[ominous music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ [crackling] [crumbling] - THE HISTORY THAT
WE WERE ALL TAUGHT GROWING UP IS WRONG. MY NAME IS SCOTT WOLTER, AND I'M A FORENSIC GEOLOGIST. THERE'S A HIDDEN HISTORY
IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT. THERE ARE PYRAMIDS HERE-- CHAMBERS, TOMBS,
INSCRIPTIONS. THEY'RE ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY. WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THESE ARTIFACTS AND SITES, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET
TO THE TRUTH. SOMETIMES HISTORY ISN'T WHAT
WE'VE BEEN TOLD. [percussive music] A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CALLED ME
A MODERN-DAY INDIANA JONES BECAUSE I INVESTIGATE ARTIFACTS,
MYTHS, AND MYSTERIES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES
AND BEYOND. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT,
BUT LIKE HIM, I'M ON A QUEST TO FIND ONE
OF HISTORY'S MOST SOUGHT AFTER AND POWERFUL ARTIFACTS: THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. AND THE CLUES I'VE COLLECTED
MAKE ME THINK THAT IT COULD BE
RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA. THE BIBLE SAYS
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IS THE WOODEN CHEST
THAT STORES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT GOD HANDED DOWN TO MOSES. IT'S ALSO SAID
TO HOLD IMMENSE POWER. LEGEND SAYS
THAT IF YOU DISRESPECT IT, GOD MAY STRIKE YOU DOWN
DEAD ON THE SPOT. IT DISAPPEARED FROM RELIGIOUS
RECORDS AROUND 597 B.C. TREASURE HUNTERS HAVE BEEN
LOOKING FOR IT EVER SINCE. BUT I THINK THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING
IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES. BASED ON TIPS
AND MY OWN RESEARCH, I'VE COME UP WITH FOUR SITES
I NEED TO INVESTIGATE THAT COULD PROVE
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IS IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE'S A MYSTERIOUS HILL SITE
CALLED THE HILL OF TARA IN IRELAND
WHERE THE ARK WAS LAST SEEN. THERE'S A FARM IN VIRGINIA
WHERE A MAN HAS AN ARTIFACT HE SAYS CAME TO AMERICA
WITH THE ARK. THERE'S A MUSEUM IN OHIO
WITH A STONE INSCRIBED WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, EXACTLY WHAT THE ARK
IS SAID TO CONTAIN. AND THERE'S A CARVING
IN ARIZONA'S PETRIFIED FOREST THAT LOOKS A HELL OF A LOT
LIKE THE ARK THAT I NEED TO EXAMINE
IN PERSON. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ I DON'T KNOW HOW
ALL THESE PLACES FIT TOGETHER, BUT I THINK
THEY COULD BE PART OF A TRAIL THAT WILL LEAD ME
TO THE ARK AND SOLVE ONE
OF HISTORY'S GREATEST ARCHEOLOGICAL WHODUNITS. I THINK THE BEST PLACE TO START IS THE LAST SPOT
THE ARK WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN. WELL, MAIREAD, I'M SEARCHING
FOR THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, AND I JUST CAME HERE
FROM THE UNITED STATES. SO SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS HERE AT ONE TIME? - THEY DO, YES. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS BURIED ON THE HILL OF TARA, AND THIS SITE IS A VERY ANCIENT
RITUAL AND ROYAL SITE. ITS OLDEST MONUMENT
DATES BACK TO 3,500 B.C., THE SEAT OF THE HIGH KINGS
OF IRELAND. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVED
THAT THE KING OF TARA WAS ALSO THE KING OF THE WORLD. - HAS ANY ARCHAEOLOGY
BEEN DONE HERE? - WELL, IN 1899, A GROUP CAME HERE TO DIG
FOR THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. THEY BELIEVED THAT TARA
WAS THE RESUSCITATED JERUSALEM, AND THEY BELIEVED
IF THEY RECOVERED THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, IT WOULD PROVE THEIR THEORIES. THEY THOUGHT THAT
AN EGYPTIAN PRINCESS CAME OVER IN THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C. AND BROUGHT THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT WITH HER, AND THEY THOUGHT
THAT SHE WAS BURIED HERE WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. - THE NAME OF THE PRINCESS SAID
TO BE IN POSSESSION OF THE ARK WAS TEA TEPHI,
DAUGHTER OF AN EGYPTIAN PHARAOH. TEPHI ALLEGEDLY TRAVELED HERE WITH THE BIBLICAL PROPHET
JEREMIAH. THE STORY OF HER ESCAPE
TO IRELAND AFTER THE SACKING OF JERUSALEM
BY THE BABYLONIANS IS RECORDED
IN AN 11TH CENTURY IRISH POEM. AS THE LEGEND GOES, SHE MARRIED A KING OF TARA
WHO ENTOMBED HER BODY WITH THE ARK AFTER HER DEATH. THAT'S WHAT THE GROUP THAT DUG
HERE IN 1899 WAS HOPING TO FIND. WHERE DID THEY DIG,
AND WHAT DID THEY FIND? - THEY DUG THE MOUND
KNOWN AS THE KING'S CHAIR, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT
SHE WAS BURIED IN A ROYAL SITE. - OKAY. SO THE KING'S CHAIR IS
A STONE THRONE PERHAPS, RIGHT? - IT'S A MOUND. - IT'S A MOUND, OKAY.
