welcomed
by King Robert the Bruce.
382
00:19:59,105 --> 00:20:00,940
Like the Knights Templar,
383
00:20:01,033 --> 00:20:04,610
Robert the Bruce had been
excommunicated by the Pope.
384
00:20:04,703 --> 00:20:07,622
He was also embroiled
in a bitter war of independence
385
00:20:07,706 --> 00:20:10,124
against Edward II of England,
386
00:20:10,283 --> 00:20:11,626
and according to the story,
387
00:20:11,710 --> 00:20:14,119
the Templars joined his forces
388
00:20:14,204 --> 00:20:16,214
on the battlefield.
389
00:20:16,298 --> 00:20:18,624
CORNWALL:
There is a wonderful legend
390
00:20:18,708 --> 00:20:22,127
of knights in white
391
00:20:22,221 --> 00:20:24,463
at the Battle of Bannockburn
defeating, decimating
392
00:20:24,556 --> 00:20:26,465
the English army.
393
00:20:26,549 --> 00:20:28,476
The Templar Knights
394
00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,303
had to have been at that battle.
395
00:20:31,396 --> 00:20:35,316
NARRATOR: The Templars
were revered as great warriors,
396
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,485
but some question
whether they were aided
397
00:20:37,644 --> 00:20:40,154
by a powerful weapon they may
have been carrying with them,
398
00:20:40,239 --> 00:20:42,490
the Ark of the Covenant.
399
00:20:44,234 --> 00:20:46,994
People have asked, could this
actually be used as a weapon?
400
00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:48,237
Of course it could be.
401
00:20:48,321 --> 00:20:49,905
I mean, can you imagine
402
00:20:49,990 --> 00:20:51,824
having that kind of technology?
403
00:20:51,917 --> 00:20:54,243
HENRY: There's no question
that the Ark of the Covenant
404
00:20:54,336 --> 00:20:56,078
radiated a power
that could be used
405
00:20:56,162 --> 00:20:57,755
for military advantage.
406
00:20:57,914 --> 00:21:00,174
When the Israelites
carried it into battle,
407
00:21:00,259 --> 00:21:04,512
it assisted them
in assuring their victory.
408
00:21:06,098 --> 00:21:08,090
McGOWAN: If the Ark
was carried before an army,
409
00:21:08,183 --> 00:21:10,434
that army would
become invincible.
410
00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:12,011
There are stories
of the Ark killing scorpions
411
00:21:12,104 --> 00:21:13,604
and serpents.
412
00:21:13,689 --> 00:21:15,264
The Ark, in many ways,
was protective,
413
00:21:15,348 --> 00:21:17,566
it was protective of the
Israelites on their journey.
414
00:21:19,361 --> 00:21:22,196
TZADOK: The Ark of the Covenant
would march before
415
00:21:22,281 --> 00:21:25,524
the children of Israel
as they went through the desert,
416
00:21:25,608 --> 00:21:29,778
clearing out anything
that was a danger to them.
417
00:21:29,863 --> 00:21:33,207
When you're in the wilderness,
you have wild animals,
418
00:21:33,366 --> 00:21:35,042
you have poisonous serpents.
419
00:21:35,127 --> 00:21:37,295
The Ark would prepare the way.
420
00:21:37,379 --> 00:21:39,964
How it did this
we still do not know.
421
00:21:40,048 --> 00:21:44,969
No one had actual
visual awareness
422
00:21:45,053 --> 00:21:47,805
or contact
with what was happening.
423
00:21:47,889 --> 00:21:49,548
All we have is the mystery
424
00:21:49,641 --> 00:21:53,060
of knowing that it did march
miles before the people,
425
00:21:53,219 --> 00:21:54,562
preparing the way for them.
426
00:21:56,982 --> 00:21:59,317
COLLINS: In my opinion,
the Ark of the Covenant
427
00:21:59,401 --> 00:22:02,144
functioned as a capacitor,
428
00:22:02,237 --> 00:22:06,815
drawing in electrostatic
energies from
429
00:22:06,908 --> 00:22:10,402
the environment
into its interior.
430
00:22:10,487 --> 00:22:13,405
But that something
was then triggering it
431
00:22:13,498 --> 00:22:17,585
to radiate out some kind of
electromagnetic field.
432
00:22:17,669 --> 00:22:19,745
One that was so strong
433
00:22:19,829 --> 00:22:23,758
that it would strike people down
who came too close.
434
00:22:23,917 --> 00:22:25,584
And I would say
435
00:22:25,668 --> 00:22:28,596
that it contained
something radioactive.
436
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,932
NARRATOR: Is it possible
that the Ark of the Covenant
437
00:22:32,017 --> 00:22:33,684
was a radioactive device
438
00:22:33,769 --> 00:22:36,428
that could be used
as a devastating weapon?
