The Discovery of the Ark of the Covenant

Taken from Covenant Keepers

Hebrews 9:19 says that Moses sprinkled blood and water above the book of the law in order to confirm the old covenant at Sinai. This was a type of what Christ did when He confirmed the new covenant, which He did on the cross. So just as Moses sprinkled animal blood, and water above the book of the law in the type, Christ had to sprinkle His blood and water above the tables of the law in the antitype.

The following is the account of late, amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt and his discovery of that very thing.

One day in 1978, Ron Wyatt was walking along Gordon's Calvary Escarpment in the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, talking with a local authority about Roman antiquities. Without warning, Ron's left hand pointed to a site there and his mouth said, "That's Jeremiah's Grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there."

Even though these words had come from his own mouth and his own hand had pointed, he had not consciously said or done these things. The man with him, quite out of character, also reacted strangely. He said, "That's wonderful! We want you to excavate, and we'll grant you your permits, put you up in a place to stay and even furnish your meals!" Ron Wyatt knew that this was a supernatural event but he also knew that not all supernatural events originate from God (Revelation 16:14).

So he returned home to the US, and began to research as to whether or not the Ark could be in that area. He discovered that 2Chronicles 35:3 is the last reference to the Ark of the Covenant, and verse 19 tells us that this was in the year 621 BC, just 35 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar. It says that the Ark was in the temple at that time. When the Babylonian army besieged Jerusalem, they built a siege wall around the city, not allowing anyone or anything in or out of the city.

Therefore, the Ark of the Covenant most probably remained within the Babylonian siege wall. As it was not captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon, we must assume that it was hidden underground. This matched perfectly with the area that Ron Wyatt had pointed to, it would have been within the Babylonian siege wall, in an underground chamber. Ron Wyatt and his two sons dug several times at that site, uncovering a wealth of information. They began by digging straight down, at the base of a cliff face, a cliff face known to many as Golgotha. In the 1800's General Gordon recognized that the site matched the biblical description of Calvary, the site of the crucifixion of Christ. The Bible describes a tomb hewn out of rock, in a garden nearby, it was the tomb of a rich man who donated it to Jesus (Matt. 27:57-60). In the vicinity is just that, and the tomb has been hurriedly extended, suggesting that the person that lay in it, was not the person it was designed for.

The first find that they uncovered were recesses cut into the cliff face, three 'bookshelf-like' cut outs. Ron's thought was that these could be the recesses that held the signs that the Romans put above the cross of Christ. In Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26 and Luke 23:38 the Bible says that the superscription was written "over" Jesus, which fits with what Ron Wyatt found. In the book of John, the Bible says that, "a title," was "put on the cross". The Greek word for "on" is "EPI". EPI can also be translated as "over" or "above". The translators in Matthew, Mark and Luke decided to translate EPI as "over", because it would have not made sense to say that a sign was put (EPI) on his head, but in John they translated EPI to mean "on" because it would make sense to put a sign on the cross. However, they could have translated EPI to say, "a title" was "put above/over the cross".

Further excavation revealed an altar stone protruding from the cliff face like a shelf. Ron Wyatt felt that perhaps this was the remains of a Christian altar, suggesting that the early Christians knew that this was a place of significance. The foundation to a first century building was also uncovered, which was believed to be a church, again adding more significance to the site.

At last Ron Wyatt uncovered the clinching evidence that convinced him this was the site of the crucifixion. Four cross holes cut out of the rock, one higher up than the rest on a platform and set back. The other three were in a line lower down and infront. The upper cross hole would have held the 'featured' criminal, and we know from the Biblical account that the two cross holes either side held the two thieves when Christ was crucified. In this case, only three of the four cross holes were used.

Ron's attention was drawn to the cross hole that was higher than the others. If this was the site of the crucifixion of Jesus, then this would undoubtedly be His cross hole. A square-cut stone had been placed in the cross hole, acting as a plug. It had finger grips on each side, and when Ron Wyatt removed it he noticed a large crack in the bedrock, extending from the cross hole. It looked to Ron Wyatt like an earthquake crack, and the Bible does say, in Matthew 27:51, "and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent".