- YEAH. JUST LET ME SHOW YOU THIS BOOK. YOU SEE THEM DIGGING HERE. THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW
RIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY. NOW, IT WAS ALSO SAID THAT
THEY FOUND A GOLDEN BRACELET, WHICH THEY THREW AWAY
INTO THE RIVER BOYNE, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS NOT
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. THEY DID NOT FIND
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THAT IS. - AND WHAT DO YOU THINK? - WHAT DO I THINK? I HAVE READ AND RESEARCHED
SO MANY STORIES ABOUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
TO UNRAVEL FACT FROM FICTION. - WELL, THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
WAS NOT FOUND HERE, SO MAYBE IT COULD HAVE COME
TO AMERICA. - I HAVE COME ACROSS STORIES WHICH TALK ABOUT PILGRIMS
BRINGING VARIOUS ARTIFACTS TO THE NEW WORLD WITHOUT
MENTIONING WHAT THEY WERE. - AND THAT'S
WHERE I'M GOING NEXT. MAYBE I CAN FIND
SOME EVIDENCE THERE THAT WILL HELP US FIGURE OUT
ONCE AND FOR ALL IF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
MADE IT TO AMERICA OR NOT. THE NEXT STOP
IN MY INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT IS IN AMERICA IS VIRGINIA. A MAN THERE NAMED JACK ANDREWS SAYS HE HAS AN ARTIFACT THAT
CAME TO AMERICA WITH THE ARK. IT'S CALLED
THE STONE OF DESTINY. LIKE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, THE LEGENDARY STONE OF DESTINY IS ANOTHER BIBLICAL ARTIFACT
GONE MISSING. IT'S SAID TO BE ANOTHER NAME
FOR THE STONE THAT JACOB IN THE BIBLE
RESTED HIS HEAD ON WHEN HE HAD A VISION
OF A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. AND LEGEND SAYS
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND THE STONE OF DESTINY
WERE CARRIED TOGETHER. IF THIS IS TRULY
THE STONE OF DESTINY, AND IT'S HERE IN AMERICA, THEN IT'S POSSIBLE IT COULD LEAD
TO THE ARK ITSELF. YOU MUST BE JACK. NICE TO MEET YOU. - NICE TO MEET YOU TOO, YEAH. - WELL, I'M EXCITED
TO SEE YOUR STONE. - GOOD. - BUT FIRST THING
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE HISTORY, THE PROVENANCE. CAN YOU SHOW ME
WHERE YOU FOUND IT? - SURE CAN. IT'S ABOUT TEN MINUTES
FROM HERE. - WELL, JACK, THIS IS
A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY. HOW DID YOU ACQUIRE THIS? - WELL, I BOUGHT IT
ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, AND THEN AFTER WE GOT INTO IT, WE DISCOVERED
THAT IT HAD THIS STONE. - THE WHOLE PROSPECT OF
THIS STONE THAT YOU FOUND HERE POSSIBLY BEING CONNECTED
TO THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND MAYBE COMING OVER
TO THE U.S., THAT'S AMAZING. - THIS STONE WAS GIVEN
TO THE GUY THAT BOUGHT THIS LAND IN 1722 AND PUT IT IN THE SPRING
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER WHERE WE'RE GOING. IT WAS GIVEN TO HIM
AS A WEDDING PRESENT BY JONATHAN SWIFT. - SO YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT JONATHAN SWIFT OF<i> GULLIVER'S TRAVELS?</i> - THAT'S THE SAME ONE. WELL, ACCORDING TO SWIFT,
IT WAS THE STONE OF DESTINY. - JONATHAN SWIFT IS FAMOUS
FOR WRITING<i> GULLIVER'S TRAVELS,</i> BUT HE WAS MORE
THAN AN AUTHOR. SWIFT WAS BORN IN IRELAND
IN 1667 AND WAS A CLERIC AT
ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH IN DUBLIN, WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE HE WAS PRIVY
TO SECRET KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SACRED RELIGIOUS RELICS
LIKE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. - OKAY, HERE IS THE SPRING
WHERE WE FOUND THE STONE. - SO WHAT IS THIS HERE? - THIS A REPLACEMENT STONE. THE ORIGINAL STONE WAS STOLEN
BY A GROUP THAT BROUGHT A CRANE
DOWN THE RIVER AND LIFTED IT OFF
AND CARRIED IT AWAY. AND, FORTUNATELY,
ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS GOT A PICTURE
OF THEIR LICENSE TAG... - OH, OKAY. - AND THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE
TO TRACK IT DOWN. - SO THEY STOLE YOUR STONE,
YOU GOT IT BACK, AND THEN THEY PUT
A REPLACEMENT STONE HERE? - RIGHT. THEY ACTUALLY LEFT THAT HERE,
WE BELIEVE, AT THE TIME
THEY TOOK THE ORIGINAL. I THINK THEY PLANNED IT. - LIKE YOU WOULDN'T NOTICE.
