Starting on Tuesday, Jupiter and Venus will be so close in
the night sky that you could cover them both with the tip of an
outstretched finger.
The two planets will be just a third of a degree apart as seen from North America.
"To
the eye they'll look like a double star," said Kelly Beatty, a senior
editor at Sky & Telescope magazine. "Anyone who hasn't glanced at
the evening sky for a while will be surprised by how dramatically tight
the pairing is."
They will be easy to spot as the brightest
objects in the sky, after the sun and moon. Venus, appearing as a
crescent, will be even brighter than its neighbor. Not far to their
upper left, appearing much fainter, is Regulus, the alpha star in the
constellation Leo.
They will remain no greater than 2 degrees apart - a thumb's width at arm's length - until July 4.
Called a conjunction, this celestial convergence is more common than you might think.
They
appeared slightly closer together before dawn on August 18, 2014, and
they'll be separated by about 1 degree before dawn on the morning of
October 26th. During a remarkable conjunction on May 17, 2000, Venus and
Jupiter were just 0.01 degrees apart - but too near the sun to be
seen. Next year, on August 27th, they'll dazzle again during an evening
conjunction with a separation of just 0.1 degrees.
At the
beginning of June, the two planets were 20 degrees apart in the sky,
about twice the width of your fist held at arm's length. Week by week,
Jupiter and the stars behind it have gradually slipped lower in the
evening twilight. But Venus, due to its rapid orbital motion around the
sun, has stayed high up. The resulting slow-motion convergence put them 6
degrees apart last week, setting the stage for Tuesday's awesome
display.
Although the two planets appear very near one another in
the sky, they're actually not. Venus is 58 million miles from Earth, and
Jupiter is 12 times farther out at 565 million miles. The distance
explains why the two planets will look roughly the same size even though
Jupiter is far larger.
Sky & Telescope Contributing Editor
Fred Schaaf points out that this current string of Venus-Jupiter
conjunctions closely resembles a similar series between the years 3 and 2
B.C. It has been suggested that their joint appearance came to be known
as the Star of Bethlehem.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Here is something you should wittiness first hand!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv4LRl2KI2M
Kari Jobe Bethel Church Music- Forever...
youtube.com
Jupiter, Venus to converge in Star of Bethlehem moment
Venus and Jupiter are set to appear
next to one another in the night sky on Tuesday, with Regulus, the alpha
star in the constellation Leo, appearing much fainter to the left.
Sky & Telescope
© 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
===============================
This song ties together the beginning The Star of Bethlehem and the end of Jesus Earthly existence - Christ's Crucifixion!
From the post following:
"Squarish
Hole" and crevice
His earlier
conclusion that the
cut-out niches were
for signs, stating
the crucifixion
victim's crime, was
now supported by the
fact that he had
found more square
holes, all about
twelve to thirteen
inches square, cut
into the bedrock.
He was convinced
that these holes
once held crosses.
The
building structure that
remained intact showed
that it originally
covered the entire site.
He concluded, based on
the evidence they'd
found, that a Christian
church had been built
over the place of the
crucifixion of Christ -
the stone wall extended
along the cliff-face
directly behind the
cross-hole that was on
the "platform-like"
shelf of bedrock. It
appeared that this was
the place where the
"featured"
criminal-victim was
crucified, being
elevated several feet
above those crucified
around him. He
believed that the one
elevated above the rest
(on the shelf-like
platform of bedrock),
held the cross of
Christ.
The crack
extending out from the
cross-hole on the
elevated "platform"
appeared to Ron to have
been caused by an
earthquake. It
displayed no evidence of
being chiseled.
As he
removed debris from the
cross-hole, he finally
reached the bottom and
measured it - it
extended 23.5 inches
into the solid bedrock,
while the crack appeared
to extend much deeper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark of the
Covenant -
AT THIS TIME, WYATT
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
CAN PROVIDE NO
CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
REGARDING THE DISCOVERY
OF THE ARK OF THE
COVENANT.
Excerpts from and
adaptations of the
writings of
Mrs. Ron (Mary Nell) Wyatt
Ron Wyatt claimed that
he found the Ark of the
Covenant.
He was never allowed to provide conclusive evidence.
"More and
more we are hearing of
new books and tales
about the location of
the Ark of the Covenant,
some based on theories
and some based on actual
claims of sightings.
