CHAPTER THREE
Jerusalem
Monday, November 9
7:00 p.m., Local Time
Rivulets of water merged and streamed across the windshield of the black sedan as it powered its way up the steep slope of Mount Zion. Hatyvat Yerushalaym, the main highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was still wet from an evening rain. The pavement cast a sharp glare with the headlights of every oncoming vehicle. A three hour journey from Haifa to the foot of the Temple Mount was finally coming to an end, and that was just fine with the fatigued passenger in the back seat.
The summons had come earlier that morning, much sooner than Benjamin Sherett had expected. In fact, the call had interrupted an intense discussion between him and his wife. His participation in the secret operation tasked with recovering the Ark of the Covenant had weighted Ingrid’s heart with deep concern. Her questions had merit. Was it really the authentic, historic Ark they were going after? Were these people legitimate? And, who in God’s creation was Hannah Lira? Each unknown had bothered Ingrid during the night hours. By daybreak her anxiety was nearing a state of panic.
Ben had done all he could to allay her fears, but the task bordered on the impossible. He was the American-born maverick. She was the cautious product of a persecuted family of Polish immigrants. Their personalities were completely different, but those same idiosyncrasies had helped form a healthy marriage. Through the years he’d learned to temper his impulsive nature by listening to her intuitive concerns, and the results were beyond question. Her caution had saved his kosher bacon many times. He’d rubbed off on her too, making her moments of panic surface less and less often.
However, from the time the opportunity to join the ARC team had presented itself three days earlier Ben could not control his impulsive to be a part of something big. He was convinced he couldn’t pass up this opportunity, especially after the port of Haifa had been devastated by a terrorist-launched nuclear missile. It would have been easy to stay put, assisting the suffering and homeless in the aftermath. But Ben had felt a familiar inner tug that urged him to get involved. From his long experience, he’d come to recognize that nudge as coming from the Holy Spirit. He fully believed Ingrid would feel it too, eventually. It would simply take little time and plenty of patience, but he was certain she would work it out.
Ben recalled the summons from Jerusalem. It was brief and abrupt. The voice on the phone had seemed cold and hard. “Mr. Sherett, the two gentlemen you recently met will come for you at mid-afternoon. They will accompany you to Jerusalem University. You will be staying overnight, so prepare accordingly.” Click! That was it.
Ben had quickly converted into action mode, but little time had been given for Ingrid to catch her breath, let alone process what was happening.
“Why did you agree to this?” she’d pleaded. “Why didn’t you wait until we could talk it through? I don’t understand why you always jump without thinking.”
“Sweetheart, to find out what those guys wanted to tell me, I had to agree to their terms. Once they mentioned the Ark and my Levite heritage, my heart said this was right. I’m sorry, but this really seems like a God-thing,” Ben reasoned.
“I cannot argue with God, but I can sure challenge whether or not you’ve heard from him,” she stated.
There was no point in speaking. It broke his heart to see tears welling in her eyes. After all, she was right. He held her in his arms, stroked her long hair, and tried to soothe her deeply rooted fear. Because of her heritage of persecution and separation, the thought of being left alone in the world terrorized her beyond her ability to cope. When she finally relaxed he whispered a prayer. He asked for wisdom. He asked for help. He asked God to allow her the clarity to hear his voice. That was the only way she would break through to any semblance of peace.
Now, as the car pulled off the highway onto a narrow tree-lined street, Ben realized his own moment of enlightenment was approaching.
The driver, a very big man that had revealed his name as Ari Goins, took a series of switchback curves that led around the rigid rock walls of Jerusalem University. Another turn brought them onto a narrow lane that cut through an Olive grove. They pulled to a stop in front of a small bungalow tucked beneath the western slope. The only light, a single flood lamp highlighting the old Greek Seminary one hundred feet up the hillside, glowed through a hazy mist.
Ben noticed a small, delicate woman approaching the vehicle. Her long dark hair was swept into a ponytail, and her face seemed to glow beyond the dim light. She was dressed casually in blue jeans and over sized sweater, but her eyes caught enough light to reflect a depth of wisdom that belied her youthful appearance. Ben noticed she was flanked by the man he recognized as his driver’s sidekick, Zev Tolberg.