439
00:22:36,513 --> 00:22:39,273
And could knowledge
of the Ark's awesome powers
440
00:22:39,358 --> 00:22:41,016
be a reason that
441
00:22:41,101 --> 00:22:43,694
the Knights Templar kept
this dangerous object hidden
442
00:22:43,853 --> 00:22:46,772
and away from the hands
of their enemies?
443
00:22:46,856 --> 00:22:49,950
Some researchers say
that Templar allies,
444
00:22:50,035 --> 00:22:52,361
the powerful Sinclair family,
445
00:22:52,445 --> 00:22:54,196
understood the importance
446
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:55,948
of protecting the Ark and built
447
00:22:56,032 --> 00:22:58,951
an elaborate hiding place
for the dangerous object,
448
00:22:59,044 --> 00:23:01,036
Rosslyn Chapel.
449
00:23:01,129 --> 00:23:02,630
COLLINS:
Rosslyn Chapel
450
00:23:02,714 --> 00:23:04,873
is one of the most mysterious
451
00:23:04,966 --> 00:23:07,709
holy places
in the whole of Scotland.
452
00:23:07,794 --> 00:23:11,639
Many people have
likened its design,
453
00:23:11,723 --> 00:23:13,715
its cruciform design,
454
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,478
to the layout
of King Solomon's Temple.
455
00:23:17,562 --> 00:23:19,888
And this has raised the question
456
00:23:19,973 --> 00:23:21,974
of whether or not
457
00:23:22,058 --> 00:23:24,226
the Knights Templar
458
00:23:24,310 --> 00:23:27,312
may have brought
the Ark of the Covenant
459
00:23:27,397 --> 00:23:28,897
to Scotland,
460
00:23:28,982 --> 00:23:33,068
and that Rosslyn Chapel
could have been constructed
461
00:23:33,153 --> 00:23:35,913
as its new resting place.
462
00:23:35,997 --> 00:23:38,999
CHILDRESS:
That chapel contains a crypt
463
00:23:39,084 --> 00:23:40,659
deep beneath it,
464
00:23:40,743 --> 00:23:43,170
and many historians believe
that the Ark of the Covenant
465
00:23:43,329 --> 00:23:45,497
was kept there for a while.
466
00:23:45,582 --> 00:23:49,418
McGOWAN: Rosslyn Chapel is
full of Templar symbolism, including
467
00:23:49,502 --> 00:23:51,929
carvings of Templar Knights and
468
00:23:52,013 --> 00:23:55,516
a gravestone that belonged
to another Templar.
469
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:56,925
The Templars are inextricable
470
00:23:57,018 --> 00:23:58,760
with the legends
of Rosslyn Chapel.
471
00:23:58,854 --> 00:24:01,021
Rosslyn Chapel
is really the symbol
472
00:24:01,106 --> 00:24:02,940
of Templar presence in Scotland.
473
00:24:03,024 --> 00:24:06,268
NARRATOR: While millions
of people are convinced
474
00:24:06,361 --> 00:24:08,112
that the Knights Templar
recovered
475
00:24:08,271 --> 00:24:10,114
the Ark of the Covenant
at Temple Mount
476
00:24:10,273 --> 00:24:13,200
and hid it somewhere
along their journeys,
477
00:24:13,285 --> 00:24:16,445
likely in France or Scotland,
478
00:24:16,538 --> 00:24:18,873
there are just as many
who believe
479
00:24:18,957 --> 00:24:20,949
that it was taken
out of Jerusalem
480
00:24:21,042 --> 00:24:23,452
long before the Templars
even existed.
481
00:24:23,536 --> 00:24:26,788
And some profess
to have seen the Ark
482
00:24:26,882 --> 00:24:28,874
and witnessed
its ethereal powers
483
00:24:28,958 --> 00:24:30,959
with their own eyes
484
00:24:31,044 --> 00:24:32,970
in a most unlikely place:
485
00:24:33,129 --> 00:24:35,639
Ethiopia.
486
00:24:41,229 --> 00:24:42,721
NARRATOR:
Aksum, Ethiopia.
487
00:24:42,814 --> 00:24:45,307
November 2020.
488
00:24:45,391 --> 00:24:49,061
Pro-government troops storm
the ancient sacred city,
489
00:24:49,145 --> 00:24:51,647
searching out soldiers
aligned with the region's
490
00:24:51,740 --> 00:24:54,408
former ruling party, the TPLF.
491
00:24:54,567 --> 00:24:56,744
It is one episode in a conflict
492
00:24:56,903 --> 00:24:59,079
that has been raging for weeks,
493
00:24:59,239 --> 00:25:03,000
but this time, the soldiers
target Aksum's holiest site,
494
00:25:03,084 --> 00:25:06,587
the Church of Our
Lady Mary of Zion.
495
00:25:06,746 --> 00:25:09,164
Incredibly, hundreds
496
00:25:09,257 --> 00:25:10,841
of civilians race to the defense
497
00:25:10,926 --> 00:25:12,927
of the church
and prevent the soldiers
498
00:25:13,086 --> 00:25:14,303
from gaining access.