Ron Wyatt
also claimed to have
found the Ark in 1982 -
but how do you know who
to believe? Until
you can see solid
evidence for yourself,
you cannot know for sure
who is telling the true
story." ......Mrs. Ron
(Mary Nell) Wyatt
1978
Ron and
his sons, Danny and
Ronny, traveled to
Israel. From there
they drove to the
western shore of the
Gulf of Aqaba for scuba
diving in search of
chariot parts in the Red
Sea.
Ron
became sun-burned and
was forced to
discontinue his diving
in the Red Sea.
While
waiting for his return
flight to the United
States, Ron was walking
along an ancient stone
quarry, known to some as
"the Calvary
Escarpment." As he
was walking, he began
conversing with a local
authority about Roman
antiquities. At one
point, they stopped
walking, and Ron's left
hand pointed to a site
being used as a trash
dump and he stated,
"That's Jeremiah's
Grotto and the Ark of
the Covenant is in
there."
Even
though these words had
come from his own mouth
and his own hand had
pointed, he had not
consciously done or said
these things. In fact,
it was the first time he
had ever thought about
excavating for the Ark.
The man with him, quite
out of character,
also reacted strangely.
He said, "That's
wonderful! We want you
to excavate, and we'll
furnish your permits,
put you up in a place to
stay and even furnish
your meals!"
At that
time Ron declined the
man's offer until he
could see if there was
any reason to believe
the Ark could be in that
location.
Ron
returned home and began
some serious research
and study.
Research:
Why Would the Ark Be in That Location?
In
searching the Bible, Ron
found the last mention
in the Bible of the
Ark's location in
Jerusalem about the year
621 BC, just 35 years
before the destruction
of Jerusalem and the
temple by
Nebuchadnezzar.
This
indicated that the Ark
disappeared from the
Divine record sometime
between 621 BC and 586
BC. Since the temple was
completely destroyed,
there is no doubt that
it was NOT there after
that time.
Ron found in 2 Kings
24:13, 2Kings 25:13-18,
and Jeremiah 52:17-23, a
very detailed account of
the items taken to
Babylon from the "king's
house" and from the
"house of the Lord"- it
even mentioned small
items like "spoons",
etc. But the Ark
isn't mentioned. Neither
is it mentioned
in the lists of things
brought back from
Babylon in the book of
Ezra.
We are
told in Jeremiah 28:3
that everything taken to
Babylon from the "house
of the Lord" would be
returned, and since the
Ark wasn't among the
returned items, this
indicates that it was
never taken there.
Shishak
and Sennacherib also
took items from the
"house of the Lord" but
they did not include the
Ark of the Covenant.
Ron's
Theory:
The Ark of the Covenant
was hidden just prior to
the destruction of the
temple when the city was
surrounded by the
Babylonian siege wall.
The Ark of the Covenant
was hidden somewhere
within the confines of
the city wall of
Jerusalem and the
Babylonian siege wall.
The entire city of
Jerusalem and the
temple were destroyed in
586 BC by the
Babylonians, so the Ark
could have only escaped
destruction or captivity
by not being anywhere in
the city.
The site Ron had pointed
to was, he believed,
outside of the ancient
city wall and within the
siege
wall.
Two non-Biblical
sources, 2 Maccabees and
Parilipomena of
Jeremiah, stated that
the sacred objects from
the temple were hidden
by Jeremiah before the
destruction of Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar.
Ron's
conclusion:
It was supposition based on study, but still only supposition. Yet, it was enough to base a decision on. He decided to go ahead with the excavation.
January 1979
Ron Wyatt and his
sons Ronny and Danny
return to Jerusalem
and began the
excavations. They
would eventually
remove many tons of
rock and debris,
sifting through all
of it for artifacts:
A requirement of the
Department of
Antiquities which
they were happy to
comply with.
They
began by digging
straight down along a
cliff face, forming a
steep wall with the
earth they removed.
Almost
immediately, Ron noticed
a "shelf-like" niche cut
into the face of the
cliff. Digging down
further, he discovered
there were three of
these "niches" cut into
the face of the cliff
with a smaller one on
the right side.
"Niches"
As the location of
the dig was in the
vicinity of the
"skull face", known
to be a crucifixion
site, Ron was
convinced that these
were cut into the
cliff-face to hold
"signs" or notices
stating the crime of
the crucifixion
victims in three
languages (Hebrew,
Greek and Latin).
As Ron
continued to dig he
found a First Century
building.
His
conclusion that it was a
First Century building
was based on the fact
that the earliest coin
he found in the dig was
a Roman coin of Tiberius
who was Emperor from 14
to 37 AD; the latest
coins being from about
135 AD.
This
building was built
directly adjacent to the
cliff-face and portion
of the back wall
extended along the
actual face of the
cliff. The foundations
of the building were
still in place.
Ron noticed a very
unusual large rock which
was too
symmetrical to be a
natural-shaped rock.
When he lifted it, he
discovered that it was
covering a squarish hole
chiseled into the
bedrock.
Stone covering "Squarish Hole"
As he examined this hole
and cleared away the
dirt around it, he
discovered that it had a
large crack extending
out from it. As they
removed more dirt and
debris, he discovered a
platform-like shelf of
bedrock which extended
out about 8 feet from
the face of the cliff,
and this squarish hole
was chiseled in this
"shelf."
"Squarish Hole" and crevice
His earlier
conclusion that the
cut-out niches were
for signs, stating
the crucifixion
victim's crime, was
now supported by the
fact that he had
found more square
holes, all about
twelve to thirteen
inches square, cut
into the bedrock.
He was convinced
that these holes
once held crosses.
The
building structure that
remained intact showed
that it originally
covered the entire site.
He concluded, based on
the evidence they'd
found, that a Christian
church had been built
over the place of the
crucifixion of Christ -
the stone wall extended
along the cliff-face
directly behind the
cross-hole that was on
the "platform-like"
shelf of bedrock. It
appeared that this was
the place where the
"featured"
criminal-victim was
crucified, being
elevated several feet
above those crucified
around him. He
believed that the one
elevated above the rest
(on the shelf-like
platform of bedrock),
held the cross of
Christ.
The crack
extending out from the
cross-hole on the
elevated "platform"
appeared to Ron to have
been caused by an
earthquake. It
displayed no evidence of
being chiseled.
As he
removed debris from the
cross-hole, he finally
reached the bottom and
measured it - it
extended 23.5 inches
into the solid bedrock,
while the crack appeared
to extend much deeper.
1980
By this
time, Ron and the boys
had been working here
for almost two years.
They had begun in
January of 1979 and it
was now late 1980.
They had
explored the entire
underground cliff-face,
looking for an entrance
into a cave or tunnel.
If the Ark was in that
location, it certainly
would be hidden in a
cave, he reasoned.
Finally, as they
continued to search, Ron
made the comment to the
boys that he was
"impressed" that they
should just break
through the rock of the
cliff-face. Ronny said
he thought that was a
good idea, but Ron
resisted. That rock is
extremely hard and he
knew what difficult work
it would be.
Finally,
when Danny told his
father that he, too,
believed they ought to
go ahead and break
through the cliff face,
Ron relented and agreed.
It was the only option
left.
With hammers and
chisels, they began
their work. It wasn't
long before they broke
through the rock into an
open space. Enlarging
the hole, they saw
behind it a cave which
was about 15 feet in
height and of about the
same width. Crawling
through, they finally
were inside the actual
mountain called "Moriah."
Most people think that
were the temple was is
the highest point on
Mount Moriah.
Actually the mountain
keeps getting higher and
higher up the area in
which Ron was digging.
As the mountain kept
getting higher, it was
impossible for the
northern walls of the
city to be defended.
In order to alleviate
the problem an
escarpment or "a dry
moat" was dug outside
the northern wall so
that an invading army
would have to go down
through the escarpment
before approaching the
wall. Because of
the escarpment, most
people do not realize
that the area known as
"the place of the skull"
is actually the highest
point on Mt. Moriah.
Perhaps the place where
Abraham was going to
sacrifice Isaac? (See
the Map Below)
Map of Mt. Moriah
Inside
the Cave System
For
almost two years, they
had been tunneling
underground, finding
artifacts and uncovering
exciting structures
almost daily. But now,
they were in a barren
cavern that they would
soon learn was only a
very small part of a
very extensive honeycomb
of natural caves and
tunnels within the
mountain.
January 1981
As 1981 came to an
end, Ron and the
boys returned to
Jerusalem. Even
though it is cold
there in the winter,
the cave system was
always a very
comfortable and
constant
temperature, both in
summer as well as
winter. The work,
however, was
beginning to take a
toll on all three of
them. They all began
to develop a fever
and slight chills
and pneumonia-like
symptoms.
On
December 24th Ron had to
send Ronny back to the
US because he was so
ill. Danny had to
follow on December 31.
