What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Ark of the Covenant: Solving the 2,500-Year-Old Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark
After 2,500 Years of Mystery, the Truth About the Ark of the Covenant Is Revealed The Lost Ark of the Covenant is the real-life account of an astounding quest—professor Tudor Parfitt's effort to recover the revered artifact that contained the Ten Commandments, sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. With painstaking historical scholarship, groundbreaking genetic science, and fascinating on-the-ground discoveries, Parfitt, who the Wall Street Journal calls "a British Indiana Jones," debunks the previous myths and reveals the shocking history of the Ark and its keepers.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
32 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 26, 2017
Parfitt searches in several nations (Zimbabwe*,Israel, Ethiopia...) the Ark of the Covenant. He makes also some allusions on the genetic relationship between the Ethiopian Falasha people and the Jews; and the Jews and the Lemba people: the "black Jews" of Southern Africa.
Still looking for.
-Carry on Parfitt.
*"700 year old bowl in Harare museum sparks war of words with Jewish historian"
*http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspo...
UPDATE:
New excavation by a Christian team uncovers intriguing finds at the site where Bible says the tabernacle and Ark rested for almost 400 years BY AMANDA BORSCHEL-DAN July 17, 2017.
in: http://www.timesofisrael.com/with-bib...
June 7, 2010
Tudor Parfitt's epic twenty-year quest for the lost Ark of the Covenant is a real page-turner! According to the Bible, the Ark contained the Ten Commandments given to Moses and possessed a divine, awesome power. It was used by the ancient Israelites in battle and, by Bible accounts, had the devastating powers of a modern-day weapon of mass destruction. Regarded as the holiest object in the world by the Jewish and Islamic faiths, the Ark suddenly disappeared from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem over 2,500 years ago and was, apparently, lost forever. The author embarked on a long, arduous, and often dangerous journey in what became an obsessive quest to track down the truth behind this fabled artefact and discover its whereabout today. I read Graham Hancock's The Sign and the Seal Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant, which claimed to have located the Ark in Ethiopia, it having been taken there by Menelik, the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. So, it was with renewed interest that I tackled Mr. Parfitt's account of the link between the holy drum, or ngoma, of the Lemba tribe in Zimbabwe and the Ark. Tudor Parfitt's journey takes him on a trail of ancient documents and codes from Oxford, to Jerusalem, to Africa, and even to Papua, New Guinea. It encompasses not only his obsession with the Ark, but also the dreams and ambitions of friends, helpers, and other interested parties. The author also takes the reader on some astonishing side paths - the discovery that the DNA of the Lemba, an African tribe, links them directly to the Jews of the Middle East and specifically to the priestly tribe that would have been the guardians of the Ark; the vision that they have of their lost city Senna, and their wish to be recognized. In addition, the strange link that the Gogodala tribesmen of Papua, New Guinea have with Judaism and Israel is also fascinating and makes for one of the funniest travel accounts I have ever read, putting me in mind of Gerald Durrell. That section alone is well worth the book because one feels 'in the author's shoes' (covered with Shoosnake) so to speak! I enjoyed the author's theory that there were multiple arks, for multiple reasons. Dealing with ancient, biblical, and tribal history is difficult. Oral traditions become twisted as ancient authors sought to portray their particular traditions or holy objects in the best possible light. One only has to read medieval and older accounts of historical figures and events to realize just how much 'tampering' went on, and that history is surely written by the victors. The book left me with unanswered questions: what happened to the Lemba after their DNA links to Israel were confirmed, and what were the results of the DNA testing on the eager Gogodala who, by all accounts, appear to be more Jewish than the Jews? In dealing with research in Africa, I, as someone living in South Africa, have a special appreciation of what Mr. Parfitt has endured in his search. Africa is a tragic story: a continent riven by corruption, nepotism, wholesale destruction of historical assets, criminality, lawlessness, and tribalism. It's a miracle he managed to find anything in Zimbabwe, given the present state of that country. In all, a fascinating read. With the plethora of investigations into ancient history and secrets, I think readers should enjoy what riveting nuggets authors such as Mr. Parfitt have uncovered.
August 20, 2008
An autobiographical travelog of a British adventurer. Thin on science, heavy on character and odd details. A strangely compelling read.