As Ben got out of the car, she offered a warm smile. “Pastor Sherett, welcome to my home. My name is Hannah Lira.” She extended her hand upward. He seemed to tower over her and was surprised by the firmness of her grip. Though little above five feet in height, this small woman exuded an abundance of confidence.
“Ma’am, please call me Ben,” he said as she directed him toward the house and a large wood-paneled door.
“Thank you, I will if you’ll refrain from calling me ma’am,” her bright smile seemed to counter the darkness. Joy flowed from her as naturally as water sprang from a well.
Ben was led through a narrow hallway and into a modest living room. One entire wall consisted of nothing but floor to ceiling panes of glass. The panorama of the western reaches of Jerusalem was breathtaking, the King David hotel in the distance being the first landmark to catch his eye.
Seated in a half circle around the room were nine other men. Ben could feel the eyes of each sizing him up, estimating his importance or lack thereof. But he was quickly distracted by objects around the periphery of the room. Various collections of pottery, crude tools, and bits of stone tablets were on display. Each piece carried a particular tag describing its date of discovery, location, and culture of origin. The more valuable works sat in softly lighted glass cabinets. Any doubt about Hannah Lira’s legitimacy was answered.
“Gentlemen, may I present Pastor Benjamin Sherett from Haifa,” Dr. Lira touched Ben lightly on the shoulder as she spoke. She then introduced every man in turn. Each offered a curt greeting or a nod. Ben noticed how they were as commonplace in appearance and bearing as he. Anyone of them could pass for his brother. Dark hair, brown eyes, nearly matched in height and muscular build, they already looked like a team. Only Ari Goins stood out from the crowd because of his height body builder’s form.
Hannah motioned Ben toward a seat then stepped in front of the immense window and crossed her arms. There was no doubt about who was in command.
“I am certain I do not need to emphasize the desperate nature of our times. The Bible describes them as perilous. Some of us have anticipated the arrival of these days, even as the world wallows in spiritual ignorance.” Her words cut through the air like a knife. “Others of you are relatively new to the ways of Messiah, but your heart has been drawn to this moment as if you were born for it. The truth is we were all created for this day.”
Ben couldn’t help but gaze out over the Jerusalem hills and wonder what part he had to play in the end of the world. The thought made him feel small.
“What I am about to tell you must not leave this room,” she warned. Her words reinforced each man’s original agreement with Goins and Tolberg, basically stating that personal participation must include a one hundred percent commitment. Confidentiality was a life or death issue.
“Approximately nine hundred and fifty years before the birth of our Messiah, Makeda Queen of Sheba made a journey from the horn of Africa. Her destination was Jerusalem. She wanted to experience firsthand the glory of Solomon. Upon her arrival, electricity flew between the two monarchs. She was mesmerized by the aptitude of Solomon’s mind. His splendor captivated her. He, in turn, succumbed to her beauty and quick wit. Her mind was nearly equal to his, and though he was already well into an unparalleled collection of wives and concubines, from that point onward she was the greatest object of his affection. He quickly developed a love for her that surpassed that of all his wives. Their love affair lasted for nearly twenty years.
“From that union sprang her only son, later to become the first monarch of the land of Ethiopia. His name was Menelik. Ethiopian scribes wrote that Menelik bore the likeness of his father and that Solomon’s vast wisdom shined also in him. But more striking are the writings that describe the young man’s great love for Jehovah, and especially for the Ark of the Covenant.”
Dr. Lira paused to turned and study the panorama of Jerusalem before continuing. “Sadly, Menelik witnessed the spiritual fall of his father. Solomon had not only amassed a politically expedient harem, the many unions opened the floodgates of idol worship in Israel. Slowly, through the appeasing of the pagan appetites of his wives, images to heathen gods sprang up on every hillside, every valley, and finally within the courts of the Sacred Temple. Solomon’s heart was pulled away from the one true God.”
