The Ark of the Covenant and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

[Andrew21091]

I have a few questions concerning the Ark, well mainly the practices that surround it. I know that the Ark is kept is a small church in Axum and it is guarded by a single monk who keeps watch over it and I was wondering, after a keeper of the Ark dies, how is another chosen? Is there a certain monastery that he is chosen from? Does the Patriarch choose the guardian? My next question concerns the replica Arks which are kept in Ethiopian churches. Is there anything placed inside these replica Arks such as a copy of the Ten Commandments?

[Tallitot]

IIRC the monk guarding the (alleged) Ark chooses his succesor on his deathbed.

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

Every EOTC Church has "Tabots," or replicas of the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. On special holy days, the Priests carry these veiled Tabots out from the altar in procession around the Church.


Selam

[Rafa999]

Does somebody other than the guardian get to ever see the Ark? I heard all the guardians suffer from cataracts just before dying and that this might be proof of the great light emanating from the Ark spoken of in scripture. I believe its the real Ark by the way. Here's why: the modern scholarly fable is that the Portuguese thought the Ark was in Ethiopia and then Ethiopans believed that from the Portuguese, but the Portuguese tell me that the Ethiopans told THEM about the Ark not the other way round. Also Kebra Negast, King Menelik and the priests fleeing from Mannaseh. I believe its the real Ark.

[Andrew21091]

Thanks for the answers.

Does somebody other than the guardian get to ever see the Ark? I heard all the guardians suffer from cataracts just before dying and that this might be proof of the great light emanating from the Ark spoken of in scripture. I believe its the real Ark by the way. Here's why: the modern scholarly fable is that the Portuguese thought the Ark was in Ethiopia and then Ethiopans believed that from the Portuguese, but the Portuguese tell me that the Ethiopans told THEM about the Ark not the other way round. Also Kebra Negast, King Menelik and the priests fleeing from Mannaseh. I believe its the real Ark.

I would also say though that there is a lot of historical evidence to suggest that the Ark is in Ethiopia. Tana Kirkos monastery on Lake Tana in Ethiopia has many ancient artifacts that would suggest that Levite priests were there and there are also some key holes in the ground that once held poles and they measure to the same size as what the tabernacle was. I also believe that the Ethiopian Church has it.

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