Beyond Raiders of the Lost Ark: Archaeologist Probes the Fate of the Ark of the Covenant

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Fans of the 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark sat captivated as Indiana Jones searched for the biblical Ark of the Covenant – but that fictional quest becomes a real-world investigation in the new documentary Legends of the Lost Ark, which follows an archaeologist hunting for clues to the artifact’s location.

Legends of the Lost Ark lands in theaters April 12, 14, and 15 and explores the history and enduring legends of the Ark of the Covenant as real-world archaeologist Chris McKinny, drawing on the latest research, investigates three ancient traditions that attempt to explain the artifact’s fate.

McKinny is an associate professor of archaeology at Lipscomb University, as well as a host on the Biblical World podcast, who previously served on staff at the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project and the Tel Burna Archaeological Project – both in Israel.

“I am a hopeless addict of the biblical world of archaeology in general,” McKinny told Crosswalk Headlines. “It's fascinating to study the real landscapes, the real material culture, to smell destruction layers – and just be a part of that framework of really recovering the world that the biblical text was written in.”

Although archaeologists have uncovered priceless treasures from biblical times, the Ark of the Covenant has remained elusive. The biblical Old Testament describes it as a sacred gold-covered chest that held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments and symbolized the presence of God among the people of Israel.

McKinny says the earliest clues about the Ark’s whereabouts are found in Scripture.

“Solomon brings the Ark into the temple. This happens in about 960 B.C., and if you follow Spielberg and Lucas, that's where their story takes off,” he said, referencing the filmmakers behind Raiders of the Lost Ark.

But there are clues in the biblical text itself, he said, that suggest it “remained in the temple, especially in the days of Isaiah and the King Hezekiah.”

“Hezekiah himself prays towards Yahweh, who is enthroned above the cherubim, the text says, which clearly is an allusion to the Ark when he’s invaded by Sennacherib of Assyria,” McKinny said, referencing events in 2 Kings. “That dates in 701 [B.C.] – and so all the indications are that the Ark was in the temple for the majority of its history, from about 960 to 586 B.C.”

The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 B.C., destroying the temple and taking the Israelites into captivity. The biblical text does not clearly reveal what happened to the Ark of the Covenant.

“Is it plundered? Is it destroyed? Is it secretly hidden? And the legends come up with these solutions as to where it might be,” McKinny said.

One theory involves the prophet Jeremiah, who, according to Second Maccabees, hid the Ark of the Covenant in a cave before Jerusalem fell to Babylon; the book is part of the Apocrypha and is included in the Roman Catholic biblical canon.

Still, there are other theories.

“I would call [the Ark] the incarnation of the Old Testament. It's God's presence among Israel in the entire Old Testament, and its loss has colossal consequences for how we read the biblical text,” McKinny said, adding that “so much of the entire biblical story can be tied to it.”

For McKinny, the Ark sits at the center of Israel’s story.

“It’s the fundamental piece of Israel's existence, the law, God's presence among them. I mean, if we're not interested in it, we're not interested in the Bible.”

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.