Years of research and dangerous travel serve to unravel the enduring 3,000 year old mystery of the fabled lost Ark of the Covenant (which disappeared from written record around 600 BC) in The Sign and the Seal, Graham Hancock's bestselling masterwork of historic reportage. The well-crafted book examines the plausibility of the claim that the Ark of the Covenant (the real Biblical-era golden artifact topped by Cherubim) resides inside a guarded sanctuary in the ancient city of Axum, Ethiopia. Ethiopian legend, the Kebra Nagast, tells that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian beauty who indeed traveled to meet with King Solomon in Jerusalem (as stated in the Bible). However, in addition to sharing thoughts, the two also shared Solomon's bed and the Queen of Sheba gave birth to Solomon's son, named Menelik, after returning to Ethiopia. When Menelik was 20, he went to Jerusalem to meet his famous father at his temple. Soon after, Menelik conspired to steal the Ark of the Covenant and bring it back to Ethiopia… where it has remained ever since. Hancock maintains that the fanciful tale was muddled a bit in it's facts, but like many legends, holds some elements of truth… with clues hidden in unlikely places, like the niches of Chartres Cathedral. Research shows that others in history have been intrigued about the possibility that the powerful Ark resides in Axum. The presence of the Knights Templar, who derive their name from King Solomon's temple (which was built for the sole purpose of housing the Ark), is rumored to be visible in the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia. Legend states that red-haired white angels built the complex edifices around the time of the Crusades. The Freemasons, the often rumored descendants of the Knights Templar, appear to have shown an interest as well (Masonic ritual centers around King Solomon's temple)… with Masonic nobleman James Bruce of Kinnaird mounting thorough expeditions of the area in the 18th Century. Much of Hancock's immersion resides with interviewing the people who live in the area in question. Ethiopia is home both to Christian sects as well as Hebrews. The Felashas, a group that practices Judaism straight out of the Old Testament, are likely the key to how the Ark came to be in Axum… removed from the temple in Jerusalem during the reign of Manasseh for safekeeping, and later brought to Ethiopia by way of centuries-long layovers in Egypt and mystical island lakes. The festival of Timkat, in which replicas of the Ark are paraded through the city by priests, provides an interesting spiritual context and contemporary cultural connection. The text also examines what the Ark really is. Of particular interest is the notion that the Ark was a manmade object, a "monstrous instrument." Constructed by Moses, who had been trained in all the magical Hermetic arts of Egypt as a young man (and was likely even a Kher Heb or "High Priest"), the atrocities that befell those who mishandled the Ark are reminiscent of exposure to radioactive material. The relic is made of near solid gold, a metal that is a strong conductor and is non-corrosive. The theory goes into much further detail… Graham Hancock began his fascinating quest to find the lost Ark of the Covenant shortly after the release of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark… and his writing style and enthusiasm make for a journalistic adventure on par with the film. His admirable work will surely be enjoyed by future generations as well as his present world-wide fan base.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Sanctuary of Ark of the Covenant - Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Kebra Nagast: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Kebra Nagast: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Queen of Sheba Meets King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Queen of Sheba and her Nubian Slave - Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Nubian Slave: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant - Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Temple Mount: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
James Bruce of Kinnaird. Freemason: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Bruce's Travels. by James Bruce of Kinnaird. Freemason: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Structure of Freemasonry: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Egyptian Masonic Temple: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Ark - Tomb of King Tut: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Elephantine, Egypt: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Tana Kirkos, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Moses: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock
