Axum Chapel of the Tablet
Ethiopia's claim to hold the Ark of the Covenant
Found 1965 — Not an archaeological discovery: the chapel was built under Emperor Haile Selassie beside the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion; the tradition rests on the 14th-century Kebra Nagast
Where Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Axum, Tigray (Ethiopia)
Dates from Chapel built 1965; claimed relic c. 950 BCE · Modern chapel; tradition claims 10th century BCE origin · Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (by tradition)
Now at Chapel of the Tablet, Axum (closed to all but its guardian)
How Axum Chapel of the Tablet was found
The Kebra Nagast tells that Menelik, son of Shlomo (Solomon) and the Queen of Sheba, carried the ark from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church says it has been at Axum ever since, kept today in a small chapel guarded by a single monk who never leaves.
What it is
A small granite chapel with a green dome beside the old and new cathedrals of Mary of Zion, fenced off and entered only by the Guardian of the Ark. The Church says the original tablets of the covenant in their ark rest inside. Every Ethiopian Orthodox church keeps a tabot, a consecrated tablet representing the ark, which is carried in procession at the Timkat festival.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the most famous living claim to the ark, and it shapes the faith of millions. No scholar has been allowed to examine the object; the one outside witness who claimed to have seen it, Edward Ullendorff (1941), described a medieval or later wooden box of the ordinary tabot type. The Bible itself is silent on any journey of the ark to Africa, and 1 Kings 8 has the ark in Jerusalem long after Sheba's visit (1 Kings 10). The tradition is best understood as Ethiopia's way of claiming Israel's covenant heritage, not as evidence for the ark's location.
The Hebrew word: she-VAH
שְׁבָא
שְׁבָא is pronounced she-VAH and means Sheba, the queen's kingdom (Strong's H7614).
People this discovery connects to
- Solomon — שְׁלֹמֹה (she-lo-MOH) — peaceful
- Queen of Sheba — מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא (mal-KAHT she-VAH) — queen of Sheba
Places
- Sheba — שְׁבָא (she-VAH) — Sheba (South Arabia / Ethiopia by tradition)
Events
Visit of the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10) · Placing of the ark in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8)
Axum Chapel of the Tablet in Scripture
Exodus 25:10 First mention of ark of the covenant in Scripture.
1 Kings 8:6-9 The ark, containing only the two tablets, is placed in the temple's inner sanctuary.
1 Kings 10:1-2 The Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon — the seed of the Ethiopian Menelik legend.
Questions people ask
What is Axum Chapel of the Tablet?
A small granite chapel with a green dome beside the old and new cathedrals of Mary of Zion, fenced off and entered only by the Guardian of the Ark. The Church says the original tablets of the covenant in their ark rest inside. Every Ethiopian Orthodox church keeps a tabot, a consecrated tablet representing the ark, which is carried in procession at the Timkat festival.
When was Axum Chapel of the Tablet discovered?
It was found in 1965 by Not an archaeological discovery: the chapel was built under Emperor Haile Selassie beside the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion; the tradition rests on the 14th-century Kebra Nagast, at Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Axum, Tigray.
Where is Axum Chapel of the Tablet today?
Chapel of the Tablet, Axum (closed to all but its guardian).
Which Bible verses does Axum Chapel of the Tablet relate to?
Exodus 25:10, 1 Kings 8:6-9, 1 Kings 10:1-2.
Is Axum Chapel of the Tablet authentic?
A religious tradition with no archaeological verification; the object has never been examined, and the only reported viewing described a later Ethiopian tabot.
Related discoveries
- דְּבַשׁTel Rehov ApiaryThe oldest industrial beehives ever found, in a 'land of honey'
- עַמּוּדThe Nuweiba Granite Column ('Solomon's Pillar')An unmarked column on the beach said to have been raised by Shlomo to mark the crossing
- אַבְנֵי גָזִיתMegiddo Ashlar Palaces (Stratum VA–IVB)Two fine-stone palaces claimed for Solomon's district capital
- צְלָעוֹתKhirbet Qeiyafa Model ShrinesTwo miniature shrines with architecture echoing Solomon's Temple
- תְּחוּםGezer Boundary InscriptionsRock-cut markers reading 'boundary of Gezer' that identified the biblical city
- תִּמֹרָהProto-Aeolic Capitals and Ashlar MasonryThe signature stonework of Israelite and Judahite royal buildings
Sources
- Atlas Obscura, 'Chapel of the Tablet'
- E. Ullendorff, Ethiopia and the Bible (Schweich Lectures, 1968)
- Wikipedia, 'Ark of the Covenant' (Ethiopian tradition section)