- YEAH. - WHY WOULD THEY HAVE TAKEN IT
IN THE FIRST PLACE? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN HERE
FOR 300 YEARS. WHAT DID THEY WANT WITH IT? - THEY CLAIM THEY WERE BUILDING A PROPHESIZED
NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM, AND THEY WERE GONNA BUILD
A TEMPLE TO HOUSE THIS STONE. - AND THEY WANTED TO HAVE
THE STONE OF DESTINY, RIGHT? - OH, YEAH. - WELL, I CAN SEE THE WATER. IT'S AN ACTIVE SPRING. IT'S FLOWING
PRETTY GOOD RIGHT HERE INTO THE CREEK. OBVIOUSLY, IT SNOWS HERE. YOU GET FREEZING
AND THAWING. - OH, YEAH. - PRETTY AGGRESSIVE
WEATHERING ENVIRONMENT HERE, SO I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING REFLECTED
ON THE STONE, DEPENDING ON THE ROCK TYPE,
OF COURSE. THIS JONATHAN SWIFT, HE WAS
A PRETTY CREATIVE WRITER. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T
SOMETHING THAT HE DREAMED UP? THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, HE WAS CLOSELY AFFILIATED
WITH THE CHURCH, MIGHT HAVE HAD ACCESS
TO SOME ARTIFACTS, AND I TELL YOU WHAT. IF THIS STONE
THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THAT EVENTUALLY
MADE ITS WAY OVER HERE AND ORIGINALLY CAME
FROM ISRAEL IS THE SAME STONE-- I MEAN,
THAT'S AMAZING. - RIGHT. - WELL, JACK, THE ONLY WAY
I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO SEPARATE TRUTH FROM FICTION
IS TO EXAMINE THAT STONE. - IT'S IN MY BARN
WAITING FOR YOU. - LET'S GO. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ - THERE'S THE STONE. - THE STONE OF DESTINY. SO THE THEORY IS
THAT THE STONE OF DESTINY CAME FROM ISRAEL
AND WAS CARRIED TO IRELAND, ALLEGEDLY WITH
THE ARK OF COVENANT. I KNOW PEOPLE SEARCHED
FOR THE ARK AT A SITE THERE
CALLED THE HILL OF TARA AND COULDN'T FIND IT. THAT'S LED TO THE THEORY THAT THE ARK WAS SECRETLY TAKEN
TO AMERICA, ALONG WITH THE STONE OF DESTINY. WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS
JUMP OUT AT ME RIGHT AWAY. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S WEATHERED,
EXTENSIVELY WEATHERED, AND BASED ON WHAT WE SAW
OUT IN THE FIELD, THE SITE THAT YOU SAID
IT HAD RESIDED FOR WHAT, ABOUT 300 YEARS... - YEAH, YEAH. - WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE
IT'S BEEN WEATHERING FOR PERHAPS THAT LONG, AND IT'S IN TOUGH SHAPE. THE SECOND THING IS,
THIS ROCK TYPE HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE A SANDSTONE TO ME, AND I SAW NOTHING
LIKE THIS ON SITE, ON YOUR OTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY. SO THE ROCK TYPE, THE GEOLOGY,
IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THE QUESTION IS, COULD THIS BE
THE STONE OF DESTINY THAT ORIGINALLY WAS CREATED
FROM ROCK FROM ISRAEL? AND IF THE LEGEND IS TRUE, DID THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
COME OVER TO WHAT IS NOW NORTH AMERICA
WITH IT? - RIGHT. - AND I GUESS THAT'S THE TASK
IN FRONT OF US. MAYBE IT IS THE FIRST CLUE
THAT WOULD LEAD US TO THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. - THE ROCK I'M ABOUT TO STUDY COULD BE A SACRED
RELIGIOUS RELIC KNOWN AS THE STONE OF DESTINY AND A CLUE THAT THE ARK OF
THE COVENANT IS HERE IN AMERICA. SUPPOSEDLY,
THIS STONE AND THE ARK WERE TAKEN FROM ISRAEL AND BROUGHT
TO THE HILL OF TARA IN IRELAND BY A PRINCESS NAMED TEA TEPHI. FROM THERE, THE STONE IS SAID
TO HAVE MADE ITS WAY TO AMERICA THANKS TO NOTABLE AUTHOR
JONATHAN SWIFT, AND MAYBE THE ARK DID TOO. IF THE GEOLOGY OF
JACK ANDREWS' STONE IS A MATCH TO STONE IN ISRAEL, IT COULD BE
AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN PROVING BOTH
THE ARTIFACT'S AUTHENTICITY AND JACK'S CLAIMS IT WAS BROUGHT
HERE TO THE UNITED STATES WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. IF IT IS AUTHENTIC,
IT ONLY BEGS MORE QUESTIONS, LIKE HOW WAS IT SEPARATED
FROM THE ARK, AND WHERE IS THE ARK NOW? OKAY, JACK,
WE HAVE YOUR STONE HERE THAT YOU THINK
ORIGINATED IN ISRAEL AND MADE ITS WAY TO IRELAND ALONG WITH THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT, RIGHT? - CORRECT. - WHERE JONATHAN SWIFT GAVE
THE STONE AS A WEDDING GIFT, AND, ULTIMATELY, HE BROUGHT IT
HERE TO WHAT IS NOW YOUR LAND. - THAT'S CORRECT.