One day during the excavation Ron Wyatt was feeling very down-hearted, as if God could not use him any more. He thought that he must have done something wrong and that God had decided to take him off the job. Whilst sitting at the site and contemplating the circumstances, he heard a voice that said, "God bless you in what you are doing here Ron Wyatt." More than startled, Ron Wyatt turned to face the man. He was surprised as he wondered how anyone would know his name, and furthermore, Ron Wyatt had never told anyone else what he was doing there. Ron Wyatt replied, "Thank you, are you from around here?" and the stranger simply replied, "No." Trying to prompt a conversation, Ron Wyatt said, "Are you a tourist?" and again the stranger replied, "No." But this time continued to say, "I have come from South Africa and am on my way to the New Jerusalem." Ron Wyatt was shocked, knowing that the New Jerusalem is a city referred to in the Bible as being in heaven. After the man had left, Ron Wyatt asked the others in the Garden if they had seen this man. Surprisingly they all answered, "No." but there was only one way in, and one way out of this area, through which the man would have had to have exited. This was a great encouragement for Ron Wyatt at a time when he needed it most as he felt that God was now still blessing his work.It became too dangerous to continue digging down the cliff face. So, Ron Wyatt had to dig down at various angles. He soon found himself within a cave system. He worked with a small Arab man who would crawl in through the gaps that were too tiny for Ron Wyatt to easily enter. The conditions were damp, with plenty of dust and little oxygen. Sometimes Ron Wyatt had to squeeze himself through the smallest of holes. One day he asked the man to crawl in through a tiny entrance to a cave, as usual. When he had done so, he rushed out with terror in his eyes, screaming, "What's in there! What's in there!" The man hurriedly exited the cave system and refused ever to return.

Excitedly, Ron Wyatt extended the entrance to this chamber and crawled in. He found himself crawling across rocks that were piled up almost to the roof. Growing more and more tired, Ron Wyatt began to move the rocks aside, in order to reveal what was underneath. He uncovered some dry rotted wooden boards which when he moved aside revealed animal skins. Something shiny was under the animal skins. Moving them aside, Ron Wyatt uncovered the Table of Shewbread, from the first temple. Continuing to shift aside more rocks and wood, he then found a stone casing. The lid had cracked and had been moved aside. Ron Wyatt shone his flashlight down through the crack and saw a chest of beaten gold. He knew he was looking at the Ark of the Covenant. Overwhelmed with emotion and suffering from pneumonia Ron Wyatt passed out for 45 minutes in that chamber. It was January 6th 1982, when Ron Wyatt made this amazing discovery. He tried to photograph it with a Polaroid, but the photos turned out foggy. He returned with a colonascope, but again the pictures turned out foggy.

Ron Wyatt noticed a dried, black substance in an earthquake crack in the roof, above the Ark of the Covenant. He noticed that this black substance was also on the lid of the cracked stone casing. Obviously, this substance had dripped from the crack in the roof, and provision had been made for it to land on the Ark of the Covenant, as the stone lid had been cracked and moved aside. Ron Wyatt wondered what substance could be so sacred, that God made provision for it to land on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. He remembered the earthquake crack at the foot of the cross hole, and suddenly an awesome realisation as to what had happened, came over him. Ron Wyatt traced the earthquake crack, and indeed it was the same crack as the one at the cross hole. The dried black substance in the crack was tested and proved to be blood, apparently the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that when Jesus died there was an earthquake and the rocks were rent (Matt. 27:51). A Roman soldier speared Christ in His side in order to make sure He was dead, and blood and water poured out (John 19:34). Ron Wyatt discovered that this same blood and water poured down through the earthquake crack and fell upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

Ron Wyatt returned to the cave 3 more times, and since his first visit, to his absolute surprise, the cave had been completely tidied up. Four angels stood before him and he was told that the time is not yet for the world to see this discovery with their own eyes, but the time is coming when the inhabitants of the world will have a universal, religious law enforced upon them. This law will force man to break God's law, by penalty of disenfranchisement - being unable to buy or sell, (Rev. 13:17). Ron Wyatt was told that some time after this law has been passed, God will allow the tables of stone (The 10 Commandments) and a good clear video of the Ark of the Covenant to be put on public display. For more information on the proposed law download a small booklet here. "It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law." Psalm 119:126.