Lira again turned to face the group and sighed. “There is no known inscription or writing in Israel that relates what happened next. However, Menelik had the account etched onto a Sheban obelisk. Taking both the written and oral traditions into account, we’ve been able to fill in the blanks. We believe we have the true story of the Queen of Sheba and her son.
“Some twenty years after falling in love with Solomon, Markeda fell ill, never to recover. After her death, Solomon knew his son, as the only heir to the Ethiopian throne should return to his own people. But Solomon also knew the depth of love that Menelik carried for the Ark and the Presence of Jehovah. So, the King ordered the crafting of an exact replica of the Ark. If Menelik could not worship the Lord in the true Temple, at least he would have the symbol of Israel’s greatest artifact to pray to.
“However, that very concept sickened Menelik. His fidelity to God was far greater than his father’s. He saw Solomon’s act as just one more in a long series of compromises to the worship of idols.”
Ben could not remember being so drawn into a story. The words so transfixed him that he felt as if he could see the drama unfolding on a stage.
Hannah continued. “Not only had Menelik been given a wise spirit, God also provided the best ally possible; the High Priest, Elihaayim. A quiet figure during his tenure as the nation’s intercessor, Elihaayim discerned that Israel was quickly moving toward divine judgment. After spending years convincing the young Menelik of impending doom, the two devised a plan to deceive the king and save the most precious object in Israel.
“During the night, just before Menelik was to begin his journey to Ethiopia, Elihaayim took a select group of Levites into the Most Holy Place and removed the Ark. The replica was put in its place. Oddly, Solomon never knew that the Glory of God had departed the Temple. Never again was the Ark of the Covenant seen in Israel nor was it again referenced by name,” her voice was nearly a whisper. “Yet even in Ethiopia, Menelik understood the Ark’s true home was not with him. So, he inscribed on the obelisk a personal vow. He would find a way to someday return the Ark to a repentant Israel. The conspiracy remained hidden until the recent discover of the obelisk.”
Ben’s brow furrowed. He knew enough Bible history to know that Jeremiah had made a direct reference to the Ark of the Covenant. So did the writer of the Chronicles. Both were well after the days of Solomon. Dr. Lira felt the question stirring before he could ask it. A knowing smile formed on her face.
“I know what you’re thinking Ben.” She took a Bible from a nearby shelf, opened it to the Book of Jeremiah. “First, you will notice that Jeremiah is speaking the word of the Lord concerning the distant future, far down the road of time. The reference specifically states that the Ark of the Covenant would not enter their minds. They wouldn’t have to remember it as a past possession, and it would no longer be missed by them. Why? Because, in the time referenced by Jeremiah, the true Ark would again be where it belongs. No one would think of it as being absent.”
“Second, we have to look at Chronicles. Did you notice that those verses do not say ‘Ark of the Covenant,’ but simply ‘the Ark.’ It’s as if the Lord were speaking of an ordinary object rather than the ancient Seat of Mercy. I believe it was referenced as ‘the Ark’ because it was nothing more than a copy of the genuine article. In the end, the replica was carted off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.” She paused again, and then bluntly asked, “You really don’t think the Lord would allow the true Ark of the Covenant to fall into the hands of a heathen king, do you?”
Ben could not respond verbally, but his jaw dropped. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. God had preserved the Ark of the Covenant of Israel by spiriting it away in the hands of a true and faithful worshipper.
“Hopefully, you now see our national plight through the lens of a new hope. Israel is on the cusp of two, life-altering events, and they go hand in hand. One is the threat of annihilation that screams in Biblical proportions. The other is the recovery of the only object that can unify the nation and provide any glimpse of hope. With the return of the Ark of the Covenant all Jews will yearn for a rebuilt Temple. With that hope, Israel will bind together like never before. In fact, there will be a tremendous spiritual awakening that is desperately needed. You, my new friends, are going to make that happen.”
As the group struggled to grasp the implications of her words, none were aware that the meeting and the faces of its participants were focused in the camera lens of a hidden watcher.
