Archaeologists find ancient clues in search for location of Ark of the Covenant and Tabernacle

Archaeologists working at Shiloh in the West Bank have found ancient clues that could help them determine whether the site really held the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle.

A new group of American archaeologists and volunteers have launched a new excavation in order to prove that the Bible is also a history textbook that contains revelations about humanity's past.

The Associates for Biblical Research (ABR), led by Dr. Scott Stripling, are using the latest archaeological techniques, combined with their strong religious faith, to find definitive evidence that the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were once held at Shiloh.

The archaeologists have yet to find conclusive evidence, but they have already found a few artifacts that could provide more clues to the exact location of the tabernacle.

Among the artifacts they found this summer include 10 enormous pre-First Temple pottery jugs and a kobaat, which is a ritual chalice that could be linked to religious use. The archaeologists suggested that the intrinsic value of the pottery jugs could indicate that the site was vacated in an abrupt manner, as described in the Bible.

"There are some who say the Bible is unreliable. We have found it to be very reliable," Stripling told the Times of Israel. "We're taking the Bible as a serious historical document, but the evidence is what the evidence is," he added.

Shiloh is mentioned in the Bible as the 369-year home of the Tabernacle, which once housed the Ark of the Covenant.

The Psalms and the Book of Jeremiah recount the destruction of the site after the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, who also stole the Ark of the Covenant.

The Bible describes the tabernacle as a multi-colored tent, embellished with glittering precious metals, In the 26th chapter of Exodus, God gave Moses detailed instructions on how to build the tent and from which materials the curtains should be made.

God had instructed the prophet to use 50 gold clasps, 50 bronze clasps, 40 silver bases and other utensils made out of metals, leading some archaeologists to wonder whether any of the items could be found at the site.

The ABR team had reportedly processed about 2,000 pieces of pottery and over 700 additional objects, including jewelry, tools and metal or stone weapons. The researchers also found 15 pieces of Jewish ritual vessels, two almost complete pottery vessels, and 250 coins, but no artifacts have been found to confirm the existence of the tabernacle at the site.

Stripling, however, says that working at the site is the irresistible fulfillment of a 25-year-old dream, and he is anything but deterred.

"A sense of awe came upon me as I contemplated how God had set before us an open door at Shiloh which will have a direct impact on how people read their Bibles in the future," he said in his letter to donors about walking on the field for the first time.

"I saw the stakes that I drove into the ground back in May and envisioned the 100 volunteers and staff who will work with us in Season One. I thought of the first words ever sent via Morse code — 'Behold what wonders God has wrought!'" he added.

Other archaeologists from France and Israel are also searching for the Ark of the Covenant at the ancient site of Kiryat Ye'arim outside Jerusalem, which is said to be one of the last unexplored sites in the region.