Ron was
sick too; but continued
to work, for as he
prayed, in his mind came
the promise that he
would find the Ark of
the Covenant at that
time.
January 1, 1982
Alone,
without the boys, Ron
needed some help.
Ron had met one young
local man named "James".
whom he had discovered
was very honest and
trustworthy. He
began to use him in the
actual excavation when
Ronny and Danny weren't
available.
Ron and
the boys had explored
most of the tunnels over
the last year, but Ron's
plan this trip was to
leave no possibility
unexplored. He and
"James" crawled through
the vast system of
tunnels, now much larger
and extensive because of
the passages they had
opened up and the walls
they had chiseled
through.
Ron would
decide where to go next
and he and "James" would
follow that tunnel. If
and when they found a
small opening, Ron would
enlarge it enough for
"James" to crawl
through, and he would
carefully check it out
and report to Ron
everything that he saw.
They
followed one
particularly difficult
passageway which took
them through a "chimney"
which extended straight
up and a tight tunnel
which was so small that
Ron had to exhale in
order to squeeze
through. He had to
stop to take a breath
and when he inhaled, the
tunnel was so tight he
couldn't fill his lungs
completely.
A tight tunnel
When they got
through, Ron saw a
very small opening
in the wall of the
tunnel they were now
in. Directly in
front of it was a
stalactite about 16
inches long which
almost appeared to
be "guarding" the
tiny hole. He broke
the stalactite off.
Enlarging
the tiny hole enough to
see in, Ron could see,
with the aid of his
flashlight, a cave
chamber completely full
of rocks, (all larger
than "fist" size), with
about 18 inches of
clearance between the
rocks and the ceiling.
The
chamber did not look
promising at first but
leaving nothing
unexplored, Ron
enlarged it enough for
"James" to crawl
through.
Almost as
soon as "James" crawled
through the tiny
opening, he frantically
came tumbling back out,
shaking and shouting
"What's in there? What's
in there? I'm not going
back in there!!"
Ron saw in his eyes
sheer, complete and
utter terror; yet James
said he had seen
nothing!
Whatever
he experienced was real,
for he left not only
that chamber, but the
entire cave system,
never to return.
"James'"
reaction sparked a
hesitant excitement in
Ron - he would have
never given that chamber
another look if not for
"James'" terror.
Now alone
in this vast cave
system, he took his
hammer and chisel and
enlarged the hole,
crawling through.
With only about 18
inches clearance, he had
to lie on his stomach
with nothing but his
flashlight in his hand
for light.
January 6, 1982 - 2 PM
Shining his flashlight
down through the massive
pile of large rocks, his
eye caught a glimpse of
something shiny.
He began slowly removing
the rocks one at a time
and discovered some
dry-rotted wooden
timbers just beneath the
rocks, and then some
also dry-rotted remains
of animals skins that
turned to powder when he
moved them. The animals
skins were covering a
gold veneered table with
a raised molding around
the side which consisted
of an alternating
pattern of a bell and a
pomegranate. It only
took him a moment to
realize that at the
least this was an object
from the first temple!
But he was in such a
confined space, he
couldn't uncover the
entire table. He later
concluded, after closer
examination, that this
was the Table of
Shewbread.
With
great anticipation, he
looked around to see
what else he could see,
which wasn't much. He
shined his flashlight
around the open area and
then up to the ceiling.
There, he saw something
that caught his eye - it
was a crack in the
ceiling with a black
substance within the
crack.
Crawling
slowly and painfully
over the rocks to the
rear of the chamber, he
saw a stone case
extending through the
rocks. It had a flat
stone top which was
cracked completely in
two and the smaller
section was moved aside,
creating an opening into
the stone case. But the
top was too near the
ceiling for him to look
inside. Yet he knew what
was inside.
The crack
in the ceiling was
directly above the
cracked part of the lid,
where it was open, and
the black substance had
fallen from the crack
into the case because
some of it had splashed
onto the lid.
It was at
this time, as Ron
recalls, as the instant
realization of what had
happened here dawned on
him, that he passed out.
When he realized that
the crack in the ceiling
was the end of the crack
he had found in the
elevated cross-hole many
feet above him, and the
black substance was
blood which had fallen
through the crack and
into the stone case.
Ron then
knew that the Ark of the
Covenant was in the
stone case: But
the most overwhelming
realization was that
Christ's Blood had
actually fallen onto the
Mercy Seat.
Ron Wyatt
became the first witness
to the literal
fulfillment of the
"type" represented by
all the sacrifices made
by God's people since
Adam and Eve, and later
specifically directed by
God, Himself, in the
laws of the sacrificial
system.
When Ron
came to it was 2:45 PM.
The
condition of the
chamber, completely full
within 18 inches of the
ceiling, made it
impossible for Ron to do
anything else. He could
not foresee any possible
way of bringing anything
out unless the entrance
to the chamber through
which the objects were
originally taken in was
found.
He
climbed out the small
hole, back through the
tortuous series of
tunnels and sealed the
passageway with a stone.
To anyone looking
through the tunnel, it
would appear that it
came to an abrupt end.
However, the rock could
and would be easily
removed by Ron when he
returned.
Ron did
not report his
experience to anyone at
that time. He had
expected to find the Ark
and bring it out, but
that now seemed
impossible.
He made
several more trips into
the chamber, and
eventually reported to
the authorities what he
had found.
LATER...
Ron returned to the
chamber. Using a
star tipped drill he
made a 5/8 inch hole in
the stone case.
Ron had brought with him
a colonoscope (a medical
device with a powerful
light source used to
look into the human
body). Inserting
the colonoscope into the
hole he could see the
crown-molding around the
top of the Mercy Seat
and the flat golden
side.
As the colonoscope
doesn't allow viewing of
a large area, and since
he had little means to
guide it other than a
small latitude of
rotation, he couldn't
see a great deal. But he
saw enough to know for
sure that it was the Ark
of the Covenant.
LATER...
During his several
visits to the chamber,
Ron tried to thoroughly
explore the contents. He
measured the chamber and
found it to be 22 feet
long by 12 feet on 2
sides, while the other 2
sides followed the line
of the cliff-face,
forming a chamber that
narrowed down in one
corner.
The objects he saw in
that chamber that he
feels confident in
identifying are: the Ark
of the Covenant in the
Stone case; the Table of
Shewbread; the Golden
Altar of Incense that
was in front of the
veil; the Golden Censer;
the seven-branched
Candlestick holder,
(which didn't have
candles but had tiny,
bowl-like golden oil
lamps which are built
into the tips of the
candlestick); a very
large sword; an Ephod; a
Miter with an ivory
pomegranate on the tip;
a brass shekel weight;
numerous oil lamps; and
a brass ring which
appeared to be for
hanging a curtain or
something similar.
There are
more objects, but these
are all Ron could
positively identify. All
of these objects were
covered by the
dry-rotted dark-colored
animal skins, then
dry-rotten wooden
timbers on top of the
skins, and finally the
large rocks piled over
everything.
On the
back of the Ark is a
small open cubicle which
still contains the "Book
of the Law" and is
presumably the one
Moses, himself, wrote.
Ron found the Scrolls,
written on animal skins,
to be in perfect
condition.
Before permanently
sealing the
passageway, Ron had
gone into the
chamber with the Ark
and opened the
original entrance to
see if he could
follow it to its
point of origin.
When he opened it,
he discovered on the
other side a very
large tunnel which
extended in both
directions.
He
observed that the tunnel
appeared to be a natural
tunnel that had been
enlarged as he saw
chisel marks. It
was completely blocked
with large stones in
both directions.
The
problem now to be solved
was determining the path
taken by those who put
the items in the
chamber.
To
resolve this question,
Ron began by using
simple reason. The items
had been in the temple -
that was their point of
origin. They were
now in this chamber,
many feet below ground
level. A great
number of tunnels have
been found under the
temple mount and the
city, but none that he
knew of were heading in
this direction.
Was the entrance into
the tunnel within the
city or was it somewhere
across the street in
front of the northern
wall? Ron
had an idea as to where
to begin his search.
"Zedekiah's Cave"
In the
winter of 1854, Dr.
Barclay, a physician and
missionary, went for a
walk in Jerusalem.
He was walking to the
site of the traditional
"Jeremiah's Grotto"
which is along the same
Calvary escarpment.
As he walked past the
Damascus Gate, suddenly
his dog, running ahead
of him, vanished.
As he searched for his
dog who didn't respond
as he usually did to his
owner's whistles, he
heard a muffled barking
coming from the
direction of the city
wall. When he
approached the wall, he
noticed a deep hole and
when he peered inside,
he heard his dog's
familiar bark. And
this is how "Zedekiah's
Cave" was discovered (or
rediscovered).
This vast cavern is
located underneath the
Muslim section of the
city, extending 750 feet
into "Mt. Moriah",
beginning at the trench
or dry moat separating
the northern and
southern portion.
It is 325
feet wide at the maximum
point and the average
height is almost 50
feet. It was clearly a
stone quarry, but at
what point it was in
use, we really do not
know. There are
those who believe its
stone was used in the
first temple, and that
may be true. But
its existence was not a
well known fact and most
likely it was always
kept completely sealed
for fear of any enemies
trying to tunnel into
the city. Little
is known for sure about
the giant quarry, but
one point everyone
agreed on was the fact
that there was no
entrance into the city
from the quarry.
Viewing
the diagram of its
layout, the dark areas
are pillars of solid
rock left in place to
support the ceiling,
like the pillars left in
a coal mine. As
the miners work their
way back out of the mine
after depleting it of
all its coal, they
remove these pillars of
coal and the mine
usually caves in.
These
were obviously left in
place to prevent the
cavern from collapsing
since part of the
northern city is above
it.
As Ron
examined the quarry
carefully, he noticed
one thing that did not
make sense. He
tried to put himself in
the "shoes" of the
ancient stonecutters as
he surveyed this massive
quarry.
Seeing
how deep into the side
of the mountain the
quarry extended, he
thought about how much
work it would have been
to bring all that stone
out of the quarry, carry
it through one of the
northern gates and into
the city. It would have
been easier to quarry it
out of the quarry across
the street than to haul
it out of that cavern.
To Ron, the solution was
obvious - to cut a hole
through the ceiling of
the quarry and simply
haul the rocks up into
the city. The more
he thought about it, the
more obvious it became
to him - yet, no one had
ever found an entrance
into the quarry from the
city.
Ron began
to examine the rock
pillars; and sure
enough, he found one
that wasn't a stone
pillar at all. It
was a giant mound of
earth and debris, piled
up, he believed, to the
ceiling and through the
hole in the ceiling.
On the surface it would
look like normal ground.
But unable to examine
the section above
ground, he didn't know
if the rock had been cut
in a manner that would
allow the cut-out
section to fit back over
the hole like a
"man-hole cover" or if
it was only the piled up
earth that filled the
hole. But he was
convinced that the hole
is there.
A
Babylonian Cherub had
been found carved into
the wall of one of the
passageways. Ron
believed that this
Cherub was placed there
to mark the entrance to
the passageway that was
used by Jeremiah to take
the Ark of the Covenant
outside the city walls
by way of the
underground cave
system.
The cherub from the cave wall, and illustration.
SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERIES
IN ZEDEKIAH’S CAVE
SPECIAL NOTE: Wyatt
Archaeological Research
is sponsoring the
excavation in Zedekiah's
Cave under the full
scientific directorship
of Yehiel Zelinger of
the Israel Antiquities
Authority. IAA is
not party to the claims
made by Ron Wyatt
concerning the Ark.
As
the work in Zedekiah's
Cave is incomplete, this
article is not intended,
nor should it in any way
be considered to be a
conclusion, or an
interpretation of the
data collected.
It is simply an overview
of the work that has
been done to this point.
BACKGROUND:
Around 1450 BC a
consuming fire descended
upon Mt. Sinai. The
Creator Himself came
down and made a covenant
with the Children of
Israel. With His own
finger, He wrote His
covenant, The Ten
Commandments, and
instructed that it be
placed in a golden
receptacle known as the
Ark of the Covenant, a
container for the
covenant and the very
throne upon which His
presence was to dwell.
In
the presence of the
Almighty, the chosen
people of Israel became
invincible "a kingdom of
priests and a holy
nation."
Some
800 years later, Israel
had fallen away from
it’s obligation to that
Covenant; and, due to
idolatrous abominations,
the combining of pagan
worship with that
described in the first
four commandments, the
presence of God left the
mercy seat, and with it
the protection of
Israel. In the year 586
B.C. the Babylonians
took the city of
Jerusalem, but not the
Ark of the Covenant, for
it had mysteriously
vanished, seemingly
without a trace. The
Biblical accounts in 2
Kings chapter 25, and
Ezra chapter 1, reveal
that the Ark of the
Covenant was not
included in the spoils
of Babylon.
In
the late nineteenth
century, while exploring
the quarries of King
Solomon under the city
of Jerusalem, a French
scholar, Charles
Clermont-Ganneau ,
spotted a carving etched
into the stone. Upon
careful examination he
discovered the body of a
Lion, the wings of a
bird, and the head of a
man. The representation
he found fit the
description of a
Biblical Cherub, not
uncommon to find at the
entrance of royal
passageways.