Jerusalem
Monday, November 9
7:00 p.m., Local Time
Rivulets of water merged and streamed across the windshield of the black sedan as it powered its way up the steep slope of Mount Zion. Hatyvat Yerushalaym, the main highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was still wet from an evening rain. The pavement cast a sharp glare with the headlights of every oncoming vehicle. A three hour journey from Haifa to the foot of the Temple Mount was finally coming to an end, and that was just fine with the fatigued passenger in the back seat.
The summons had come earlier that morning, much sooner than Benjamin Sherett had expected. In fact, the call had interrupted an intense discussion between him and his wife. His participation in the secret operation tasked with recovering the Ark of the Covenant had weighted Ingrid’s heart with deep concern. Her questions had merit. Was it really the authentic, historic Ark they were going after? Were these people legitimate? And, who in God’s creation was Hannah Lira? Each unknown had bothered Ingrid during the night hours. By daybreak her anxiety was nearing a state of panic.
Ben had done all he could to allay her fears, but the task bordered on the impossible. He was the American-born maverick. She was the cautious product of a persecuted family of Polish immigrants. Their personalities were completely different, but those same idiosyncrasies had helped form a healthy marriage. Through the years he’d learned to temper his impulsive nature by listening to her intuitive concerns, and the results were beyond question. Her caution had saved his kosher bacon many times. He’d rubbed off on her too, making her moments of panic surface less and less often.
However, from the time the opportunity to join the ARC team had presented itself three days earlier Ben could not control his impulsive to be a part of something big. He was convinced he couldn’t pass up this opportunity, especially after the port of Haifa had been devastated by a terrorist-launched nuclear missile. It would have been easy to stay put, assisting the suffering and homeless in the aftermath. But Ben had felt a familiar inner tug that urged him to get involved. From his long experience, he’d come to recognize that nudge as coming from the Holy Spirit. He fully believed Ingrid would feel it too, eventually. It would simply take little time and plenty of patience, but he was certain she would work it out.
Ben recalled the summons from Jerusalem. It was brief and abrupt. The voice on the phone had seemed cold and hard. “Mr. Sherett, the two gentlemen you recently met will come for you at mid-afternoon. They will accompany you to Jerusalem University. You will be staying overnight, so prepare accordingly.” Click! That was it.
Ben had quickly converted into action mode, but little time had been given for Ingrid to catch her breath, let alone process what was happening.
“Why did you agree to this?” she’d pleaded. “Why didn’t you wait until we could talk it through? I don’t understand why you always jump without thinking.”
“Sweetheart, to find out what those guys wanted to tell me, I had to agree to their terms. Once they mentioned the Ark and my Levite heritage, my heart said this was right. I’m sorry, but this really seems like a God-thing,” Ben reasoned.
“I cannot argue with God, but I can sure challenge whether or not you’ve heard from him,” she stated.
There was no point in speaking. It broke his heart to see tears welling in her eyes. After all, she was right. He held her in his arms, stroked her long hair, and tried to soothe her deeply rooted fear. Because of her heritage of persecution and separation, the thought of being left alone in the world terrorized her beyond her ability to cope. When she finally relaxed he whispered a prayer. He asked for wisdom. He asked for help. He asked God to allow her the clarity to hear his voice. That was the only way she would break through to any semblance of peace.
Now, as the car pulled off the highway onto a narrow tree-lined street, Ben realized his own moment of enlightenment was approaching.
The driver, a very big man that had revealed his name as Ari Goins, took a series of switchback curves that led around the rigid rock walls of Jerusalem University. Another turn brought them onto a narrow lane that cut through an Olive grove. They pulled to a stop in front of a small bungalow tucked beneath the western slope. The only light, a single flood lamp highlighting the old Greek Seminary one hundred feet up the hillside, glowed through a hazy mist.
Ben noticed a small, delicate woman approaching the vehicle. Her long dark hair was swept into a ponytail, and her face seemed to glow beyond the dim light. She was dressed casually in blue jeans and over sized sweater, but her eyes caught enough light to reflect a depth of wisdom that belied her youthful appearance. Ben noticed she was flanked by the man he recognized as his driver’s sidekick, Zev Tolberg.
As Ben got out of the car, she offered a warm smile. “Pastor Sherett, welcome to my home. My name is Hannah Lira.” She extended her hand upward. He seemed to tower over her and was surprised by the firmness of her grip. Though little above five feet in height, this small woman exuded an abundance of confidence.
“Ma’am, please call me Ben,” he said as she directed him toward the house and a large wood-paneled door.
“Thank you, I will if you’ll refrain from calling me ma’am,” her bright smile seemed to counter the darkness. Joy flowed from her as naturally as water sprang from a well.
Ben was led through a narrow hallway and into a modest living room. One entire wall consisted of nothing but floor to ceiling panes of glass. The panorama of the western reaches of Jerusalem was breathtaking, the King David hotel in the distance being the first landmark to catch his eye.
Seated in a half circle around the room were nine other men. Ben could feel the eyes of each sizing him up, estimating his importance or lack thereof. But he was quickly distracted by objects around the periphery of the room. Various collections of pottery, crude tools, and bits of stone tablets were on display. Each piece carried a particular tag describing its date of discovery, location, and culture of origin. The more valuable works sat in softly lighted glass cabinets. Any doubt about Hannah Lira’s legitimacy was answered.
“Gentlemen, may I present Pastor Benjamin Sherett from Haifa,” Dr. Lira touched Ben lightly on the shoulder as she spoke. She then introduced every man in turn. Each offered a curt greeting or a nod. Ben noticed how they were as commonplace in appearance and bearing as he. Anyone of them could pass for his brother. Dark hair, brown eyes, nearly matched in height and muscular build, they already looked like a team. Only Ari Goins stood out from the crowd because of his height body builder’s form.
Hannah motioned Ben toward a seat then stepped in front of the immense window and crossed her arms. There was no doubt about who was in command.
“I am certain I do not need to emphasize the desperate nature of our times. The Bible describes them as perilous. Some of us have anticipated the arrival of these days, even as the world wallows in spiritual ignorance.” Her words cut through the air like a knife. “Others of you are relatively new to the ways of Messiah, but your heart has been drawn to this moment as if you were born for it. The truth is we were all created for this day.”
Ben couldn’t help but gaze out over the Jerusalem hills and wonder what part he had to play in the end of the world. The thought made him feel small.
“What I am about to tell you must not leave this room,” she warned. Her words reinforced each man’s original agreement with Goins and Tolberg, basically stating that personal participation must include a one hundred percent commitment. Confidentiality was a life or death issue.
“Approximately nine hundred and fifty years before the birth of our Messiah, Makeda Queen of Sheba made a journey from the horn of Africa. Her destination was Jerusalem. She wanted to experience firsthand the glory of Solomon. Upon her arrival, electricity flew between the two monarchs. She was mesmerized by the aptitude of Solomon’s mind. His splendor captivated her. He, in turn, succumbed to her beauty and quick wit. Her mind was nearly equal to his, and though he was already well into an unparalleled collection of wives and concubines, from that point onward she was the greatest object of his affection. He quickly developed a love for her that surpassed that of all his wives. Their love affair lasted for nearly twenty years.
“From that union sprang her only son, later to become the first monarch of the land of Ethiopia. His name was Menelik. Ethiopian scribes wrote that Menelik bore the likeness of his father and that Solomon’s vast wisdom shined also in him. But more striking are the writings that describe the young man’s great love for Jehovah, and especially for the Ark of the Covenant.”
Dr. Lira paused to turned and study the panorama of Jerusalem before continuing. “Sadly, Menelik witnessed the spiritual fall of his father. Solomon had not only amassed a politically expedient harem, the many unions opened the floodgates of idol worship in Israel. Slowly, through the appeasing of the pagan appetites of his wives, images to heathen gods sprang up on every hillside, every valley, and finally within the courts of the Sacred Temple. Solomon’s heart was pulled away from the one true God.”
