About the Lost Ark........

[Rawtheran]

I was just thinking, and according to rumors the lost Ark is in a small chapel in Ethiopia guarded by a priest. This is all fine and good, but since the Ark is actually belongs to the Jews, then shouldn't the Ethiopians give the Ark back to Israel?

[AlexanderD]

You do realize that Ethiopia is a stronghold of Judaism right? The David gene has been identified in certain populations of Ethiopia as well.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

They would have to find that huge warehouse first..

[Gen. Chris]

This is of course assuming that it actually is there, right?


If it a relic of Ethiopian history, that makes the issue very complicated.

[Gatefan1976]

I would assume the Ark is exactly where it is supposed to be.

[Ukko]

Unless your gonna ask all the museums, shrines and whatever from every country on Earth to return all artefacts to the country of their origin, no. No they shouldnt.

Plus, i dont think you can return a myth.

[Gatefan1976]

Unless your gonna ask all the museums, shrines and whatever from every country on Earth to return all artefacts to the country of their origin, no. No they shouldnt.

Plus, i dont think you can return a myth.

Pity............

[DigiFluid]

Yeah. There's quite a few that could do with returning to sender.

[Rawtheran]

Yeah that is true.

[DigiFluid]

At any rate, to continue in the hypothetical:

If the Ark existed and was in Ethiopia, what reason would there be to send it to Israel? Because they claim to be the Jewish homeland? There's a marked difference between Zionism and Judaism, to be sure. And modern Israel has no connection at all to the Israelite nation of ancient history--that'd be like sending a relic to Berlin because you want to get it to the Holy Roman Emperor.

And what about other claims to the Ark? If it's been in Ethiopia for a thousand years, surely it's as important to its religious owners/stewards there as anywhere else. If it's real, it's something they've protected and revered for many centuries, while to other claimants it's merely the subject of "hey that was once important to people I'm not actually related to who lived a few thousand years ago."

Or, for that matter, the significance of the relic to other religious claimants. Though certainly its origins are in the Torah, the Torah is also the bulk of the Old Testament in Christian theology. The Christian holy text is certainly no less important to them than the Torah is to Jews. So why not the Vatican? Or one of the Patriachs of the Eastern Orthodox Church? Or any of the multitude of Protestant church leaderships?

This is the problem with ancient artifacts--after this much time has elapsed, nobody's claim on it is really any more valid than anyone else's.

[AlexanderD]

At any rate, to continue in the hypothetical:

If the Ark existed and was in Ethiopia, what reason would there be to send it to Israel? Because they claim to be the Jewish homeland? There's a marked difference between Zionism and Judaism, to be sure. And modern Israel has no connection at all to the Israelite nation of ancient history--that'd be like sending a relic to Berlin because you want to get it to the Holy Roman Emperor.

And what about other claims to the Ark? If it's been in Ethiopia for a thousand years, surely it's as important to its religious owners/stewards there as anywhere else. If it's real, it's something they've protected and revered for many centuries, while to other claimants it's merely the subject of "hey that was once important to people I'm not actually related to who lived a few thousand years ago."

Or, for that matter, the significance of the relic to other religious claimants. Though certainly its origins are in the Torah, the Torah is also the bulk of the Old Testament in Christian theology. The Christian holy text is certainly no less important to them than the Torah is to Jews. So why not the Vatican? Or one of the Patriachs of the Eastern Orthodox Church? Or any of the multitude of Protestant church leaderships?

This is the problem with ancient artifacts--after this much time has elapsed, nobody's claim on it is really any more valid than anyone else's.

I agree fully.

[The Flyattractor]

I just found it. It fell behind the couch.

[SoulReaver]

Or, for that matter, the significance of the relic to other religious claimants. Though certainly its origins are in the Torah, the Torah is also the bulk of the Old Testament in Christian theology. The Christian holy text is certainly no less important to them than the Torah is to Jews. So why not the Vatican? Or one of the Patriachs of the Eastern Orthodox Church? Or any of the multitude of Protestant church leaderships?

who built it?

[Ukko]

who built it?

It was made in Taiwan.

[The Flyattractor]

Some guy with an ARK welder.

Nyuk.