- OKAY. WELL, WE HAVE
A REALLY GOOD SAMPLE HERE, AND WITH THE 3-D MICROSCOPE, I'M GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, AND I'M GONNA SEE
IF I CAN SEE ANYTHING HERE THAT TELLS ME THAT IT MAY
HAVE COME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. - GO TO IT. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ - OKAY, SO YOU SEE
ALL THESE GRAINS HERE? - YEAH. - I'M SEEING DIFFERENT COLORS
OR DIFFERENT INTENSITIES OF TAN AND GRAY, AND SO THAT TELLS ME
THERE'S DIFFERENT MINERALS. NOW, I WANT TO ZOOM IN
A LITTLE TIGHTER SO I CAN SEE SOME
OF THESE INDIVIDUAL GRAINS. - WOW. - NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT
SOME OF THESE GRAINS, DO YOU SEE
HOW THEY HAVE SHARP EDGES? - YEP. - THOSE MIGHT BE MICAS POSSIBLY. BUT SEE ALL THIS POROUS SPACE
IN HERE, THIS OPEN SPACE? THAT'S A PRETTY
IMPORTANT THING, VERY TELLING. THAT TELLS ME
THIS COULD HAVE COME FROM A DESERT ENVIRONMENT,
POSSIBLY FROM ISRAEL. - GREAT. - IT'S CLEARLY IN A PLACE
THAT IT DOESN'T BELONG. IN OTHER WORDS,
IT DIDN'T COME FROM THAT AREA. - RIGHT. - SO WHAT'S INTERESTING
ABOUT THAT IS, WHOEVER PUT IT THERE
WENT TO A LOT OF EFFORT. THIS THING PROBABLY WEIGHS
AT LEAST 1,000 POUNDS. - YES, YES. - THEY BROUGHT IT FROM
SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOT FROM HERE-- POSSIBLY FROM
WHAT IS NOW ISRAEL. THIS IS A GREAT BEGINNING HERE. IT TELLS ME A LOT. BUT THE WAY I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO ABSOLUTELY IDENTIFY
THESE MINERALS IS, I HAVE TO CUT THIS THING
INTO A THIN SECTION... - I SEE. - AND LOOK AT IT
WITH A DIFFERENT MICROSCOPE CALLED A POLARIZED
LIGHT MICROSCOPE. - OKAY. - THE FINAL TEST WILL TELL US
EXACTLY WHAT ITS COMPOSITION IS. - OKAY. - I BROUGHT A DREMEL TOOL
ALONG WITH ME TO CUT A PIECE OFF. THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE--
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? - YEAH. - THERE'S NO DOUBT
CUTTING A SAMPLE FROM THIS ROCK IS CONTROVERSIAL. DESECRATING A RELIGIOUS ARTIFACT
IS SAID TO BRING POWERFUL, EVEN DEADLY, CONSEQUENCES. THE SMALL PIECE OF STONE JACK
HAD WON'T WORK FOR MY ANALYSIS. I NEED TO COLLECT MY OWN SAMPLE TO PUT UNDER MY MICROSCOPE
BACK HOME. NO ONE, INCLUDING ME, WANTS TO DAMAGE
WHAT COULD BE A SACRED ARTIFACT. BUT SOMETIMES IT'S THE ONLY WAY
TO GET ANSWERS, AND HERE IT'S ESSENTIAL
TO HAVE THE RIGHT KIND OF SAMPLE TO COMPARE
WITH ROCK FROM ISRAEL. PERFECT. WHAT'S GONNA BE KEY
IN THIS WHOLE THING IS GETTING A SAMPLE FROM WHERE YOU THINK
THAT SOURCE ROCK WAS IN ISRAEL. - OKAY. - IF THIS STONE
DID COME FROM ISRAEL, I MEAN, THAT'S AN AMAZING
JOURNEY THAT IT'S BEEN ON. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER EVIDENCE
THAT SUPPORTS THAT? - WE HAVE THE BOOK OF TEA TEPHI,
HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY. AND SHE WAS WITH
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. THEY REPORTEDLY BROUGHT THIS
WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TO THE HILL OF TARA,
WHERE THEY PLACED IT, AND IT BECAME THE THRONE
OF IRELAND FOR 1,000 YEARS. - SO IT'S BELIEVED
THAT THIS STONE STARTED ITS JOURNEY IN ISRAEL. - THEN IT DISAPPEARED
FROM THE HISTORY BOOKS. - HOW DID JONATHAN SWIFT
GET INVOLVED? - WELL, JONATHAN SWIFT WAS
BROUGHT UP AT THE HILL OF TARA AND BECAME A MINISTER. WE'VE DOCUMENTED THAT. THE LEGEND SAYS IN 1700 THAT HE GAVE THE STONE
AS A WEDDING GIFT. - JACK, I'M GONNA STUDY
THE STONE, AND WE'RE GONNA GET
TO THE TRUTH. AND IF THIS STONE
IS PART OF THE COLLECTION THAT INCLUDES
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, IT JUST MIGHT LEAD
TO THE ARTIFACT ITSELF. - THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IS ONE OF HISTORY'S
MOST SOUGHT AFTER OBJECTS. IT'S SAID TO HOLD
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT GOD INSCRIBED IN STONE
AND HANDED DOWN TO MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI. ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, DISRESPECTING THE ARK
CAN BRING DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. ONCE HOUSED AND VENERATED AT KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE
IN JERUSALEM, IT VANISHED AROUND THE TIME THE BABYLONIANS
INVADED THE TEMPLE TOWARD THE END
OF THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C. THAT'S WHEN PRIESTS
AND DISCIPLES PRESUMABLY CARRIED IT OUT
OF ISRAEL IN SEARCH
OF A NEW HOLY RESTING-PLACE. BUILT OF ACACIA WOOD
AND PLATED WITH GOLD, THE BIBLE SAYS IT WAS
2 1/2 CUBITS IN LENGTH, 1 1/2 CUBITS IN HEIGHT,
AND 1 1/2 CUBITS IN BREADTH. THAT'S NEARLY FOUR FEET LONG,
TWO FEET HIGH, AND TWO FEET DEEP IN MODERN MEASUREMENTS. CHERUBIM, OR ANGELS,
WERE BELIEVED TO ADORN THE TOP. I'VE FINISHED INVESTIGATING
THE ARK'S CONNECTION TO THE HILL OF TARA IN IRELAND, THE LAST PLACE THE ARK
WAS ALLEGEDLY SEEN. I'VE ALSO MET JACK ANDREWS, WHO THINKS HE HAS
ANOTHER RELIGIOUS RELIC CALLED THE STONE OF DESTINY THAT TRAVELED TO AMERICA
WITH THE ARK, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I NEED TO DO
MORE TESTING ON TO AUTHENTICATE. JACK THINKS JONATHAN SWIFT,
THE AUTHOR, SENT THE STONE HERE TO THE U.S.
