The Lost Ark of the Covenant by Tudor Parfitt

Tudor Parfitt "is a British historian, writer, traveller, broadcaster and adventurer. He is Emeritus Professor of Modern Jewish Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he was the founding director of the Centre for Jewish Studies." (with thanks to Wikipedia)

This book is strap-lined "The Remarkable Quest for the Legendary Ark" and is a factual account of Tudor Parfitt's years of researching and searching for Moses' Ark. It's written more like an adventure novel than an historical account or research paper, which makes it much more accessible than you might expect. Prof. Parfitt even looks a bit like an 'Indiana Jones' character! He takes us from the Holy Lands to eastern and southern Africa and Indonesia in his search and presents fascinating facts as they unfold and add to his store of knowledge. For example, he describes how DNA tests show that an extraordinary number of males in an African tribe carry DNA traces found only in populations of Jewish descent. 

Is this a 'lost tribe' of Israel and did their ancestors carry the Ark to safety from the Holy Land in the years of turmoil when the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed? What, actually, was the Ark? Was it as the Bible describes - a large box like structure covered with gold and decorations, or was it something simpler and more humble? Can it have survived all these centuries after Moses first built it to carry the stone tablets on which the Lord God wrote the 10 Commandments? 

Read the book yourself and see if you agree with Prof Parfitt! If you have any interest at all in the history of the Holy Lands, or in the stories of the founding of the Hebrew nation after their trek out of Egypt, or just out of academic curiosity, you won't be disappointed!

The Lost Ark of the Covenant by Tudor Parfitt is published by Harper Collins, ISBN 13-978-0-00-726266-3 (also 10-0-00-726266-3, 13-978-0-00-726266-0 and 10-0-00-726267-1) (2008)