Attempt to reveal the location
I have always considered discretion and respect for a host government?s wishes to be important in such matters.
A number of times, Ron and I discussed the ramifications of the discovery. Unfortunately not all have been discreet.
Over the years, five different people lost their lives at the very time they were attempting to interfere with or even halt the excavation.
One man stumbled upon the discovery when he noticed the team members coming and going from the excavation. He began to ask questions.
This man, a young British tourist, soon found out what was going on and was determined to learn the precise location.
As Ron entered the hotel on this particular night, the man approached him again. "Will you show me where is the Ark of the Covenant?" he urged.
"I don?t know you," was Ron?s reply. "Why should I reveal it to you?"
But the gentleman was not to be put off. Each day he kept pestering the archaeologist to tell him the location.
Failing to elicit this information, the man resorted to watching. One morning as Ron left the hotel early, the man darted from behind his hiding place and followed him at a distance. He found out the location.
Ecstatic, he made his next move. He himself would tell the world.
He went to a phone box and called the media. He informed them that he would conduct a press conference the next day, in which he was to announce "a great discovery". The conference was scheduled for nine in the morning.
As the crew members came in from the diggings that night, the man intercepted Ron.
"Mr. Wyatt," he announced, "Tomorrow I shall tell the world."
"You can?t do that!" exclaimed Ron. "It?s too sensitive!"
"This is something the whole world needs to know,? he insisted.
"We are sworn to secrecy on the location," said Ron. "Cancel your news conference."
"Too bad!" he thundered. "I?m going to do it anyway."
That night, the team members changed their flight booking and left early.
The press conference was scheduled to take place in a nearby alley, a relatively secluded place.
The next morning, when the journalists arrived, they found the man lying in the alley in a pool of blood. There was a bullet hole in the back of his head. He had been shot by a single sniper?s bullet. The lane was swarming with mounted police, soldiers and medical units.
"Arab extremists," said the newspaper. No further explanation was given.
That was back on April 27,1986. The situation has not changed.
Another reason for the clamp
We have noted already that both Arabs and Israelis would prefer that some diggings didn?t take place. This is the case whether they be religious leaders or political. But not just leaders.
I suggested there might be two reasons why the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant was a hot issue. The first was political. The second is religious.
Just think of the repercussions within Judaism if it were to be officially announced that the Person who was crucified at Skull Hill on that historic Passover Day in 31 AD, branded by Jewish church leaders as an impostor, had actually spilt his blood on THEIR holy Ark of the Covenant? What would that do to Judaism?
(This blood factor is a totally different angle in this controversial discovery ? a facet of the discovery that I do not have time to go into here. However, my book Ark of the Covenant deals with this aspect of the find.)
Yes, the Jewish people may be excited about discovering the Ark of the Covenant, since that is the most important piece of furniture for their Temple.
But it is now claimed that the last blood to flow onto that Ark was the blood of Jesus Christ, a so-called impostor. Can the Israeli religionists take the blood of animals again and sprinkle it on that Mercy Seat? They have a decision to make.
Every Jew will be faced with a challenge to examine his or her faith and decide whether Yeshua is the Messiah or not. Just imagine what potential this has to shake world Judaism!
The Israeli political climate is so volatile that, in the eyes of some, the government?s very survival could depend on maintaining the status quo. And for this reason alone, there are many who would not welcome a further destabilizing of the scene.
Sealed up When the authorities ordered the crew to seal up the entrance to the excavation tunnel leading to the chamber, the crew knew that absolute confirmation of their story would be impossible for the present.
My friend Bob Murrell of Florida was among those who constructed a steel door to close off the entrance. And several feet of earth were piled over it, to disguise the location.
Meanwhile the government has placed a clamp on some information concerning the discovery. And we shall not go against the host government.
Currently, therefore, we are unable to present all collected data on this subject. We only ask that the reader watch and wait until that time when it will be made public.
Certain rabbis may have had some influence in this decision, believing that the secret of the Ark belongs to the future time of redemption and the Messiah?s appearance. They may fear that a premature disclosure of the facts could possibly delay these events.
No matter how wonderful and exciting would be the display of the items in that cave, it seems likely that this will have to wait a while longer.
Meanwhile, the accumulated evidence must ultimately apply public pressure to international politicians. SHOULD THIS DISCOVERY BE KEPT UNDERGROUND FOR ANOTHER DECADE?
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