IN THE 1700s AND THAT MAYBE HE SENT
THE ARK TOO. WHILE I WAIT FOR A SAMPLE
OF ISRAELI STONE TO COMPARE WITH JACK'S STONE, I NEED TO INVESTIGATE
AN ALTERNATE THEORY OF HOW THE ARK CAME
TO AMERICA. AFTER THE ARK VANISHED
FROM RECORDS IN THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C., MANY PEOPLE WONDER IF AN ANCIENT
GROUP OF HEBREW PEOPLE CALLED THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL
FOUND IT AND THEN BROUGHT IT TO AMERICA
AS THE CENTERPIECE FOR A NEW JERUSALEM. CLUES WERE ALLEGEDLY LEFT BEHIND
DOCUMENTING THIS JOURNEY. I WONDER IF A CARVING
IN ARIZONA AND STONE I'M ABOUT TO SEE
IN OHIO ARE TWO OF THESE CLUES. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ [bell jingles] HEY, YOU.
- HEY, SCOTT. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
- GOOD TO SEE YOU. - WHAT BRINGS YOU TO COSHOCTON? - WELL, I'M INVESTIGATING
THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
MAY HAVE COME TO NORTH AMERICA. I WAS RECENTLY IN VIRGINIA WHERE I TALKED TO A MAN,
JACK ANDREWS, WHO THINKS THE STONE OF DESTINY
IS ON HIS PROPERTY. HE THINKS IT CAME FROM ISRAEL ALONG WITH THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT. ONE THING I CAN SAY
FOR CERTAIN IS THAT THE GEOLOGY
OF THAT STONE DOES NOT MATCH
THE LOCAL GEOLOGY, AND I'M PRETTY SURE
THAT THERE'S A STONE HERE THAT HAS A HEBREW CONNECTION, AND I'M WONDERING
IF THERE MIGHT BE SOME EVIDENCE THAT CONNECTS IT
WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW SOMETHING
ABOUT THAT STONE. - I'VE SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS
STUDYING SOME ARTIFACTS I CALL ARCHAEOLOGICAL OUTLIERS, AND ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING
IS WHAT'S CALLED THE NEWARK DECALOGUE STONE. IT WAS FOUND IN 1860 NEAR HERE
IN SOUTH OF NEWARK, OHIO. WELL, THE INSCRIPTION ON IT
IS IN HEBREW LANGUAGE. IT HAS THE ABRIDGED TEXT
FROM THE EXODUS VERSION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. - WELL, THERE YOU GO. THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
IS RUMORED TO CONTAIN THE TWO TABLETS WITH
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON THEM. COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE CONNECTED
TO THE LOST TRIBES AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT? LIKE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, THE LOST TRIBES ALSO
WENT MISSING FROM HISTORY. THE TRIBES LIVED IN ISRAEL UNTIL THE ASSYRIANS CONQUERED
IN 722 B.C. MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
CLAIM TO BE THEIR DESCENDANTS, EVEN HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. SOME THINK IT'S THE LOST TRIBES,
NOT JONATHAN SWIFT, WHO BROUGHT THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT TO AMERICA AND LEFT CLUES BEHIND LIKE BREAD CRUMBS
ALONG THE TRAIL THEY TRAVELED. COULD THE DECALOGUE STONE
BE ONE OF THOSE CRUMBS? MY UNDERSTANDING IS, THESE ARE PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL
ARTIFACTS HERE. - YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THEM, BUT WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THEM
AND SEE WHAT WE THINK. - LET'S DO IT. - THIS IS THE DECALOGUE STONE
WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WRITTEN ON IT
ON ALL SIDES OF IT. AND THIS IS A STONE BOX
THAT THE DECALOGUE WAS FOUND IN. - OKAY. - SO WHEN IT WAS FOUND,
IT WAS ENCLOSED IN THIS BOX, AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE
THE STONE INSIDE. THE BOX IS CARVED OUT INSIDE EXACTLY TO FIT
THE DECALOGUE STONE. - WHO'S THAT GUY? - WELL, THIS FIGURE HERE
ON THE FRONT THAT'S WEARING A ROBE
AND A TURBAN HOLDING EITHER TABLETS
OR A BREASTPLATE, AND OVER HIS HEAD
IN THESE HEBREWS LETTERS IT SAYS "MOSHE," OR "MOSES." - OH.
- SO THAT MUST BE MOSES... - OKAY, THAT'S MOSES.