This is the very same law that Ron Wyatt referred to in the last interview he ever gave. The full interview is available here. The interviewer asks Ron, "...you took the tables of stone out, and then the angel told you something about the tables of stone?" And Ron Wyatt answers, "Yeah, he told me that it had to do with when these were to be shown to the world... when the mark of the beast law was in force, that shortly after that, was when this would take place... it wasn’t stated as the mark of the beast law, it was stated, “when the Sunday law...”. The interviewer wanting to make absolutely sure that the angel himself said the words "Sunday Law" then confirms with Ron, "But the angel said “Sunday law”?" And Ron Wyatt confirms, "That’s right."

As we mentioned earlier, the blood on the mercy seat was tested. Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes. These are actually 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes. In each pair of chromosomes, one of the pair is from the mother and the other member is from the father. Therefore, 23 chromosomes come from the mother and 23 from the father. In each set of 23, 22 chromosomes are autosomal and one is sex-determining. The sex-determining ones are the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. Females are XX, so they can only contribute an X chromosome to their offspring, whereas males are XY, which allows them to contribute either an X or a Y. If they contribute an X, the child is female, whereas if they contribute a Y, the child is male. The fascinating finding in this blood was that instead of 46 chromosomes, there were only 24. There were 22 autosomal chromosomes, one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This evidences that the person to whom this blood belonged to had a mother but no human father, because the normal contribution of paternal chromosomes is missing.

1John 5:8-11 says the water and the blood of Christ were in the earth at the time of writing, approximately 35 years after the cross. "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." Furthermore it says that this water and blood is the testimony, or witness of God to the world, testifying to us that His Son died, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son...And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. "

Most importantly of all, what message does God have for this world in these last days, and how has He given the key to understanding it in Hebrews 9:19?

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Deathbed Confession of Ron Wyatt

By David M. Bresnahan

An archaeologist who claims to have found the Ark of the Covenant directly below the crucifixion site of Jesus Christ has died after giving a deathbed interview to WorldNetDaily. Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Ark of the Covenant, the crucifixion site of Jesus Christ, and more have been the subject of controversial claims made by an archaeologist who spent much of his life documenting sites and events from the Bible. Ron Wyatt died after a lengthy battle with cancer last Wednesday, but his quest to provide information that would lead to more people accepting the teachings of the Bible continues at Wyatt Archaeological Research, a non-profit, non-denominational organization in Tennessee. Reached just before his death, the telephone interview with Wyatt was to last only a few minutes because of his very weak condition. He actually spoke for nearly an hour. A few days later, Wyatt succumbed to the disease. The evidence of the various finds Wyatt claimed to have made has been debated by religious leaders, scholars and lay people, for at least a decade. There are many who believe his findings are genuine, and there are a few who are not so willing to accept his claims.

According to Wyatt, he was able to physically locate the Ark of the Covenant, the container for the original tablets of the Ten Commandments, with the Mercy Seat intact on the top. It was found in a chamber just outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem about 20 feet below what Wyatt also claimed was the actual site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Wyatt said he found an earthquake crack directly below where the cross would have been. It extends down through the rock to the resting place of the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant, he told WorldNetDaily. The blood of Christ would have flowed through that crack after his death and after his side was pierced by a soldier's spear. The site of the crucifixion appears to have evidence that it was once enclosed in a first century building, apparently a church. The site includes a large round stone which perfectly fits the Garden Tomb -- accepted by many as the place from which the body of Christ rose from the dead.

The Bible teaches the concept of sacrifice of animals, symbolic of the actual blood sacrifice Christ would make. The act of Christ, regarded by some as the great High Priest, permitting himself to be sacrificed and placing his own blood upon the Mercy Seat was the great and final act in the process of blood sacrifice, according to the writings of Wyatt. Wyatt believed that the Ark of the Covenant, along with other sacred objects from the first Temple in Jerusalem, were all secreted away just prior to the entrance of the Babylonians into the city about 600 years before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. There are many tunnels beneath Jerusalem even to this day. These most sacred objects were protected in a chamber and the entrance was sealed and hidden. "When Christ died, the earth quaked. The rock was split right below His cross and this crevice extended right down into the hidden chamber which contained the undefiled 'earthly' Throne of God -- the Ark with its Mercy Seat," explained Wyatt in one of his research letters. "After He was dead, when the centurion stuck his spear into Christ's side and pierced His spleen, the blood and water came out, falling down through that crack and was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat." Wyatt explained that in the former Temple service, the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat. Wyatt said Christ, as the great High Priest, was the only one who could physically sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat. It was an act of God that everything was in the right place, and that there was an earthquake which enabled Christ to spill his own blood onto the Mercy Seat in fulfillment of this ancient rite, he explained.