499
00:25:15,847 --> 00:25:19,675
A staggering 800 are reportedly
killed in the process.
500
00:25:19,768 --> 00:25:22,761
But more than the church itself,
501
00:25:22,854 --> 00:25:25,773
they were protecting the
extraordinary religious artifact
502
00:25:25,932 --> 00:25:28,267
that is said to be held inside,
503
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,612
the Ark of the Covenant.
504
00:25:31,771 --> 00:25:34,031
HENRY: There are many who
believe that the Ark is in Aksum.
505
00:25:34,115 --> 00:25:37,276
In fact, it's believed
by millions
506
00:25:37,369 --> 00:25:40,371
of Orthodox Christians that the
Ark of the Covenant is there.
507
00:25:42,031 --> 00:25:44,283
NARRATOR: Although
many researchers believe
508
00:25:44,367 --> 00:25:47,452
there is strong evidence that
the Knights Templar recovered
509
00:25:47,546 --> 00:25:49,380
the Ark of the Covenant
during their excavations
510
00:25:49,464 --> 00:25:51,123
at Temple Mount,
511
00:25:51,216 --> 00:25:55,052
others say that the Ark
had been removed from Jerusalem
512
00:25:55,211 --> 00:25:58,130
centuries before
the Templars even arrived.
513
00:25:58,214 --> 00:26:00,975
The main proponents
of this theory are the
514
00:26:01,134 --> 00:26:02,968
Christians of Ethiopia,
515
00:26:03,052 --> 00:26:05,145
who believe the Ark
was brought to Aksum
516
00:26:05,305 --> 00:26:07,889
nearly 3,000 years ago,
517
00:26:07,974 --> 00:26:12,477
where it has continued to exert
its strange powers ever since.
518
00:26:12,571 --> 00:26:16,907
One version of the fate
of the Ark of the Covenant
519
00:26:17,066 --> 00:26:21,903
is contained within
a Ethiopian holy book
520
00:26:21,988 --> 00:26:24,748
known as the Kebra Nagast.
521
00:26:24,907 --> 00:26:27,585
It's a story involving
King Solomon,
522
00:26:27,669 --> 00:26:30,254
who had the Ark,
523
00:26:30,413 --> 00:26:33,424
and his meeting
with the Queen of Sheba.
524
00:26:33,583 --> 00:26:36,668
And it was said that
they had a liaison,
525
00:26:36,761 --> 00:26:40,180
and that a son was born
to the Queen of Sheba
526
00:26:40,340 --> 00:26:42,174
by the name of Menelik.
527
00:26:42,267 --> 00:26:44,509
And that, eventually,
528
00:26:44,594 --> 00:26:48,597
Menelik traveled from
his homeland of Ethiopia
529
00:26:48,690 --> 00:26:53,444
to visit his father
Solomon in Israel.
530
00:26:53,528 --> 00:26:56,104
NARRATOR:
According to the story,
531
00:26:56,189 --> 00:26:58,190
when Menelik left Israel,
532
00:26:58,283 --> 00:27:01,026
he and his men secretly took
the Ark with them.
533
00:27:01,110 --> 00:27:03,621
The details of
their journey back
534
00:27:03,705 --> 00:27:05,697
to Ethiopia
once again illustrate
535
00:27:05,790 --> 00:27:07,282
the otherworldly power
536
00:27:07,367 --> 00:27:09,951
of the Ark of the Covenant.
537
00:27:10,045 --> 00:27:13,464
They first go
from Jerusalem to Gaza,
538
00:27:13,623 --> 00:27:15,624
and then from there
they travel into Egypt
539
00:27:15,717 --> 00:27:16,958
with the Ark of the Covenant.
540
00:27:17,052 --> 00:27:20,295
And then the Ark of the Covenant
541
00:27:20,380 --> 00:27:23,474
is made to fly their wagon,
542
00:27:23,558 --> 00:27:27,552
and they then fly
across the Red Sea
543
00:27:27,646 --> 00:27:32,391
to the Saudi Arabian Yemen
side of the Red Sea.
544
00:27:32,475 --> 00:27:34,985
This is all detailed
in the Kebra Nagast.
545
00:27:35,144 --> 00:27:37,154
This book is thousands
of years old.
546
00:27:37,313 --> 00:27:39,823
It is clearly described
that Solomon's son
547
00:27:39,982 --> 00:27:43,235
were flying with
the Ark of the Covenant.
548
00:27:43,319 --> 00:27:46,163
They were not on the ground,
they were flying
549
00:27:46,322 --> 00:27:47,989
over Egypt.
550
00:27:48,074 --> 00:27:49,491
Some temples were destroyed
551
00:27:49,584 --> 00:27:51,493
because of the noise
and the trembling.
552
00:27:51,586 --> 00:27:53,462
They were flying
and came to Ethiopia.
553
00:27:55,081 --> 00:27:58,417
The Ark of the Covenant was
then put in a special church
554
00:27:58,510 --> 00:28:00,678
built for it in Aksum.