ALL RIGHT. - WHO DELIVERED
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. - TEN COMMANDMENTS, OKAY. WELL, WE'RE ON
THE RIGHT PATH HERE. THERE'S AN OPEN SLOT HERE. WHAT WAS THAT USED FOR? - ONE SUGGESTION
THAT'S BEEN MADE IS THAT THAT WAS TO ATTACH
A LEATHER STRAP FOR THIS TO BE USED
AS AN ARM PHYLACTERY. SO OBSERVANT JEWS SAY PRAYERS
EVERY DAY WITH A BOX CONTAINING SCRIPTURES
BOUND TO THEIR ARM WITH A LEATHER STRAP. - WELL, HUGH, IT SEEMS TO ME
THAT IT APPEARS TO BE AN ALLEGORICAL REPRESENTATION
OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT THAT CONTAINS
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, SO WHOEVER IT WAS THAT
MADE THIS, IF THIS IS GENUINE, CERTAINLY EMBRACED
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, SO IF THEY WERE ABLE
TO GET OVER HERE TO NORTH AMERICA WITH THIS, MAYBE THEY BROUGHT THE ARK TOO. - ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE. - WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO
IS HOPEFULLY ADD SOME MORE INFORMATION,
SOME MORE DATA TO THE DISCUSSION FROM A GEOLOGIC STANDPOINT, SO IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. - THAT WOULD BE GREAT. WHOEVER BROUGHT THIS COULD'VE SOMEHOW HAD
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. - MY SEARCH FOR THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT HAS TAKEN ME
FROM THE HILL OF TARA IN IRELAND WHERE THE ARK WAS
REPORTEDLY LAST SEEN TO A FARM IN VIRGINIA
WHERE A MAN CLAIMS TO HAVE A BIBLICAL ARTIFACT BROUGHT HERE
WITH THE ARK IN THE 1700s. BUT THE CLUE
I'M INVESTIGATING NOW IN OHIO COULD HELP PROVE THE ARK CAME
TO AMERICA A HECK OF A LOT EARLIER
THAN THAT... BROUGHT HERE BY HEBREW PEOPLE IN
SEARCH OF A NEW PROMISED LAND. I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS STONE INSCRIBED WITH
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS MIGHT'VE BEEN KEPT
INSIDE THE ARK, OR WAS IT LEFT BEHIND
AS A CLUE THAT ONE OF THE BIBLE'S
MOST SACRED ARTIFACTS IS RIGHT HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES? IT SEEMS TO PASS THE SCRUTINY
OF THE SKEPTICS AS FAR AS THE HEBREW TEXT
AND THE LANGUAGE, SO NOW I'D LIKE TO TRY TO ADD
SOME EVIDENCE TO THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ THIS THING IS POLISHED
AFTER IT WAS CARVED. IT'S SCRATCHED
LIKE I WOULD EXPECT. - WELL, IT'S BEEN SCRATCHED UP
BY BEING PUT IN THE BOX AND TAKEN
OUT OF THE BOX FREQUENTLY. - THIS LITTLE EDGE RIGHT HERE-- THERE'S A WEAR PATTERN
RIGHT HERE. - IS IT RIGHT ABOUT WHERE
THIS LEDGE IN THE BOX WOULD BE? - IT FITS SNUG. - SO THE BOX IN ITSELF TOOK
AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK. I MEAN, IF IT WAS REALLY
A FORGERY, YOU WOULDN'T GO TO ALL
THAT MUCH TROUBLE TO MAKE A BOX FOR IT, SO... I THINK THAT SPEAKS
TO ITS AUTHENTICITY THAT SOMEONE REALLY WAS--THIS
WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE. - THIS IS A LOT OF WORK,
AND IT'S POLISHED. IT'S GOT THE DETAILING
OF THE GROOVES. BUT IT WASN'T MADE,
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, FROM MODERN MACHINERY. GEOLOGICALLY, I DON'T SEE
ANY PROBLEMS HERE THAT WOULD MAKE THESE THINGS
OBVIOUS HOAXES. BASED ON THESE ARTIFACTS, THERE'S NO REASON IN THE WORLD
TO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
COULDN'T HAVE COME OVER HERE. - RIGHT, IT'S CONCEIVABLE THAT
IF THESE PEOPLE SOMEHOW GOT AHOLD OF THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT, THEY COULD'VE BROUGHT IT ALONG
WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. - SO THE SKEPTICS
HAVE REJECTED THIS. - WELL, THAT'S BEEN A FACTOR,
BUT THE--I MEAN, HEBREW'S AN ODD THING
TO FIND HERE. - THE FACT THAT IT'S ODD DOESN'T
MEAN THAT IT'S NOT GENUINE. WHAT IT BOILS DOWN
TO IS REALLY, THE PROBLEM
WITH THESE ARTIFACTS IS THAT THE ACADEMICS
DON'T LIKE THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T FIT