October 26, 2017
It was mildly interesting. I try to keep an open mind about people's claims that they did wonderous things, such as finding the Ark of the Covenant in this case. But it didn't convince me. Is it true? Maybe.
The book gives a fair amount of history of the Ark.
However, there was way, way, way too many self-glorifying pages of how well-traveled the author was, how he ate the best meals, drank the best wines, stayed at the best hotels with the best views in the world, etc., etc. I picked up the book to read history, not to read someone stroke their own ego.
If the author stuck to the history of the ark and his search of it, the book would have been about half as thick.
The book gives a fair amount of history of the Ark.
However, there was way, way, way too many self-glorifying pages of how well-traveled the author was, how he ate the best meals, drank the best wines, stayed at the best hotels with the best views in the world, etc., etc. I picked up the book to read history, not to read someone stroke their own ego.
If the author stuck to the history of the ark and his search of it, the book would have been about half as thick.
August 16, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. I had seen an article referencing Parfitt's book on Black Jews and when I went to get it from the library, my search also turned up this work. After reading his first, much more scholarly work, I was excited to see how an academic would approach the search for a holy relic that may or may not be findable. Unfortunately, this book has very little academics to it and entirely too much puffery. At some point, Parfitt decides the the Ark is the same thing as another African artifact that was photographed in the 1940s but not correctly identified as the Ark. This would be such a remarkable discovery that you would think you would have heard about it, right? Except for two small issues: 1) the relic he finds is nowhere near old enough (he "solves" this by deeming it a successor Ark) and 2) I, and I suspect many others, remain unconvinced that the drum-like relic he found and the true Ark are in fact the same thing. The first point could have been surmountable, and perhaps even the second, if the book itself were compelling enough. Parfitt spends too much time describing his meals, his disaster of a romantic relationship and drinking wine to really pull you in, though, which combined with the rather disappointing climax leads to a book that just wasn't a fun read on any level.
August 24, 2025
Tudor Parfitt's The Lost Ark of the Covenant sets out to trace one of history’s most enigmatic religious relics - the Ark said to have shot fire at enemies and struck down non-believers. First described as a wooden chest lined with gold, the Ark has long been a symbol of both awe and terror. Parfitt’s decades-long pursuit takes him from the deserts of Egypt and the bustling streets of Cairo to the jungles of Papua New Guinea and the dusty archives of a neglected museum in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he eventually stumbles upon a shard of an old wooden drum claimed to be a remnant of the sacred object.
The book certainly has its scholarly credentials, with references to archaeology, theology, and anthropology peppering Parfitt’s account. Yet, despite its weighty ambitions, the quest often slips into the fantastical. The primitive and simple communities steadfast in their devotion renders the hunt at times almost naïve, as though Parfitt were chasing a mirage. Repeatedly the narrative teases the reader: Oooh, we know where it is, but we can’t quite find it. Oooh, we know where it is, but we can’t tell you. It’s in this blue lagoon - except now the lagoon is a swamp of reeds, mud, and snakes. This build-up, rather than heightening the mystery, ends up feeling anticlimactic, and sounds like a full-on scam.
What is most astonishing is how someone as learned as Parfitt - or indeed his colleague Reuven - could become so enthralled by what often reads like a wild goose chase. Parfitt's affection for a good dram of Laphroaig also appears a recurring motif, one that adds colour but perhaps also hints at distraction.
For all its exotic journeys and sweeping claims, this is not a book that delivers the world-shaking revelations it promises. It is, however, an entertaining travelogue of obsession. Just don’t expect it to upend the Jewish or Islamic worlds, as its subtitle boldly suggests.
The book certainly has its scholarly credentials, with references to archaeology, theology, and anthropology peppering Parfitt’s account. Yet, despite its weighty ambitions, the quest often slips into the fantastical. The primitive and simple communities steadfast in their devotion renders the hunt at times almost naïve, as though Parfitt were chasing a mirage. Repeatedly the narrative teases the reader: Oooh, we know where it is, but we can’t quite find it. Oooh, we know where it is, but we can’t tell you. It’s in this blue lagoon - except now the lagoon is a swamp of reeds, mud, and snakes. This build-up, rather than heightening the mystery, ends up feeling anticlimactic, and sounds like a full-on scam.
