The current location of the Ark of the Covenant is unknown and remains one of history's great mysteries. Various traditions and theories exist:
- The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church claims to possess the Ark in Axum, Ethiopia, where it is said to be kept under guard in a treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion
- Jewish tradition and some biblical texts suggest the Ark was hidden before or during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. Some say it was concealed in a secret chamber or tunnels beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, but political and religious sensitivities have prevented excavation
- Another tradition, based on the book of 2 Maccabees, holds that the prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave on Mount Nebo (in present-day Jordan) to protect it from the Babylonians, and it remains hidden there until revealed at the end of time
- Other speculative locations include ancient sites in Israel such as Shiloh and Jericho, underground vaults beneath Jerusalem, and less credible claims in places like Ireland or Zimbabwe
In summary, while the Ethiopian Church asserts it has the Ark, no definitive archaeological evidence confirms this, and other traditions propose it is hidden either beneath Jerusalem or on Mount Nebo, with its exact whereabouts still unknown
