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 Golgotha 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.
** Read **
The Full Story of the Discoveries at Golgatha
WorldNetDaily article - Ron Wyatt's Last Interview.
The Original Excavation and Find, 1978 to 1982
The detractors all quote each other's pages and pages of disputing that Ron ever had a permit to excavate for the Ark in
the Garden Tomb area. But all their "unfruitful works of darkness" are for naught since it is indisputable that Ron worked
and excavated there for over a decade.
Using metal detector at the Ark site and the site of the dig on the way in.
Ron and Danny in a tunnel entrance preceeding inward.
Arrow shows further tunnel proceeding inward toward the chamber.
Chamber leading to shaft entrance to the artifact chamber.
Arrow points to fallen debris from the shaft entrance breakthrough.
Inside the Temple artifacts chamber with arrow pointing to original entrance.
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"
A Time and Location Documenting Video in 1983
The Lord used a ministry that would fall to safely store date documenting video evidence of Ron's excavation efforts in the
Garden Tomb area. This video was miraculously retrieved after 25 years of being considered lost forever.
Jim Bakker produced a video documenting the work being done in the Garden Tomb area.
The video documents Ron and Sons working in the excavation.
Even Jim's sweet little daughter helped with the effort.
Danny in the entrance to the excavation.
Ronny bringing debris from below in the dig.
Jim speaks on the familiar cut-outs at the crucifixion site in the Garden Tomb area.
Pictures from "The Lost Footage Uncovered" video.
** See **
Danny and Ronnie Wyatt Return to the Discuss the Site
The Crucifixion Site of Jesus
The first discovery Ron made when excavating down the face of the escarpment where he had first pointed, was the crucifixion
site the Romans used just outside the walls of the city dated to the time 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)
From the area Ron first pointed to they dug down the face of the escarpment where niches in the rock were discovered.
Continuing to dig, they came to bedrock with cross holes cut out of the rock.
The cross holes were found to have stone plugs or covers. This was to secure against debris because the Romans would reuse them as needed.
Ron displays the actual plug of the outset cross hole believed to be used for the cross of Jesus.
** Download and watch **
Ron Wyatt gives the location of the cross hole
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)
And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward;
and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 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 16:14,15 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, 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 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.
(Exo 25:17-21 KJV)
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)
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)
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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