Wyatt did not make any claims of grandeur, nor did he claim to be a prophet. He said his only role was to be a willing servant. "God has a way of communicating his wishes to people, and I'm not the only one able to do that so I don't flatter myself to think that I'm something special. I was there, I was willing, so therefore God allowed me this privilege. There are others who are in communication with him. There are others who are familiar with this material who will see that it is presented," Wyatt told WorldNetDaily by phone just before his death, indicating that more of his evidence and findings will soon be made public.

It was back on Jan. 6, 1982 when Ron Wyatt realized what he had found during the excavation of the Ark of the Covenant. "I just went from stunned to more stunned I guess," he described. "When I started making the excavation I wasn't looking for the Ark of the Covenant. I had no idea or intent to be looking for the crucifixion site, so as I proceeded with the excavation and found this crucifixion site, it was a thrill and a happy set of circumstances, and I didn't make the connection with the blood on the mercy seat until I actually saw it." He said the significance of the find took on a new meaning when he actually found the crack which extended from the Mercy Seat all the way up through solid rock to the location he had found above where the crucifixion took place.

Wyatt claimed that he was authorized to make his excavations by the Antiquities Department, but that bureaucrats within that agency insisted that his findings must be kept secret. He was told that Jewish extremists might view the discovery as a sign that it was time to rebuild the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. The Muslim Dome of the Rock now sits on the site that Jewish fundamentalists believe must one day be destroyed and a new Jewish temple built.

Wyatt has made public a significant amount of his research and findings, but he has withheld certain documents and photographs to comply with the agreement he made with Israeli officials. His refusal to provide everything resulted in criticism from some. The day after the death of Wyatt, one detractor sent an e-mail to WorldNetDaily saying, "The world has lost one of the most colorful charlatans of all time." He predicted that nothing will ever come of the discoveries and even claimed that Wyatt is not with God now because he must account for his lies. "There's nothing can be done to prevent ridicule that I'm aware of. I don't think it would be appropriate to deny people the opportunity of using ridicule because I think that's part of showing their true character," Wyatt told WorldNetDaily of those who have attacked his claims.

This discovery of the Ark of the Covenant and the crucifixion site are more important to the non-Christians than to the believing Christians, according to Wyatt. He believes the discovery will help to bring people of other faiths to Christ. "They've been taught something else all their life. So God is doing this show-and-tell through these revelations and these discoveries to prove to them real quick that the Bible is historically accurate and divinely inspired," Wyatt explained. He quoted from Jeremiah 16:19-22 predicting unbelievers will come from all parts of the earth to learn of the discoveries. "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods," quoted Wyatt.

"This last revelation is for the inhabitants of the earth who don't have a clue, as well as for those of us who do have a clue and have been commissioned by Christ to reach out to help bring these people who don't have a clue into the fold. So these are tools that God has given the believers to strengthen their faith and to reach out with. They are tools that will be extremely effective in these the last pouring out to the entire population, all inhabitants of the earth," he explained.

Wyatt has been involved in a number of significant archaeological studies of biblical sites and artifacts. These have included Noah's Ark, the crossing of the Red Sea by Moses, Mount Sinai, Sodom and Gomorrah, and others. Nothing else has the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and its tie to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, he explained. "My personal assessment is that this is the culmination of the whole plan of salvation. I believe it's the finishing off and the final proof and evidence for what has happened here on this planet. And I think that it's being presented at a time just before probation's closed while people can still decide to go along with God," Wyatt stated.

