Stuart C. Munro-Hay Knihy

In a landscape filled with imaginative but often inaccurate rewrites of religious history and archaeology, this scholarly work stands out for its soundness. The authors, specialists in African history with a focus on Ethiopia, delve into the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred object in ancient Judaism that housed the Tablets of the Law given to Moses. Unlike Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant was central to the Israelites' battles, shrouded in mystery and protected from view due to its immense power—anyone who approached it could face dire consequences. Initially kept in a Tabernacle, it found its final resting place in the Holy of Holies within Solomon's temple. While the Old Testament references the Ark extensively, it disappears from historical records after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. The authors explore the ancient Ethiopian epic, The Glory of Kings, which suggests that the Ark was taken to Ethiopia by the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Their investigation includes a visit to a shrine in Ethiopia that claims to house the Ark and an examination of the unique Jewish aspects of Ethiopian Christianity. Unlike sensationalist accounts, this work is a sensible and readable historical study by credible scholars.

A result of a lifetime’s study of the mysterious country, this book is the first truly comprehensive work on the monuments and art of Ethiopia, as well as a literary companion to its land and history. Stuart Munro-Hay provides a valuable guide to the country’s architecture, geography, peoples, art, and history which covers all the major sites of the land from ancient times to the present.