555
00:28:02,255 --> 00:28:05,265
One Ethiopian Coptic priest
556
00:28:05,350 --> 00:28:07,759
is allowed to live
557
00:28:07,852 --> 00:28:10,688
in that special church
558
00:28:10,847 --> 00:28:12,681
and only he
559
00:28:12,765 --> 00:28:15,684
is allowed to view the Ark,
560
00:28:15,777 --> 00:28:17,778
and he is essentially,
while he lives,
561
00:28:17,862 --> 00:28:19,988
the custodian
of the Ark of the Covenant.
562
00:28:22,117 --> 00:28:23,534
NARRATOR:
The guardian of the Ark
563
00:28:23,693 --> 00:28:26,361
chooses who will be
his successor when he dies.
564
00:28:26,454 --> 00:28:28,780
The job is both highly coveted
565
00:28:28,873 --> 00:28:30,374
and highly dangerous.
566
00:28:30,533 --> 00:28:33,544
NEWMAN:
The guardians who've been there
567
00:28:33,703 --> 00:28:36,213
generation after generation
protecting it
568
00:28:36,297 --> 00:28:38,382
have gone blind.
569
00:28:38,541 --> 00:28:41,126
They've had radiation poisoning.
They've got cancer.
570
00:28:41,219 --> 00:28:44,888
So, it seems that the Ark may
have had radioactive qualities,
571
00:28:44,973 --> 00:28:47,132
which actually
cause harm to people
572
00:28:47,216 --> 00:28:49,226
if you're in the vicinity
of it for too long,
573
00:28:49,385 --> 00:28:51,553
and this echoes
the original stories
574
00:28:51,646 --> 00:28:56,150
saying it was some
all-powerful device.
575
00:28:56,309 --> 00:28:58,402
VON DANIKEN: The same
description you find in the book
576
00:28:58,561 --> 00:29:01,062
of the kings of the Ethiopians,
the Kebra Nagast,
577
00:29:01,156 --> 00:29:03,815
there they say,
the inside of the Ark
578
00:29:03,908 --> 00:29:05,659
is not from this planet.
579
00:29:05,744 --> 00:29:08,737
NARRATOR: Some believe
that the ailments suffered
580
00:29:08,830 --> 00:29:09,988
by those said to guard the Ark
581
00:29:10,081 --> 00:29:12,157
at the church in Aksum
582
00:29:12,250 --> 00:29:15,744
provide compelling evidence that
they are, in fact, protecting
583
00:29:15,828 --> 00:29:18,580
an otherworldly technology.
584
00:29:18,664 --> 00:29:20,591
But there is still another,
585
00:29:20,750 --> 00:29:23,093
even more audacious theory
regarding
586
00:29:23,252 --> 00:29:26,087
what happened
to the Ark of the Covenant
587
00:29:26,181 --> 00:29:29,224
and a man who claims
to have found it.
588
00:29:35,774 --> 00:29:37,849
NARRATOR:
Johannesburg, South Africa.
589
00:29:37,934 --> 00:29:41,770
1985.
590
00:29:41,863 --> 00:29:44,689
British scholar Tudor Parfitt
591
00:29:44,783 --> 00:29:47,951
is giving a lecture
on his academic specialty,
592
00:29:48,036 --> 00:29:51,538
the history of ancient Jews
who settled in Africa.
593
00:29:51,697 --> 00:29:53,457
During his lecture,
594
00:29:53,616 --> 00:29:56,126
Parfitt is intrigued
by a group in the audience.
595
00:29:56,285 --> 00:29:59,538
They're dressed in traditional
African garments,
596
00:29:59,622 --> 00:30:03,458
but wearing what look like
Jewish skullcaps.
597
00:30:03,551 --> 00:30:05,293
PARFITT:
They explained that they were
598
00:30:05,378 --> 00:30:07,379
the Lemba people,
599
00:30:07,472 --> 00:30:09,807
and that they were Jews.
600
00:30:09,891 --> 00:30:13,393
The story that they told me
was rather compelling,
601
00:30:13,478 --> 00:30:16,647
and they invited me to go
with them to their villages,
602
00:30:16,806 --> 00:30:18,148
which I did.
603
00:30:18,233 --> 00:30:21,226
And I was convinced
by what I saw
604
00:30:21,310 --> 00:30:23,654
in these little villages
that there was something
605
00:30:23,738 --> 00:30:25,647
profoundly Semitic
about this group.
606
00:30:25,731 --> 00:30:27,491
(speaking native language)
607
00:30:29,735 --> 00:30:32,070
NARRATOR: Although the
Lemba are native to Zimbabwe,
608
00:30:32,163 --> 00:30:33,738
they not only observed
609
00:30:33,823 --> 00:30:36,992
Semitic dietary laws
and cultural practices,
610
00:30:37,085 --> 00:30:39,411
they claimed to be
descendants of Jews
611
00:30:39,495 --> 00:30:43,090
who fled the Holy Land
thousands of years ago...