WorldNetDaily made contact with sources within the U.S. Intelligence community that have been reliable in past investigations. Experts on both Israeli and Muslim politics and beliefs were contacted to determine their assessment on the impact of Wyatt's discoveries. Both sources expressed disbelief that the Israeli government wanted to hide the discovery for the reason they gave Wyatt. Instead both agreed that it was likely the Israelis are concerned that when Jews learn of the connection of the crucifixion site with the Ark of the Covenant there could be large conversions which would threaten Jewish control of the government, assuming that the discoveries are true. Neither source was aware of the discoveries previously.

WorldNetDaily was not able to convey that assessment to Wyatt prior to his death for his reaction. Wyatt did say that he did not expect the Ark of the Covenant would ever be removed from its current resting placed. The access tunnel used by Wyatt's archeological team has been sealed. The pictures and videos of the find are what he said would soon be shown worldwide. "The blood and all of that part will be shown, all of that, on video. The only thing that will be shown typically that people will be able to have a look at and maybe touch, you know I don't know what the restrictions will be on that, and that's the tables of stone," said Wyatt, referring to the tablets containing the Ten Commandments found inside the Ark of the Covenant itself. Wyatt said he did not believe the Jews will ever successfully rebuild the Temple because they would want to resume the practice of blood sacrifice within the Temple, something that he says God would not permit to happen. "I believe that if they do set about to do a Temple thing, it will be part of Satan's deception," he added. He said that when the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple furnishings were moved to the hidden chamber, that location became the Temple of the Lord, or the Holy of Holies. It remained untouched and undefiled so that Christ could complete his ultimate sacrifice.

He is confident they remain where he found them. He does not believe they have been secreted away. "Let me say this, and this is a touchy point and I try to avoid it. There's some 14 to 16 individuals that have died because they have tried to in some way to manipulate this," he explained without providing the details. "Some have had to do with withdrawing a permit and others have had to do with, shall we say, trying to actually get in there and move the furnishings. So I believe that God has adequately demonstrated, at least to me, that He is not going to allow this to be moved. I do know this, and that is that nothing will happen to this that is not in God's plan because this is the most important part of the plan of salvation that has been carried out. This is it, the heart and soul of it. There's no way he's going to allow people, demons, or any other forces to interfere with it being done exactly as he wants it done," he stated. The crucifixion site was found on the side of the Golgotha hill, or Place of the Skull just outside the old north wall of Jerusalem, not far from the Garden Tomb. It was discovered under many feet of soil with actual holes in the rock where crosses were placed, and niches in the rock wall behind where three signs were placed. The large circular stone used to cover the garden tomb was also located there, and it was all surrounded by the foundation of a first century building. The central, main cross hole has an earthquake crack beside it.

Photographic evidence was obtained, and then the site was covered back over with 12 feet of dirt and a garden established. Wyatt says it was landscaped to avoid controversy. The entrance to the system of caves and tunnels, found by the Wyatt team in the cliff wall was also sealed over. In conclusion, Wyatt was asked to describe his spiritual growth since his discoveries. What is the difference in his gospel understanding before the discoveries and since?

"Basically, getting to know God and complying with his required character changes and all of that. I was experiencing those things, and of course I had a hunger and a thirst. I had a big curiosity. To be perfectly honest that may have outweighed the other consideration and then the difference between what I felt then and now is I believed what the Bible said. I believed what it says to be true, that's the Authorized King James by the way. However, now I know that what it says is true," he concluded. Wyatt added that it has been his role to do more than just dig up interesting artifacts. He accepted the added responsibility to explain the religious significance of the items he found.

The Wyatt Archaeological Research group maintains a small museum in Tennessee where the evidence and work of Ron Wyatt can be examined and studied. The death of Mr. Wyatt is not expected to stop the effort of telling the world about the findings, according to a spokesman. WorldNetDaily has examined extensive evidence regarding the various claims and discoveries made by Wyatt for several weeks. Several critics have been found who have voiced their opinion that the work of Wyatt Archaeological Research is fraudulent, but evidence to support those charges cannot be found. The evidence is sufficient to conclude that Wyatt's team conducted the claimed archaeological digs and investigations. WorldNetDaily is not qualified to determine the value of the evidence.

Wyatt was given a deathbed opportunity to either reaffirm or recant his claims. He chose to reaffirm all that he has claimed without hesitation.

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