THE PARADIGM, AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM,
YOU CAN'T DISMISS THINGS SIMPLY BECAUSE
YOU DON'T LIKE THEM. - RIGHT. - AND SO THE EVIDENCE, TO ME,
SEEMS CLEAR: THERE'S NO REASON
NOT TO ACCEPT THESE AS GENUINE,
LEGITIMATE ARTIFACTS. SO I'VE HEARD THE LEGENDS ABOUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT AND THE STONE OF DESTINY
IN IRELAND. I'VE ALSO HEARD STORIES
THAT THE STONE OF DESTINY HAS COME OVER HERE
TO NORTH AMERICA AND IS IN VIRGINIA. AND IF IT CAME OVER, THEY BELIEVE THE ARK CAME
AS WELL. AND NOW I'VE LOOKED
AT THESE ARTIFACTS HERE-- WE HAVE A REPRESENTATION
OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT WAS CARRIED OVER HERE
BY SOME EARLY HEBREW GROUP. THEY MADE SOMETHING
THAT WAS ANALOGOUS TO THE ARK. SO IF THEY COULD'VE
BROUGHT THIS OVER HERE WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
ON THIS STONE, THEY COULD, THEORETICALLY,
HAVE BROUGHT THE ACTUAL ARK. ♪ ♪ I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW THE ARK OF THE COVENANT MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN TO AMERICA,
IF IT'S HERE AT ALL. TWO BASIC SCENARIOS
ARE ON THE TABLE. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT A PRINCESS
NAMED TEA TEPHI BROUGHT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
AND THE STONE OF DESTINY, WHICH BOTH ORIGINATED
IN ISRAEL, TO THE HILL OF TARA
IN IRELAND. THERE, AUTHOR JONATHAN SWIFT
GOT AHOLD OF THEM AND SECURED THEIR TRANSPORT
TO AMERICA. BUT IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE
THE LOST TRIBES OR ANOTHER EARLY HEBREW GROUP FIRST BROUGHT THE ARK TO TARA AND THEN BROUGHT IT TO AMERICA, LEAVING CLUES
LIKE THE DECALOGUE STONE BEHIND. ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WILL HELP ME DECIDE WHICH THEORY IS MORE LIKELY IS WHETHER OR NOT
JACK ANDREWS' STONE IS ACTUALLY FROM ISRAEL. IF IT IS THE REAL
STONE OF DESTINY AS HE CLAIMS, IT HAS TO MATCH STONE
FROM THAT REGION. AND THERE'S STILL
ONE FINAL CLUE: A CARVING IN ARIZONA
THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY INVESTIGATION. BUT BEFORE I CHECK IT OUT, I NEED TO COMPARE THE SAMPLE
I TOOK FROM JACK'S STONE WITH THE SAMPLE I GOT
FROM ISRAEL HERE AT MY LAB
IN MINNEAPOLIS TO GET TO THE TRUTH
ABOUT HIS STONE. - HEY, SCOTT. - LET'S SEE. THIS IS THE STONE OF DESTINY,
RIGHT? - YEAH. - THAT LOOKS REALLY GOOD. AND THEN THIS IS THE SAMPLE
FROM ISRAEL, RIGHT? - YES, IT IS. SO WHAT WAS ALL THIS FOR? - THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO BELIEVE THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
CAME, ULTIMATELY, TO NORTH AMERICA
WITH THE STONE OF DESTINY. THE STONE OF DESTINY IS A STONE
THAT JACOB, IN THE BIBLE, RESTED HIS HEAD ON
WHILE HE DREAMT ABOUT THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. NOW, I RECENTLY MET
WITH A GUY, JACK ANDREWS IN VIRGINIA,
WHO HAS A STONE THAT HE CLAIMS IS
THE STONE OF DESTINY ON HIS PROPERTY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I CAN TELL YOU ABSOLUTELY IS THAT THIS STONE
DOES NOT MATCH ANY OF THE SURROUNDING GEOLOGY, SO IT DIDN'T COME FROM THERE. JACK SAYS IT CAME FROM ISRAEL. THAT'S WHY WE PREPARED
THESE SAMPLES. SO, REALLY, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
IS NOW. WE'LL START WITH THIS ONE
RIGHT HERE. NOW, AS YOU KNOW,
SANDSTONES ARE VERY UNIQUE, SO IF THESE THINGS
ARE EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT ARE GONNA GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY. SO THIS IS THE STONE OF DESTINY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE
RIGHT AWAY IS, WE HAVE QUARTZ;
WE HAVE FELDSPAR. IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE
A LITTLE QUARTZITE. THE GRAINS ARE ANGULAR, SO THIS IS A SAND GRAIN
SUPPORTED SANDSTONE. VERY UNIQUE.