612
00:30:43,174 --> 00:30:48,169
Jews known in history as
the ten lost tribes of Israel.
613
00:30:48,254 --> 00:30:50,088
And according to the Lemba,
614
00:30:50,172 --> 00:30:52,757
their ancestors brought
a mysterious object
615
00:30:52,851 --> 00:30:56,094
into Africa from
the great temple in Jerusalem.
616
00:30:56,178 --> 00:30:58,430
In his book,
The Lost Ark of the Covenant,
617
00:30:58,523 --> 00:31:01,683
Parfitt recounts
the description of the object,
618
00:31:01,767 --> 00:31:03,602
called the ngoma lungundu,
619
00:31:03,695 --> 00:31:05,353
as a wooden drum
620
00:31:05,446 --> 00:31:08,523
used to store sacred objects.
621
00:31:08,616 --> 00:31:10,942
PARFITT:
They would often tell me about
622
00:31:11,035 --> 00:31:15,447
the ngoma lungundu,
the-the drum which thunders.
623
00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:19,534
It's quite similar
to the Ark of the Covenant.
624
00:31:19,627 --> 00:31:22,203
Like the Ark of the Covenant,
625
00:31:22,297 --> 00:31:24,873
there were carrying rings
on each corner.
626
00:31:24,966 --> 00:31:26,625
Like the Ark of the Covenant,
627
00:31:26,718 --> 00:31:30,211
it had the reputation
of being a murderous weapon
628
00:31:30,296 --> 00:31:32,222
that they carried into war,
629
00:31:32,307 --> 00:31:35,976
and it assured victory
in combat.
630
00:31:36,135 --> 00:31:39,220
So, in lots of ways,
631
00:31:39,305 --> 00:31:41,398
the, uh, ngoma
632
00:31:41,557 --> 00:31:44,651
seemed to be
633
00:31:44,736 --> 00:31:47,821
very similar to the idea
of the Ark of the Covenant.
634
00:31:47,980 --> 00:31:50,490
HUSSAIN: Not only is there
this secret object that's lost,
635
00:31:50,575 --> 00:31:53,327
it's a sacred wooden object
that's carved,
636
00:31:53,486 --> 00:31:55,153
that has rings on it
637
00:31:55,237 --> 00:31:57,572
that poles are put through
to transport it.
638
00:31:57,657 --> 00:32:01,752
Let's look at the Ark of War,
as it's known in Deuteronomy,
639
00:32:01,911 --> 00:32:04,412
and let's think about
this, uh, ngoma,
640
00:32:04,505 --> 00:32:06,331
this-this drum that thunders.
641
00:32:06,424 --> 00:32:11,428
This idea that this drum speaks
with the voice of God.
642
00:32:11,587 --> 00:32:14,673
The Ark of the Covenant
is the presence of God.
643
00:32:14,757 --> 00:32:17,935
Could they in fact be one
and the same object?
644
00:32:18,019 --> 00:32:20,854
NARRATOR:
According to the Lemba,
645
00:32:21,013 --> 00:32:24,775
the ngoma lungundu had been kept
in a cave for centuries
646
00:32:24,859 --> 00:32:27,686
before mysteriously
disappearing.
647
00:32:27,770 --> 00:32:30,697
But could the powerful
object they described
648
00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:33,692
have really been the lost
Ark of the Covenant?
649
00:32:33,776 --> 00:32:37,454
And were the Lemba
truly the descendants
650
00:32:37,538 --> 00:32:39,790
of the ancient Israelites?
651
00:32:41,784 --> 00:32:43,794
In 1997,
652
00:32:43,953 --> 00:32:46,713
thanks to advances
in DNA technology,
653
00:32:46,872 --> 00:32:48,465
Tudor Parfitt and a group
654
00:32:48,624 --> 00:32:51,209
of British scientists
are able to identify
655
00:32:51,293 --> 00:32:54,212
a specific genetic signature
for descendants
656
00:32:54,296 --> 00:32:57,799
of ancient Israelite priests
called kohanim,
657
00:32:57,892 --> 00:33:00,218
who were entrusted
by Moses's brother Aaron
658
00:33:00,302 --> 00:33:01,720
with the full knowledge
659
00:33:01,804 --> 00:33:04,982
of the Ark of the Covenant's
hidden powers.
660
00:33:05,066 --> 00:33:06,483
HENRY:
We know that it was the
661
00:33:06,642 --> 00:33:09,060
descendants of Aaron
who are responsible
662
00:33:09,153 --> 00:33:12,147
for caretaking and operating
the Ark of the Covenant.
663
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,316
Recently, geneticists
have discovered
664
00:33:15,401 --> 00:33:18,245
that that lineage continues
up into the modern day.
665
00:33:18,404 --> 00:33:20,321
Now, if the Ark of the Covenant
666
00:33:20,415 --> 00:33:22,824
were brought into
our world today,
667
00:33:22,917 --> 00:33:24,576
it would make sense
that we would need
668
00:33:24,669 --> 00:33:26,661
the descendants of Aaron
669
00:33:26,754 --> 00:33:29,673
to once again operate the Ark.