What is most astonishing is how someone as learned as Parfitt - or indeed his colleague Reuven - could become so enthralled by what often reads like a wild goose chase. Parfitt's affection for a good dram of Laphroaig also appears a recurring motif, one that adds colour but perhaps also hints at distraction.
For all its exotic journeys and sweeping claims, this is not a book that delivers the world-shaking revelations it promises. It is, however, an entertaining travelogue of obsession. Just don’t expect it to upend the Jewish or Islamic worlds, as its subtitle boldly suggests.
December 31, 2023
This was a hugely disappointing book. It is kind of like click-bait online. The subject is very intriguing, so you click the link. Then, when you get there, you feel like there was a bait and switch. It is never really satisyfing.
The good: It is a historical book that reads a bit like a novel. In fact, it would probably be better, if it WAS a novel, instead of a history book. The topic is engaging and there is a LOT of information that I did not know. The biggest thing is that the Bible apparently describes TWO different Arks of the Covenant. I never knew that. Completely different Arks. Fascinating.
The bad: Spoiler alert: He did not find it. Are we surprised? It is as likely that the Ark is in a government storehouse as it is in most of the places described here. It could be most anywhere. Are some of the theories plausible? I guess. But figuring out where the Ark is NOT does not make for a very engaging read.
I guess one bonus is finding out about a great many places that I have no desire to ever go to.
The good: It is a historical book that reads a bit like a novel. In fact, it would probably be better, if it WAS a novel, instead of a history book. The topic is engaging and there is a LOT of information that I did not know. The biggest thing is that the Bible apparently describes TWO different Arks of the Covenant. I never knew that. Completely different Arks. Fascinating.
The bad: Spoiler alert: He did not find it. Are we surprised? It is as likely that the Ark is in a government storehouse as it is in most of the places described here. It could be most anywhere. Are some of the theories plausible? I guess. But figuring out where the Ark is NOT does not make for a very engaging read.
I guess one bonus is finding out about a great many places that I have no desire to ever go to.
June 7, 2024
A moving, somewhat emotional book of finding (somewhat unconvincingly) the Ark of the Covenant. Once finding it, I felt more that I had read a very fascinating and emotional fiction journey than something that actually happened. The author very clearly had some years had his belt as an explorer-esc researcher/professor, but some of his claims, theories, and explanations were sometimes shabby, and other times very exciting and convincing! Ultimately, I don’t believe the Ark was found but a very interesting and special artifact of history was.
September 17, 2018
This was a compelling & fascinating read ; anyone who belongs to or is interested in the history of the Abrahamic Religions should read this.I
It details the long scholarly journey Tudor Parfitt & his colleagues took over the years in locating the Lost Ark of the Covenant. He travels & visits with tribes across Africa, who may or may not be some of the lost tribes of Israel, and even visits Papau New Guinea & interacts with a tribe of cannibals, all in his quest to locate this artifact.
It details the long scholarly journey Tudor Parfitt & his colleagues took over the years in locating the Lost Ark of the Covenant. He travels & visits with tribes across Africa, who may or may not be some of the lost tribes of Israel, and even visits Papau New Guinea & interacts with a tribe of cannibals, all in his quest to locate this artifact.
February 1, 2021
I can’t. Help. Feeling. Like.... this author loves himself. Not in the regular sense but in a way that he... fancies himself to be a character in a archeological thriller film. The scenes were written almost to fiction standards except there were many MANY drawn out conversations that I felt really didn’t go anywhere. Ugh.
I wanted more of a historical understanding and less of a semi-biography.
I wanted more of a historical understanding and less of a semi-biography.
May 7, 2019
The author seemed to have a bit of an Indiana Jones complex. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I guess it’s good for an archeological to have an adventurer’s spirit. But I feel that it led him to take excessive creative liberties when retelling his story.