Lira again turned to face the group and sighed. “There is no known inscription or writing in Israel that relates what happened next. However, Menelik had the account etched onto a Sheban obelisk. Taking both the written and oral traditions into account, we’ve been able to fill in the blanks. We believe we have the true story of the Queen of Sheba and her son.
“Some twenty years after falling in love with Solomon, Markeda fell ill, never to recover. After her death, Solomon knew his son, as the only heir to the Ethiopian throne should return to his own people. But Solomon also knew the depth of love that Menelik carried for the Ark and the Presence of Jehovah. So, the King ordered the crafting of an exact replica of the Ark. If Menelik could not worship the Lord in the true Temple, at least he would have the symbol of Israel’s greatest artifact to pray to.
“However, that very concept sickened Menelik. His fidelity to God was far greater than his father’s. He saw Solomon’s act as just one more in a long series of compromises to the worship of idols.”
Ben could not remember being so drawn into a story. The words so transfixed him that he felt as if he could see the drama unfolding on a stage.
Hannah continued. “Not only had Menelik been given a wise spirit, God also provided the best ally possible; the High Priest, Elihaayim. A quiet figure during his tenure as the nation’s intercessor, Elihaayim discerned that Israel was quickly moving toward divine judgment. After spending years convincing the young Menelik of impending doom, the two devised a plan to deceive the king and save the most precious object in Israel.
“During the night, just before Menelik was to begin his journey to Ethiopia, Elihaayim took a select group of Levites into the Most Holy Place and removed the Ark. The replica was put in its place. Oddly, Solomon never knew that the Glory of God had departed the Temple. Never again was the Ark of the Covenant seen in Israel nor was it again referenced by name,” her voice was nearly a whisper. “Yet even in Ethiopia, Menelik understood the Ark’s true home was not with him. So, he inscribed on the obelisk a personal vow. He would find a way to someday return the Ark to a repentant Israel. The conspiracy remained hidden until the recent discover of the obelisk.”
Ben’s brow furrowed. He knew enough Bible history to know that Jeremiah had made a direct reference to the Ark of the Covenant. So did the writer of the Chronicles. Both were well after the days of Solomon. Dr. Lira felt the question stirring before he could ask it. A knowing smile formed on her face.
“I know what you’re thinking Ben.” She took a Bible from a nearby shelf, opened it to the Book of Jeremiah. “First, you will notice that Jeremiah is speaking the word of the Lord concerning the distant future, far down the road of time. The reference specifically states that the Ark of the Covenant would not enter their minds. They wouldn’t have to remember it as a past possession, and it would no longer be missed by them. Why? Because, in the time referenced by Jeremiah, the true Ark would again be where it belongs. No one would think of it as being absent.”
“Second, we have to look at Chronicles. Did you notice that those verses do not say ‘Ark of the Covenant,’ but simply ‘the Ark.’ It’s as if the Lord were speaking of an ordinary object rather than the ancient Seat of Mercy. I believe it was referenced as ‘the Ark’ because it was nothing more than a copy of the genuine article. In the end, the replica was carted off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.” She paused again, and then bluntly asked, “You really don’t think the Lord would allow the true Ark of the Covenant to fall into the hands of a heathen king, do you?”
Ben could not respond verbally, but his jaw dropped. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. God had preserved the Ark of the Covenant of Israel by spiriting it away in the hands of a true and faithful worshipper.
“Hopefully, you now see our national plight through the lens of a new hope. Israel is on the cusp of two, life-altering events, and they go hand in hand. One is the threat of annihilation that screams in Biblical proportions. The other is the recovery of the only object that can unify the nation and provide any glimpse of hope. With the return of the Ark of the Covenant all Jews will yearn for a rebuilt Temple. With that hope, Israel will bind together like never before. In fact, there will be a tremendous spiritual awakening that is desperately needed. You, my new friends, are going to make that happen.”
As the group struggled to grasp the implications of her words, none were aware that the meeting and the faces of its participants were focused in the camera lens of a hidden watcher.
Jimmy Root Jr
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