670
00:33:29,832 --> 00:33:32,417
NARRATOR:
To Parfitt's astonishment,
671
00:33:32,501 --> 00:33:35,920
when members of the Lemba
undergo DNA testing,
672
00:33:36,005 --> 00:33:38,256
they are found to have
the genetic signature
673
00:33:38,349 --> 00:33:40,091
of the kohanim,
674
00:33:40,176 --> 00:33:43,353
called the
Cohen Modal Haplotype.
675
00:33:45,097 --> 00:33:47,098
PARFITT: We were looking
for the Cohen Model Haplotype
676
00:33:47,191 --> 00:33:49,267
among the Lemba,
677
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,269
and we found the Lemba
678
00:33:51,362 --> 00:33:54,022
to be relatively rich
679
00:33:54,115 --> 00:33:56,199
in the Cohen Model Haplotype.
680
00:33:57,869 --> 00:34:02,789
Once it seemed that the
priestly tribe of the Lemba was
681
00:34:02,874 --> 00:34:07,044
the same as the priestly tribe
of the Jews,
682
00:34:07,203 --> 00:34:08,545
then the question
of the ngoma became
683
00:34:08,704 --> 00:34:11,456
very much more
interesting to-to me.
684
00:34:11,549 --> 00:34:14,959
NARRATOR: Parfitt spent
much of the next decade
685
00:34:15,044 --> 00:34:17,554
traveling across Africa
and the Middle East,
686
00:34:17,638 --> 00:34:21,308
following every lead
in search of the ngoma lungundu.
687
00:34:21,392 --> 00:34:23,894
In 2007,
688
00:34:23,978 --> 00:34:26,229
he was ready
to give up the search,
689
00:34:26,388 --> 00:34:29,140
but decided to follow
one last lead
690
00:34:29,233 --> 00:34:33,311
to a small museum in Harare,
the capital of Zimbabwe.
691
00:34:33,404 --> 00:34:36,731
HUSSAIN: He goes to
the museum, and he goes
692
00:34:36,816 --> 00:34:38,909
into one of the storerooms,
693
00:34:39,068 --> 00:34:40,652
and it's almost
straight out of a movie.
694
00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:44,081
PARFITT: I looked
around the various places
695
00:34:44,240 --> 00:34:46,583
where things might have
been deposited,
696
00:34:46,742 --> 00:34:49,878
and to my considerable surprise,
I found it.
697
00:34:51,506 --> 00:34:53,832
HUSSAIN:
It's an old piece of wood,
698
00:34:53,925 --> 00:34:56,843
but he's amazed because one
of the first things he notices
699
00:34:57,002 --> 00:34:58,753
is the scorch marks.
700
00:34:58,846 --> 00:35:02,015
It's been burned
exactly like the story
701
00:35:02,100 --> 00:35:04,684
that says, oh, at a, at
a particular point in history,
702
00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:07,095
there was a fire that came out
of this that actually
703
00:35:07,179 --> 00:35:10,524
killed the people who were
standing, uh, beside this.
704
00:35:10,683 --> 00:35:13,860
NARRATOR: Critics complained
that the crude wooden object
705
00:35:13,945 --> 00:35:17,355
did not resemble the biblical
descriptions of the Ark.
706
00:35:17,448 --> 00:35:20,867
But Parfitt points out that,
according to Lemba tradition,
707
00:35:21,026 --> 00:35:25,530
the original wooden box was
destroyed in a fiery explosion,
708
00:35:25,614 --> 00:35:28,291
and this smaller object
was reconstructed
709
00:35:28,376 --> 00:35:30,794
from a piece
of the original artifact.
710
00:35:32,538 --> 00:35:35,874
One could imagine that there
have been a succession of Arks,
711
00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:38,459
which have been used,
712
00:35:38,553 --> 00:35:42,046
but worn out and were rebuilt,
713
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:43,640
and which finally led
714
00:35:43,799 --> 00:35:47,635
to the Ark, which, today,
is to be found
715
00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:51,639
in a small museum in Harare.
716
00:35:51,732 --> 00:35:55,068
HUSSAIN: It's this amazing
story because here's Tudor Parfitt,
717
00:35:55,227 --> 00:35:57,654
this great, respected academic,
718
00:35:57,813 --> 00:36:00,231
who's now announced
that he has discovered
719
00:36:00,324 --> 00:36:01,908
the Ark of the Covenant.
720
00:36:02,067 --> 00:36:05,620
That makes international news,
and there's great debate.
721
00:36:07,489 --> 00:36:10,167
PARFITT:
If one is to think that the Ark
722
00:36:10,251 --> 00:36:12,577
exists anywhere,
why not in Africa?
723
00:36:12,661 --> 00:36:14,671
Makes a lot more sense
than many other places
724
00:36:14,755 --> 00:36:17,841
where it has been
imagined to be.