January 5, 2021
An interesting read, Tudor Parfitt manages to write an enticing hunt for the ark, however he seems to have a god complex and the way he describes a friend of his over and over had me getting a bit bored when this 'friend' would assist with the discovery
January 19, 2022
Too many personal anecdotes. Needed more of a plot and quicker revelation of research. Still, it had the occasional interesting information (such as similar arks in Africa, their possible dual purpose as drums, and DNA testing linking people in subsahara Africa proving their Jewish ancestry).
July 17, 2022
Exiting story. But:
There are no references to any of his sources which makes the book useless on an academic level.
The author mocks Graham Hancock about his book 'The Sign and the Seal' but Graham is very meticulous with his sources and the book is therefore much more reliable.
There are no references to any of his sources which makes the book useless on an academic level.
The author mocks Graham Hancock about his book 'The Sign and the Seal' but Graham is very meticulous with his sources and the book is therefore much more reliable.
June 20, 2023
This feels a bit “pop history” but the author seems more legit than that. Fun read that opens up the world of the ancient Middle East and Africa in new ways for me. Great rethinking of the world of the Old Testament in ways that brings it to life.
April 14, 2024
Well, he found it. Found something. Not the Ark. Click below for more on this captivating journey.
https://thatladywhoreadsalot.wordpres...
https://thatladywhoreadsalot.wordpres...
March 11, 2025
This book is interesting and well written. I don't believe it, though. The Bible does not bear out that the Ark was taken into battle as a rule. There is no biblical evidence whatsoever that there was more than one Ark. I believe Graham Hancock's account in The Sign and the Seal much more.
March 8, 2019
The Parfitt theory is interesting and fits most of the data on the Ark... It's unorthodox. This is the story of his journey to his conclusions. It's a good book with interesting characters.
June 23, 2019
It was not too bad but I had expected more of it
February 15, 2020
Was ok. Interesting stories just couldn’t hold my interests. Was looking more for a historical perspective.
April 15, 2020
I devoured it. It was bordering on feeling like fiction sometimes, but it was still very well done and had some unique insights. I really enjoy how he encompassed Graham Hancock’s book as well.
April 22, 2020
Fascinating adventure story with theological and historical implications.
January 3, 2021
Decepcionante y aburrido
March 11, 2023
Not a bad book at all, but as a whole I’d have preferred more history and archaeology and less “adventure.” Unfortunately “popular history” books almost always veer toward the latter.
January 3, 2025
Kind of a slow start, but it turned into a great narrative, surprisingly. I saw the punchline coming in chapter 1, but ok.
February 10, 2011
While Mr. Parfitt’s claims of finding a representation of the legendary Ark of the Covenant seem somewhat inconclusive, this book and his journey is more about the symbolism of the Ark and its lore throughout the world and the ages. He did a great job illustrating the context of the legend from a number of religious and historical texts. He also questions what the Ark itself is/was specifically. There are references of it as a box carrying sacred objects such as the Ten Commandments, a drum or a weapon, and even that there were multiple Arks over the course of three millennia. He concludes that our archetypal image of the Ark as a golden sheathed box crowned with cherubs is inaccurate.
More specifically, Parfitt explores the migration of a Jewish tribe from Israel to Africa and the idea that the Ark could have travelled with them to protect it from the enemies of Israel. He examined linguistic and cultural similarities and once the technology became available, used DNA testing to prove that these African people claiming Jewish decent did in fact share a common ancestor with a line of Jewish priests. He also chased some dead ends in Papua New Guinea and some misguided folklore in other parts of Africa and the Middle East, but I must admit there were some pretty amazing connections to be more than just pure coincidence.
The writing itself was decent, and I could appreciate Parfitt’s penchant for adventure, scholarship and drinking, but it often got bogged down with some esoteric concepts. The end of his search for this profound religious artifact was somewhat anticlimactic, though it did illustrate how what he uncovered could represent what the Ark initially symbolized thousands of years ago and how that idea evolved in different parts of the world.
More specifically, Parfitt explores the migration of a Jewish tribe from Israel to Africa and the idea that the Ark could have travelled with them to protect it from the enemies of Israel. He examined linguistic and cultural similarities and once the technology became available, used DNA testing to prove that these African people claiming Jewish decent did in fact share a common ancestor with a line of Jewish priests. He also chased some dead ends in Papua New Guinea and some misguided folklore in other parts of Africa and the Middle East, but I must admit there were some pretty amazing connections to be more than just pure coincidence.
