Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia

According to a news report out of Rome this past week, the ancient Ark of the Covenant has resided in Ethiopia for the last 3,000 years and has been under the care of the Orthodox Ethiopian Church for much of that time. Here's an English translation of the story:

The Orthodox Patriarch of Ethiopia confirmed that which had been anticipated for two days after a report of the [Italian] news organization Adnkronos, "I repeat the Ark of the covenant is in Ethiopia and none of us knows for how much longer. Only God knows that. I am not here to give proof that the ark is in Ethiopia but I am here to say that I have seen it."

Rome, June 19, 2009 (Adnkronos) "Ethiopia is the throne of the Ark of the Covenant. [It] has been in Ethiopia for 3000 years and it is still there and by the will of God will continue to be there. It arrived in Ethiopia by way of a miracle."

The Patriarch of the Orthodox Ethiopian church, Abuna Pauolos, confirmed what had been anticipated earlier through the news agency Adkronos. At a press conference at the Aldovandi hotel in Rome, the Patriarch said, “I have seen it with feelings of humility—not pride as when one goes to church.” Also participating in the press conference was Prince Makonnen Haile Selassie, nephew of the Emperor. "This is the first time,” Patriarch Paulos continued, “that I say this in a press conference. I repeat, the Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia and none of us knows for how much longer. Only God knows."

"Everything that is found in the Ark," explained the Patriarch responding to the curiosity of the journalists, "is perfectly described in the Bible. Its state of preservation is good because it is not made from human hands but it is something that God has blessed.

“There are many documents and proofs available concerning the presence of the Ark in Ethiopia. There is no reason for someone to pretend to claim to have something that he does not have," the Patriarch affirmed. "I am not here to give proof that the Ark is in Ethiopia, but I am here to tell what I have seen, which I know, and can testify about. I have not said that the Ark will be displayed to the world. It is a mystery and object of worship."

Patriarch Pauolos also spoke of construction of a museum at Axum, a buildng where treasures built over centuries and centuries could be displayed. The museum, financed through a foundation established by the Prince, should be built within two years—where the Ark of the Covenant could also be placed.” However, for this to take place the patriarch explained, "there still needs to be a decision on a petition made to the Holy Sinod—the ruling council of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church." Patriarch Pauolos, president of the G8 for Religions—attended meetings of the council 16th through 18th of June near Rome and l’Aquila. Subsequently, the patriarch was invited by the community of Sant’Egidio to participate in a day of study on the religious history of Ethiopia and all day yesterday he met at the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI.

“Benedict XVI and the Patriarch discussed many things, and his Holiness extended an invitation to the Patriarch to return in October” explained Prince Markonne Haile Selassie.

Althought it would be really cool if it were true, a few items of this story don't ring true to me:

1) Patriarch Pauolos claims to have seen the actual Ark; but his face hasn't melted.

2) He claims the Ark has been in Ethiopia for 3,000 years. That's 400 years longer than possible. The Ark was in the Jerusalem temple at the time of Josiah's reforms and until about 585 B.C. when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem. 2 Maccabees claims that the prophet Jeremiah spirited the Ark out of Jerusalem at that time and hid it in a cave on Mt. Sinai. (see 2 Maccabees 2:1-8.) Some legends claim the Ark was taken to the Jewish temple at Elephantine shortly before the Babylonian assault. At any rate, 3,000 is too many years.

3) The Patriarch claims that the Ark wasn't constructed by human hands; yet God gave instructions to Moses to have it constructed by human hands.