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In Search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant
Theorizing that the lost Ark of the Covenant was transported from ancient Israel into Ethiopia, an inspirational resource offers evidence that it is currently kept in isolation at St. Mary's of Zion Church.
- GenresNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 2, 2021
Roundup 3.5
This was an interesting read and a fascinating look into #Ethiopia 🇪🇹I was really enjoying my quest until author Bob Cornuke, a retired detective and DEVOUT Christian turned somewhat fanatical in his determination to use Christian scriptures to prove his theory that the lost Ark was brought to Ethiopia centuries ago. He does raise some intriguing premises although most Biblical scholars & historians do not agree with him. If it wasn’t for the endless Christian rhetoric, I would have rated this higher. Still a worthwhile reading experience and definitely an intriguing premise for where the Ark might be.
This was an interesting read and a fascinating look into #Ethiopia 🇪🇹I was really enjoying my quest until author Bob Cornuke, a retired detective and DEVOUT Christian turned somewhat fanatical in his determination to use Christian scriptures to prove his theory that the lost Ark was brought to Ethiopia centuries ago. He does raise some intriguing premises although most Biblical scholars & historians do not agree with him. If it wasn’t for the endless Christian rhetoric, I would have rated this higher. Still a worthwhile reading experience and definitely an intriguing premise for where the Ark might be.
January 18, 2023
A quest for the truth and not treasure seeking for earthly gain, Bob weaves the word of God with on the ground research among the people of Ethiopia. Way different than I imagined after seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark. I have a better understanding of the Bible passages than I've ever had before. Great pre-reading for my first trip to Africa.
March 2, 2015
This is a hard book to rate, because it's such an all-or-nothing proposition. If Mr. Cornuke's theories are correct, then this is a definite must-read deserving of five stars. If, however, his ideas are completely off base, then the book should be rated one star and probably tossed in the garbage.
Problem is, at present, there is no way to gauge the authenticity of Cornuke's claims, as he himself readily admits. All we really end up with are a couple of very intriguing possibilities regarding the current whereabouts of the ark of the covenant and its potential role in fulfilling Bible prophecy.
As is usual with Cornuke's books, IN SEARCH OF THE LOST ARK OF THE COVENANT is a very quick, easy read considering its complicated subject matter. It doesn't come across as very scholarly, but it sure makes you want to take a greater interest in biblical archaeology.
As with his search for Mt. Sinai, Cornuke is following in the footsteps of an initial explorer widely known to be a total kook. With Mt. Sinai, it was pseudo-archeologist Ron Wyatt. With the ark of the covenant, it's British author Graham Hancock, who has also written books on topics like Atlantis, life on Mars, and Freemasonry.
A good theory is a good theory regardless of who first proposes it, but I find it a bit odd that Cornuke never addresses the unreliability of his primary sources. Cornuke's assertion is that the ark of the covenant is currently residing in Ethiopia, a theory that makes a surprising amount of sense but which is entirely based on circumstantial evidence, local tradition, and eyewitness testimonies from people who may not be credible.
Still, it's a fun ride, and Cornuke makes a pretty strong case, all things considered. I feel that he is reaching when it comes to his interpretations of certain Bible verses, but, overall, I think he may be onto something. Plus, this book was worth reading just for the insight it gave me into Ethiopian culture. Sadly, it was only a short time ago that I couldn't even locate Ethiopia on a map.
If you don't feel like checking the book out for yourself, try watching the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9VB-...
Problem is, at present, there is no way to gauge the authenticity of Cornuke's claims, as he himself readily admits. All we really end up with are a couple of very intriguing possibilities regarding the current whereabouts of the ark of the covenant and its potential role in fulfilling Bible prophecy.
As is usual with Cornuke's books, IN SEARCH OF THE LOST ARK OF THE COVENANT is a very quick, easy read considering its complicated subject matter. It doesn't come across as very scholarly, but it sure makes you want to take a greater interest in biblical archaeology.
As with his search for Mt. Sinai, Cornuke is following in the footsteps of an initial explorer widely known to be a total kook. With Mt. Sinai, it was pseudo-archeologist Ron Wyatt. With the ark of the covenant, it's British author Graham Hancock, who has also written books on topics like Atlantis, life on Mars, and Freemasonry.
A good theory is a good theory regardless of who first proposes it, but I find it a bit odd that Cornuke never addresses the unreliability of his primary sources. Cornuke's assertion is that the ark of the covenant is currently residing in Ethiopia, a theory that makes a surprising amount of sense but which is entirely based on circumstantial evidence, local tradition, and eyewitness testimonies from people who may not be credible.
Still, it's a fun ride, and Cornuke makes a pretty strong case, all things considered. I feel that he is reaching when it comes to his interpretations of certain Bible verses, but, overall, I think he may be onto something. Plus, this book was worth reading just for the insight it gave me into Ethiopian culture. Sadly, it was only a short time ago that I couldn't even locate Ethiopia on a map.
If you don't feel like checking the book out for yourself, try watching the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9VB-...
August 27, 2013
Rather underwhelming, compared to "The Gold of Exodus," which "stars" the same guy, Robert Cornuke, in a quest for Mt. Sinai. For some reason, this book was boring and never caught my imagination or interest, so I gave it up after 100 pages (if that).
UPDATE: I revisited this book in 2013 and found it to be more interesting than I originally thought. I think this has to do with the fact that I was reading it initially after "The Gold of Exodus"; in "Gold," he actually finds what he thinks is the real Mt. Sinai, whereas here it's still up in the air as to where the Lost Ark is. His reasoning is still good, but without actually having seen the Ark, it's a bit disappointing in relation to "Gold." Still, the title is "In Search of . . ." not "Found!"
UPDATE: I revisited this book in 2013 and found it to be more interesting than I originally thought. I think this has to do with the fact that I was reading it initially after "The Gold of Exodus"; in "Gold," he actually finds what he thinks is the real Mt. Sinai, whereas here it's still up in the air as to where the Lost Ark is. His reasoning is still good, but without actually having seen the Ark, it's a bit disappointing in relation to "Gold." Still, the title is "In Search of . . ." not "Found!"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews