Upon further research and speech with that Ethiopian member, I found out that the Ethiopians claim that they are the true heritage of Israel, as Queen Sheba bore a child to Solomon and that child was chosen by Solomon to be his heir. They claim he gave the child the Ark of the Covenant, and that they still have it in Ethiopia. How can this be, when God did not bear the thought of his people even mingling with gentiles? Does our church even recognize this story to be true? If so, does the Ark of the Covenant still bear a significant value, since we now have the New Testament (i.e., the New Covenant with God)?
The answer
The exact location of the Ark of the Covenant is not an issue for us. We have our Lord Jesus Christ Himself present on the Holy Altar in every Divine Liturgy. It is there where He enables us to unite with Him when we partake of Him in the Holy Eucharist.