The writing itself was decent, and I could appreciate Parfitt’s penchant for adventure, scholarship and drinking, but it often got bogged down with some esoteric concepts. The end of his search for this profound religious artifact was somewhat anticlimactic, though it did illustrate how what he uncovered could represent what the Ark initially symbolized thousands of years ago and how that idea evolved in different parts of the world.
June 17, 2008
Truly remarkable and fascinating storytelling! This book of historical quality could have been told in a stuffy and dull fashion, particularly because of the content, but the author is truly the adventurer and brings this to life in his written words (and the people he has met along this foggy path). Open this book and from start to finish, he includes you in his adventure of seeking the truth about just what the Ark of the Covenant is, what it represents to humankind.
Anyone who is more interested in reading fiction will find this book a good transition into non-fiction, as it is penned in much the same way as the former, though it is a tome that is decorated with many-a knowledgeable fact (and how much more fascinating an artifact could he write about).
It's not really about science; it's more about philosophy, which is the foundation of the authors quest in finding this [fabled] artifact. Is the Ark a utensil, a person, or an idea? If found, what would that mean to every religion touched by and involved in its history? Will it help a person answer the questions Who am I and Why am I here? The Ark is like Christmas, the amount of time leading up to the specified element is the most exciting, but at the exact moment that particular element is unfolded before one's eyes it becomes a muted interest (and the days following seem underwhelming because what you've experienced has already happened and there's nothing to which to look forward).
Anyone who is more interested in reading fiction will find this book a good transition into non-fiction, as it is penned in much the same way as the former, though it is a tome that is decorated with many-a knowledgeable fact (and how much more fascinating an artifact could he write about).
It's not really about science; it's more about philosophy, which is the foundation of the authors quest in finding this [fabled] artifact. Is the Ark a utensil, a person, or an idea? If found, what would that mean to every religion touched by and involved in its history? Will it help a person answer the questions Who am I and Why am I here? The Ark is like Christmas, the amount of time leading up to the specified element is the most exciting, but at the exact moment that particular element is unfolded before one's eyes it becomes a muted interest (and the days following seem underwhelming because what you've experienced has already happened and there's nothing to which to look forward).
February 5, 2014
The author is quite the scholar--a Welshman who specializes in the lost tribes of Israel (and learned Hebrew and gads of other languages along the way) and becomes obsessed with figuring out what the Ark of the Covenant actually was and where it might be today. His inquiry takes him to Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Papua New Guinea among other locations. We get to know several fascinating characters also interested in the Ark, and Parfitt's droll descriptions are sometimes quite funny. Wonderful descriptions of territory and groups of black people who believe that they are descended from the Israelites. Great DNA detective work establishes that the priests of one of the tribes of South Africa have Cohen (rabbinical) genes. Facts are really hard to come by, but his obsession takes us on many fascinating adventures and I learned a lot. I listened to the book on CDs--it might be a bit more tedious in the reading, but definitely worth the effort!
July 8, 2008
I had a choice - this later one on audio, or the earlier Journey to the Vanished City in print. Although this one contains (somewhat) "spoilers" for that one, Graeme Malcolm as a narrator did such a good job that I'm looking forward to reading the other. The physical search doesn't really begin until the second half though - there's a lot of talking and planning to get through first, but it's worth the wait - there's an ending straight out of Hollywood!
Parfitt is actually pretty funny for an academic, and the secondary characters (Rueven, Daoud, etc.) prove good foils (for lack of a better term) in his his efforts to find The Ark.
Parfitt is actually pretty funny for an academic, and the secondary characters (Rueven, Daoud, etc.) prove good foils (for lack of a better term) in his his efforts to find The Ark.
April 21, 2015
Slow at times, this book probably could have started from about half way through. Took a long time to get started on the actual subject-matter of the book, and it seemed like the author put in a lot of pages just to beef up the size of the book. In any event, the second half of the book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down and just wanted to know how it ended. Thought it was not what I expected, and still don't know how I feel about the ending, I definitely learned a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed the way the (second half of the) book was written. Definitely recommended for fans of archaeology, Jewish history, African history, Biblical history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews