Synopses & Reviews
In a chapel in the old crenellated church of Mary of Zion in Aksum, Ethiopia, is kept an object that emperors, patriarchs and priests have assured the world is the most important religious relic of all time: the Tabota Seyon, Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of Zion. This Ark is alleged to be no less than the Ark that Moses had constructed at Sinai and which destroyed the walls of Jericho. It was brought into Jerusalem by King David and installed in a magnificent temple by King Solomon. Then, the story goes, it came to Ethiopia of its own choice with the half-Ethiopian, half-Jewish son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Are the legends true? From ancient texts to local stories, from the Bible to the writings of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Jesuits, Munro-Hay traces the extraordinary legend of Ethiopia's Ark in what is a triumph of historical detective work. He scrutinises every mention of the Ark in Ethiopian records and tests every theory before reaching his shocking conclusion.
Review
"Munro-Hay is to be congratulated in producing a well-disciplined piece of deeply researched scholarship - a fitting memorial for an author who died while his book was in press."--Minerva
"Nobody is better qualified to consider these points [Challenges to the myth] than Munro-Hay. The subject is fascinating. and the setting as exotic as could be asked for. This book is to be commended to anyone interested in Ethiopia, biblical history or the process of scholarly investigation."--Spectator
"This is an intricate story told with exhaustive attention to detail. for those with an interest in Ehiopia, or with the wilder legends surrounding the Ark itself, this is an interesting book."--Rabbi Charles Middleburgh
"Acting as something of a modern-day Indiana Jones...Munro-Hay offers a charming glimpse into the Ethiopian side of this story."--Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
I.B. Tauris distribution; The thrilling story of one historian's search through Ethopia to find the elusive Ark of the Covenant.
Synopsis
In the old crenellated church of Mary of Zion in Aksum, Ethiopia, an object is kept that emperors, patriarchs, and priests have assured the world is the most important religious relic of all time: the Ark of the Covenant. Are the legends true? Or is this story a monumental deception? In a triumph of historical detective work the acclaimed Ethiopia expert Stuart Munro-Hay traces the extraordinary legend of Ethiopia's Ark through ancient texts, local stories, from the Bible and from the writings of sixteenth and seventeenth century Jesuits up to modern times, before he reaches his conclusion.
The Quest for the Ark of the Covenant settles the mystery of the Ark in Aksum once and for all.
About the Author
The late
Stuart Munro-Hay was among the foremost Western authorities on Ethiopian history and culture. He is the author of Ethiopia, the Unknown Land, also by I.B.Tauris.
Table of Contents
Foreword and Acknowledgements * INTRODUCTION * The Holy Relic at Aksum * 'A Ridiculous Fable'? * Unravelling the Web * HISTORICAL OUTLINE * THE GREAT MYTH * Solomon and Sheba * The Legend of the Heavenly Zion Makeda, Queen of Sheba * The 'Glory of Kings' * THE TABOT AND THE ARK * The Mysterious Altars of Ethiopia * Tabotat, Ark and Tablets * Tabot: Confused Definitions * Linked Identities * 'It is here...' * A Chapel and its Guardian * Zion at Aksum * Tabot and Grail * THE ARK AND THE TABLETS * From King Solomon to Queen Gudit * Manuscript Treasures * A Search Begins * Nine Saints * War in Himyar * Dating the Kebra Nagast * After Kaleb * Queen * Gudit * Coptic Memories * Khazar Interlude * The Ark and the Zagwé Kings * The Usurpers * The Ark of Lalibela * A Colophon * Tabot of Seyon * Heirs of Solomon * The nebura'ed Yeshaq King Yeshaq, Lion of David * Coronation at Aksum * Quest for a Legend * Some Literary Fragments * European Rumours * Three Books * The Book of Aksum * Ho Preste Joam das Indias * The Conquest of Abyssinia * Tales of Solomon and Sheba * Francisco Alvares * The Golden Legend * Saga Za-Ab * João de Barros * Nicolao Godinho * THE ARK OF ZION * The Coming of the Ark * The Ark of the Covenant at Aksum * Péro Pais * Manoel de Almeida * Manoel Barradas * Afonso Mendes and Balthasar Telles * The Flight of the Ark * Gadla Marqorewos * An Arabic Tale * Exotic Embroideries * Emperor Iyasu I and the Ark * Charles-Jacques Poncet * Abba Gorgoreyos and Job Ludolf * Emperor Iyasu II and Remedius Prutky * Foreign Commentaries, 1764-1881 * An Armenian Visitor * James Bruce and the Kebra Nagast * Father Dimotheos, Gerhard Rohlfs * Epilogue * MARY OF ZION * The Dwelling Place of the Ark * Maryam Seyon, Aksum * The Foundation of Aksum Seyon Church * Dedication to Mary of Zion * Mariolatry and the Kebra Nagast * The Ark at Dabra * Makeda * Wanderings of the Ark * THE 'ARK' AT AKSUM SEYON? CONCLUSIONS * Royal Propaganda * Ethiopia's Tribulations * Metamorphosis * The White Stone * Jesuit or Christian Arab? * Survival * Chronological Chart. History of the Ethiopian Ark * Appendix. Some Documentation