Before his death in
1999, Biblical
Archaeologist Ron Wyatt
described an underground
passageway that he
determined to be that
used by Jeremiah the
prophet in transporting
the Ark of the Covenant
to a place of safety
during the Babylonian
siege. Ron found that
the cherub, seen by
Ganneau in King
Solomon’s quarries,
marked its entrance.
It is
important to consider
the fact that the
information which Ron
related was not a
theory, but rather an
eyewitness account. He
believed that one day
his account would be
verified. As the
official source of
information relating to
the discoveries of Ron
Wyatt, Wyatt
Archaeological Research
- www.wyattmuseum.com -
continues it’s
leadership role in the
Biblically prescribed
principal of
verification. Pursuant
to that principal, the
beginning phase of
excavation was recently
completed to locate and
document the passageway
of Jeremiah; a
passageway which could
play an integral part in
events prior to the
final revelation of the
Creators Covenant with
His people.
EXPLORATION:
In
February 2003 Wyatt
Archaeological Research
conducted ground
penetrating radar scans
at the exact location
Ron had described as the
entrance to the
passageway of Jeremiah.
The Radar scans revealed
a void behind a man made
wall, and the project to
locate Jeremiah’s
passageway began.
Excavation permits were
obtained from the Israel
Antiquities Authority
and an appeal was made
for volunteers to
participate. The
response was
overwhelming. Not only
were there those who
offered to physically
assist with the work;
but others who offered
financial support and
most importantly their
support by way of
prayer.
Among
those who supported the
efforts of Wyatt
Archaeological Research,
an international team
consisting of thirty
plus volunteers
physically participated
in a concerted effort to
locate the passageway of
Jeremiah.
The
project began with the
use of the latest
technology in Subsurface
Interface Radar, a
device that can actually
peer below the surface
and see what lies
beneath. Having located
an anomaly below a man
made wall, which matched
that seen in previous
radar scans, the work
began in earnest.
Excavation began down
the face of the wall in
an attempt to find some
opening which might lead
to Jeremiah’s
passageway. This effort
led to a dangerous and
unexpected discovery
that would alter
excavation plans, the
discovery of what
appeared to be the walls
foundation only a short
distance below the
surface.
At
that time, it was
uncertain whether what
had been discovered was
truly a foundation, or
the top of another wall.
Once again radar was
employed in an attempt
to determine the nature
of the discovery. After
reviewing the data
Israeli archaeologists
called for extensive
excavation; the removal
of tons of material. The
call presented a
seemingly insurmountable
task given the time
constraints of the
workers. The question
arose; How could so much
material be moved in
such a short period of
time?
The
Wyatt team went to work.
A ramp system was
devised which would make
it possible to transport
stone, soil, and debris
from the excavation site
to wheelbarrows below; a
system which would prove
to greatly accelerate
the dig. In an
unprecedented effort,
tons of material were
removed in record time
only to confirm that
what had been revealed
was indeed a foundation
and not the top of
another wall.
After
the walls’ foundation
had been carefully and
painstakingly cleaned,
engineers were brought
in to analyze the
situation. Their
conclusion cast serious
doubt upon further
excavation. The wall was
in danger of collapse!
Excavation team members
brought with them a wide
range of talents;
business men, medical
doctors and nurses,
those involved in the
field of science, and
those having expertise
in the field of
construction and
construction materials.
By divine appointment,
it was no coincidence
that the owner of one of
the nations largest
firms, involved with
foundation support, was
a participant in the
excavations. Plans were
presented to engineers
and a concerted effort
was launched to devise a
method of shoring that
would not only support
the compromised wall but
which would provide for
a means of safely
excavating under it.
A
special meeting was
called at Rockefeller
Museum, home of the
Israel Antiquities
Authority; and after
hours of extensive
discussion and
scientific calculation a
shoring system was
agreed upon which would
allow the work to
continue. While the
excavation team made
preparation, the search
for wooden shoring
material was underway;
an expensive and not so
simple task in
Jerusalem, a city of
predominately stone
construction. After
visits to multiple
suppliers the materials
were finally secured and
within hours of delivery
the first shoring frame
was ready to be placed.
In
front of the
subterranean wall a
shelter was to be built
from which the
excavation could safely
continue under its
foundation. One by one
team members positioned
the shoring frames,
while at the same time
others carefully braced
the wall with backfill
and sand bags. Having
re-secured the wall, the
work could then proceed.