725
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,010
The Lemba were very
straightforward about their Ark.
726
00:36:20,169 --> 00:36:22,596
They said, at a certain point,
it was destroyed.
727
00:36:22,755 --> 00:36:24,005
We made another one.
728
00:36:24,098 --> 00:36:28,185
But what I do think
is that this, uh,
729
00:36:28,269 --> 00:36:32,931
object is probably
the closest thing
730
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:35,525
that has ever been found
731
00:36:35,684 --> 00:36:39,020
to the original
Ark of the Covenant.
732
00:36:39,104 --> 00:36:40,697
NARRATOR:
Is it possible
733
00:36:40,856 --> 00:36:43,608
that an ancient
wooden object on display
734
00:36:43,692 --> 00:36:45,619
in a museum in Zimbabwe
735
00:36:45,778 --> 00:36:48,872
represents the last remnants
of the Ark of the Covenant?
736
00:36:49,031 --> 00:36:52,209
Some researchers believe
the otherworldly
737
00:36:52,368 --> 00:36:54,535
technology that
the scorched wooden vessel
738
00:36:54,629 --> 00:36:57,714
is alleged to have held
still exists,
739
00:36:57,873 --> 00:37:01,209
and it will soon be found,
not in Africa,
740
00:37:01,302 --> 00:37:03,461
but back in its rightful home
741
00:37:03,554 --> 00:37:05,889
on Temple Mount.
742
00:37:10,978 --> 00:37:13,313
NARRATOR:
Mount Scopus, Israel.
743
00:37:13,397 --> 00:37:16,650
Here, in northeastern Jerusalem,
744
00:37:16,734 --> 00:37:18,735
lie 9,000 tons of soil
745
00:37:18,819 --> 00:37:21,905
illegally excavated and removed
from Temple Mount
746
00:37:21,989 --> 00:37:25,492
in 1999 by the Islamic
religious trust.
747
00:37:25,576 --> 00:37:28,069
Excavations are not permitted
748
00:37:28,153 --> 00:37:30,914
on the sacred space
of Temple Mount,
749
00:37:31,073 --> 00:37:34,334
but because this soil
has already been removed,
750
00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:37,504
both experts and volunteers have
been able to sift through it,
751
00:37:37,588 --> 00:37:39,831
and, incredibly,
752
00:37:39,915 --> 00:37:43,418
it has produced hundreds of
thousands of ancient artifacts.
753
00:37:43,502 --> 00:37:46,170
Might clues pointing
to the existence
754
00:37:46,264 --> 00:37:49,432
of the Ark of the Covenant
and, perhaps, its location,
755
00:37:49,517 --> 00:37:52,519
be found in the soil
from Temple Mount?
756
00:37:54,355 --> 00:37:56,439
TZADOK:
In modern-day Israel,
757
00:37:56,524 --> 00:37:59,851
many have tried
to go under Temple Mount,
758
00:37:59,935 --> 00:38:03,196
and it is well known
that there are secret catacombs,
759
00:38:03,281 --> 00:38:06,274
and that there are passageways
that have been blocked off,
760
00:38:06,367 --> 00:38:08,868
which lead to many,
many secrets.
761
00:38:08,953 --> 00:38:13,114
What is down there, who can say?
762
00:38:13,198 --> 00:38:16,451
POPE:
Temple Mount is a site
763
00:38:16,535 --> 00:38:18,878
where many people believe
764
00:38:18,963 --> 00:38:22,206
there are things of great power,
765
00:38:22,291 --> 00:38:23,458
maybe still hidden.
766
00:38:23,542 --> 00:38:27,637
It's a site
of immense significance
767
00:38:27,796 --> 00:38:32,058
to all three of
the world's main religions.
768
00:38:34,219 --> 00:38:36,563
HUSSAIN: The importance of
Temple Mount is really interesting.
769
00:38:36,647 --> 00:38:40,475
For Jews,
when Isaac is offered up
770
00:38:40,559 --> 00:38:42,393
for sacrifice by Abraham,
771
00:38:42,478 --> 00:38:45,405
this happens
on the Temple Mount.
772
00:38:45,489 --> 00:38:47,490
It then gets connected
773
00:38:47,649 --> 00:38:50,234
to the Christian tradition
that comes later.
774
00:38:50,319 --> 00:38:52,162
For Muslims,
775
00:38:52,321 --> 00:38:54,072
this spot is important
because this is where
776
00:38:54,165 --> 00:38:57,417
the prophet Muhammad
ascends up to heaven.
777
00:38:57,576 --> 00:38:59,336
There very much is this idea
778
00:38:59,420 --> 00:39:01,245
that there's a holiness
in this spot.
779
00:39:01,339 --> 00:39:03,664
Observant Jews aren't even
supposed to walk
780
00:39:03,749 --> 00:39:05,842
on the area of the Temple Mount
781
00:39:05,926 --> 00:39:08,178
because the space
is so powerful.
782
00:39:08,337 --> 00:39:11,506
The idea is that
the presence of God is here.
783
00:39:11,590 --> 00:39:15,426
NEWMAN: Interestingly,
this is the actual site where,
784
00:39:15,511 --> 00:39:18,846
in 2011, there were
multiple reports of
785
00:39:18,931 --> 00:39:22,025
strange lights
seen above Jerusalem.
786
00:39:22,109 --> 00:39:24,527
(men exclaiming)
787
00:39:24,612 --> 00:39:27,438
NARRATOR: If the event recorded
on video over Temple Mount
788
00:39:27,523 --> 00:39:30,533
on January 28, 2011,
789
00:39:30,618 --> 00:39:33,778
was, in fact, related
to the Ark of the Covenant,
790
00:39:33,862 --> 00:39:36,614
as some ancient astronaut
theorists suspect,
791
00:39:36,707 --> 00:39:40,126
could it be evidence that
the Ark still resides there?
792
00:39:40,211 --> 00:39:42,295
Many people think it was fake,
793
00:39:42,454 --> 00:39:45,548
but we have too many witnesses
from too many sources
794
00:39:45,633 --> 00:39:48,134
that can prove that this
actually happened.
795
00:39:48,219 --> 00:39:51,471
It gives us to speculate
796
00:39:51,555 --> 00:39:53,881
that, indeed, the Ark
797
00:39:53,974 --> 00:39:56,559
was sending
and receiving signals
798
00:39:56,644 --> 00:39:59,562
from some actual,
tangible place,
799
00:39:59,721 --> 00:40:04,651
from which we will have contact
in time to come.
800
00:40:04,735 --> 00:40:09,147
NARRATOR: As far as ancient
astronaut theorists are concerned,
801
00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:12,316
whether the Ark of the Covenant
lies beneath Temple Mount
802
00:40:12,401 --> 00:40:15,495
or is hidden
thousands of miles away,
803
00:40:15,579 --> 00:40:17,321
one thing is certain,
804
00:40:17,406 --> 00:40:21,418
it remains the world's
most important lost relic.
805
00:40:23,328 --> 00:40:24,587
CHILDRESS:
I think it's very possible
806
00:40:24,672 --> 00:40:27,999
that the Ark of the Covenant
does still exist.
807
00:40:28,092 --> 00:40:32,345
And I feel that it's likely
that at least some people
808
00:40:32,504 --> 00:40:34,088
actually know where it is.
809
00:40:34,181 --> 00:40:36,349
TSOUKALOS:
The Ark of the Covenant
810
00:40:36,434 --> 00:40:39,093
is one of the greatest pieces
811
00:40:39,178 --> 00:40:41,179
in the ancient astronaut theory
812
00:40:41,263 --> 00:40:45,024
because there was
an actual physical object
813
00:40:45,109 --> 00:40:47,602
that had a connection
814
00:40:47,686 --> 00:40:50,688
to the so-called
celestial realm.
815
00:40:50,781 --> 00:40:52,949
So, I mean, the Ark of the
Covenant is one of the most
816
00:40:53,033 --> 00:40:57,111
enduring ancient mysteries
of all time.
817
00:40:57,196 --> 00:41:00,114
HENRY:
The Ark holds the promise
818
00:41:00,199 --> 00:41:03,367
that it will bring
a new revelation with it.
819
00:41:03,452 --> 00:41:07,046
It could completely transform
our civilization.
820
00:41:07,131 --> 00:41:10,258
This is the potential power
with the Ark of the Covenant.
821
00:41:11,886 --> 00:41:15,138
TZADOK: The Ark
might actually be the proof
822
00:41:15,222 --> 00:41:18,224
that we have been seeking
throughout human history
823
00:41:18,309 --> 00:41:21,385
of our forgotten past
824
00:41:21,470 --> 00:41:24,889
and our greater potential
of contact
825
00:41:24,973 --> 00:41:26,900
with the greater universe
and world.
826
00:41:26,984 --> 00:41:30,820
Indeed, if we could have the Ark
827
00:41:30,905 --> 00:41:33,147
and operate it
828
00:41:33,232 --> 00:41:35,241
and make contact,
829
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:36,743
who would we be talking to?
830
00:41:36,902 --> 00:41:39,120
What would we be opening up?
831
00:41:40,915 --> 00:41:42,582
NARRATOR:
Could an otherworldly device
832
00:41:42,666 --> 00:41:44,742
of unfathomable power
833
00:41:44,835 --> 00:41:48,505
that our ancestors encountered
thousands of years ago
834
00:41:48,589 --> 00:41:51,424
still exist somewhere
on Earth today?
835
00:41:51,509 --> 00:41:55,670
Perhaps the Ark of the Covenant
will soon be revealed
836
00:41:55,754 --> 00:41:58,681
to humanity once again,
837
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,518
and within this sacred box,
we will find
838
00:42:01,677 --> 00:42:05,513
the undeniable proof
of our celestial origins.