The Mercy Seat  and
The Ark of the Covenant
The Discovery
 
In 1978 while walking with a local authority in Jerusalem and discussing Roman antiquities, Ron Wyatt pointed to a trash pile under the escarpment of Golgatha and stated, "That's Jeremiah's grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there." That was the beginning of a four year odessy that would culminate with
the most significant archaeological discovery of all time;
Christ's blood went onto the Mercy Seat.
 
 
The Original Excavation and Find, 1978 to 1982
 
 
Using metal detector at the Ark site and the site of the dig on the way in.
 
 
Ron and son break into the escarpment finding a tunnel entrance preceeding inward.
 
 
Arrow showing entrance into the tunnel proceeding inward toward the chamber.
 
         
 
Entrance to the chamber and arrow pointing to fallen debris from the entrance breakthrough.
 
 
Inside of the Chamber and with arrow pointing to door of the original entrance used to bring in the Temple artifacts.
 
 
Best attempt to film the Ark of the Covenant with 35mm, polaroid and video. All were used successfully in the chamber, but not when turned toward the Ark.
Pictures from 1988 Interview with Ron Wyatt on "Today the Bible & You"
 
** Read **
WorldNetDaily article - Biblical Archaeologist Ron Wyatt's Last Interview.
The full story from Wyatt Archaeological Research
 
 
The Crucifixion Site of Jesus
 
And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrews Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.  (John 19:17-20 KJV)


Now in the place where he was crucified
there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre,
wherein was never man yet laid.
(John 19:41 KJV)
 
 
And, behold, there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
and came and rolled back the stone from the door,
and sat upon it.   (Mat 28:2 KJV)
 
 
Sprinkled Blood of the Covenant
 
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people,
and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD
hath made with you concerning all these words.
(Exodus 24:6-8 KJV)

Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
(Lev 16:15 KJV)

As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.   (Isa 52:14 & 15 KJV)

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Mat 27:51 KJV)

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.; (John 19:34 KJV)

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.   (Hebrews 12:24 KJV)

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
(1 John 5:7-8 KJV)
 
 
To Anoint The Most Holy
 
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.   (Exodus 26:33,34 KJV)

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.    (1 Kings 8:6 KJV)

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:    (2 Chron 5:7 KJV)

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.    (Dan 9:24 KJV)
 
 
The Lamb of God
 
 
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
   (John 1:29 KJV)

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:    (1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV)
 
 
The Mercy Seat on the Ark

 

And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.   (Exo 25:17-22 KJV)


From the People's Bible Encyclopedia, 1913 edition.
"Upon the lid, or Mercy Seat, or at the ends of the Ark, as in the Temple, were placed the Cherubim, probably figures beaten out of gold as was the candlestick. In shape they were probably human, with the exception of their wings, though some authorities think they were of the same complex form as the Cherubim mentioned in Ezekiel (1:5-14). They were no doubt the normal or full height of a man, and are always spoken of as maintaining an upright position (2 Chronicles 3:13). They stood facing each other, looking down upon the Mercy Seat, their wings forward in a brooding attitude." (pg. 1074)   "While the tables of the law bore testimony to the truth that the God of the covenant was a "jealous God" (Exod. 20:5, sq.), we find that the mercy seat, regarded as God's throne, taught that grace and mercy were also conspicuous attributes of the God of Israel in dealing with his people." (pg. 1077)
 
 
 
The Throne of God
 
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.   (Exodus 25:22 KJV)

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
(Lev 16:2 KJV)

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.    (Jer 3:16 & 17 KJV)
 
Ark of the Covenant depictions courtesy of Jim Pinkoski
Throne of God graphic by Robert Smith
Caption under the background picture from Dr. McBirnie's 1975 book
"The Search for the Authentic Tomb of Jesus."
"Dr. McBirnie crouches under the "skull hill" in a large cave which runs under the entire scarp some 12 ft. below the level of the ground. The cave marks the northern end of the same quarry that reaches under the old city in "Solomon's Quarries."








































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