Following the pathway of
material that had been
seen on radar, a tunnel
was constructed under
the foundation of the
ancient wall. A pathway
of loose stone and then
soft soil was located,
which supported Ron’s
account. This was
definitely an area that
had been filled in at
some time in the past.
Probes into the
material, and additional
radar scans, indicated
that we were on the
right track.
Once
again, safety concerns
became a factor. It was
determined by the
engineers assigned to
the project, that once
the excavation extended
past the walls’
foundation, which now
served as a ceiling, the
tremendous weight of the
loose material above
could collapse in on the
excavations; a
potentially deadly
scenario.
In an
effort to make an
accurate determination
of how much material
rested above, a survey
crew was called in to
calculate the exact
position and elevation
of the Wyatt excavation
in relationship to the
ancient walls of
Suleiman, and the Old
City of Jerusalem which
lay above. After
locating a survey
benchmark outside the
Northern wall of
Jerusalem, the position
of the city above was
superimposed on the
excavation map. The
survey led to a
startling discovery. To
everyone’s amazement,
not only was the
excavation about to
extend beyond the wall
below, but beyond the
towering outer walls of
Jerusalem, a scenario in
perfect agreement with
the account of Ron
Wyatt.
As
the survey continued it
was soon determined that
more than 10 meters,
some 40 feet of
material, lay above the
heads of the workers.
With
the excavation schedule
for the first phase of
excavations nearing its
end, it was agreed by
all parties that the
site should temporarily
be secured. A decision
which would not serve to
end the project; but
rather a new beginning,
an essential step toward
future success.
As
archaeological
engineering for
continued excavation
proceeds, discussions
are underway about
amazing options never
before thought possible.
Reminded that Ron Wyatt
worked for three and one
half years before the
realization of his
efforts to locate the
Ark of the Covenant, the
Wyatt teams returns home
with a sense of
accomplishment and
awaits another day for
the key that will unlock
the mystery of the
cherub in Zedekiah’s
cave, and the passageway
that leads to the Ark of
the Covenant.
Ark of the Covenant Excavation Reveals Plastered Enclosure 12,000 Gallon Cistern?
Excavations just
completed in Jerusalem
revealed what appears to
be a 12,000 gallon
Byzantine cistern.
A circular plastered
enclosure measuring
approximately sixteen
feet in diameter and
approximately ten feet
in height was partially
excavated. The
cistern having walls as
much as six feet in
thickness adjoins an
un-plastered circular
room which surrounds the
crevice which Ron Wyatt
associated with the
crucifixion site.
A
date has not been
established for the
un-plastered room and at
this time archaeologists
are uncertain as to it's
function. Quoting one
investigator: "I am
perplexed. I have
never seen anything
exactly like this."
The
photo at the top is a
view of the excavation
from the surface some
thirty feet above.
At
the bottom and right
side of the picture
steel shoring frames are
visible.
In
the lower left an
excavation opening is
seen which leads into
the cistern. This
opening was created as a
result of the recent dig
and is in addition to an
2005 opening through a
six foot thick cistern
wall that is built on
bedrock.
The
elevation of the
bedrock under the
cistern wall gets
higher as it extends
to the north toward
the cliff
face. The man made
portion of the
cistern wall is five
or six feet high
where we cut through
last year. Near the
cliff face the
bedrock is at a much
higher elevation
requiring less
construction.
It is interesting to
note that we find
the remains of a
plastered floor at
the elevation of the
cistern rim.
The wall of the
circular room
surrounding the
"cross hole" and
"crevice" seems to
have been slightly
higher than that of
the cistern, as
it extends above the
plastered floor by
about eighteen
inches.
It is also
interesting to note
that the "cross
hole" and "crevice"
is located in the
center of the
unidentified
circular room.
At
the top-center sand bags
cover a portion of a
stone stairway.
The lower portion of the
stairway is missing and
seems to have been
unintentionally removed
by Ron Wyatt as he
originally entered the
area. Working
underground and in a
confined area it would
have been impossible for
Ron to have recognized
the nature of the stones
that had to be removed
for access.
Projecting down the
existing stairs, the
indication is that the
stairway would lead into
the cistern along it's
Northern walls.
The
second image is an
overlay of the 2005
excavation along with
the outline of the
position of the circular
walls as revealed by the
recent excavation.
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