- THAT'S WHAT I SEE ALSO. - YOU SEE THAT TOO, OKAY. - I'M CURIOUS TO SEE
WHAT THE OTHER ONE LOOKS LIKE. - ALL RIGHT, WELL,
LET'S TAKE A LOOK. I DON'T THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE REALIZE, THIS IS LIKE A DNA FINGERPRINT. THERE'S SO MANY UNIQUE
PROPERTIES TO SANDSTONES. ALL RIGHT. THE SAMPLE FROM ISRAEL. TAKE A LOOK. I'VE SEEN ENOUGH TO MAKE
A DECISION. - THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
IS ARGUABLY THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER TREASURE
OF ALL TIME. DESIGNED BY GOD AND INFUSED
WITH HIS PRESENCE, IT HAS THE POWER
TO INSPIRE THE FAITHFUL AND STRIKE DOWN THE HEATHEN. ITS WHEREABOUTS
HAVE BEEN A MYSTERY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. BUT I THINK
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME TILL ITS LOCATION
IS REVEALED. A CHOSEN FEW HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN IN CHARGE OF PROTECTING IT, AND WHAT BETTER HIDING PLACE
FOR AN OLD WORLD TREASURE THAN A NEW WORLD SANCTUARY
HERE IN AMERICA. JACK ANDREWS AGREES
AND THINKS THIS STONE, THE STONE OF DESTINY,
CAN HELP PROVE THE ARK IS HERE. THE STONE OF DESTINY IS
REFERRED TO IN THE BIBLE WHEN JACOB PLACED HIS HEAD
ON THE STONE OF DESTINY AND DREAMT ABOUT THE STAIRWAY
TO HEAVEN, AND THAT STONE, ALONG WITH
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, WHICH ORIGINATED IN ISRAEL, CAME TO NORTH AMERICA, SO... AND IS THIS
THE STONE OF DESTINY? THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE SAMPLE
FROM ISRAEL SENT HERE. TAKE A LOOK. IT'S NOT A MATCH. MINERALOGY IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THE SIZE OF THE GRAINS
IS DIFFERENT. THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT
OF PORE SPACE HERE. I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT--
THEY'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE. - IT'S A DIFFERENT TEXTURE
COMPLETELY. - REALLY, IT COULDN'T BE
MORE DIFFERENT. - WHERE ARE WE GONNA GO
FROM HERE? - WELL, AT THIS POINT, I GUESS WHAT WE CAN CONCLUDE IS
ONE OF A COUPLE THINGS. WE CLEARLY DO NOT HAVE A MATCH
OF THE SAMPLE FROM ISRAEL WITH JACK'S STONE OF DESTINY
IN VIRGINIA. THAT EITHER MEANS
THAT THIS SAMPLE WAS COLLECTED FROM AN AREA
THAT IS NOT THE SOURCE OF THIS MATERIAL IN ISRAEL OR THE MATERIAL DIDN'T COME
FROM ISRAEL. WE CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. IF THEY WOULD'VE MATCHED, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN
PRETTY EXCITING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE HIT
A DEAD END WITH THIS PARTICULAR STONE. BUT THIS INVESTIGATION
IS NOT OVER. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. - WHAT ARE THESE? LOOKS LIKE A STONE CARVING. - IT'S A STONE CARVING. THIS WAS SENT TO ME
BY A GENTLEMAN WHO THINKS THAT THAT COULD BE THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT RIGHT THERE, AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT
LOOKS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE IT. MANY DEPICTIONS OF THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT LOOK JUST LIKE THIS: THESE TWO VEILS THAT LOOK
A LOT LIKE THE TWO ANGELS COMMONLY SEEN WITH THEIR WINGS
COMING TOGETHER ON TOP OF THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT. AND SO...
- WHERE IS THIS? - ARIZONA.
THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING NEXT. IF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
IS HERE IN NORTH AMERICA, I'M GONNA FIND IT. THE ARK OF THE COVENANT MAY BE
HIDDEN IN AMERICA, BROUGHT HERE CENTURIES AGO
FROM ANCIENT ISRAEL. MY INVESTIGATION UNCOVERED
SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE THEORY THAT THE ARK TRAVELED HERE
WITH THE STONE OF DESTINY. SO FAR, SCIENCE CAN'T PROVE THE STONE
ON JACK ANDREWS' PROPERTY IS THE REAL STONE OF DESTINY. NOW I AM LEANING TOWARD THE OTHER THEORY
I'VE BEEN STUDYING, THAT AN ANCIENT GROUP
OF HEBREW PEOPLE BROUGHT THE ARK HERE
AND LEFT CLUES ALONG THE WAY-- CLUES LIKE THE DECALOGUE STONE. I'M HEADED WEST TO CHECK OUT
THE FINAL PIECE IN MY QUEST FOR THE ARK, A MYSTERIOUS STONE CARVING IN ARIZONA'S PETRIFIED FOREST. THE LEAD MIGHT BE A LONG SHOT, BUT I CAN'T IGNORE ANYTHING
THAT COULD POSSIBLY TURN UP ONE OF THE BIBLE'S
MOST ICONIC RELICS. [thunder rumbling] SO, JIM, YOU FOUND
THESE PETROGLYPHS WHEN YOU WERE VACATION;
IS THAT RIGHT? - YES, MY WIFE AND I CAME OUT
HERE A FEW YEARS AGO TO SEE THE PETROGLYPHS
AND THE RUINS, BUT THIS PETROGLYPH WAS NOTHING
LIKE I'D EVER SEEN BEFORE. - SO WHAT DID YOU THINK
IT LOOKED LIKE? - WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE--A LOT
LIKE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. IT MATCHES THE DESCRIPTIONS. BUT WHAT'S IT DOING HERE
IN THE ARIZONA DESERT? AND THAT'S WHY I CALLED YOU. I'D LIKE TO GET SOME ANSWERS
TO FIND OUT WHAT--WHY IT'S HERE. - FROM YOUR PICTURES
THAT YOU SENT, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE ARK, AND I'VE BEEN TRACKING THE ARK
FOR A WHILE NOW. IF WE COULD FIND IT,
IT WOULD BE AMAZING, BUT I'M REALLY ANXIOUS TO SEE
YOUR CARVING. [suspenseful orchestral music] ♪ ♪ - SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? - [laughs]
THAT LOOKS VERY INTERESTING. I MEAN, THE CARVING HAS
A MAN HERE WITH A HAT. IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S GOT HIS ARM
TOUCHING THIS RECTANGULAR BOX THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. LET ME SHOW YOU A COUPLE
OF PICTURES OF THE ARK HERE. WELL, HERE ARE YOUR TWO SQUARES AND THE RECTANGLE. YOU HAVE YOUR TWO--
WHAT LOOK LIKE ANGELS. - SO HOW OLD DO YOU THINK IT IS? - WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN
A DESERT ENVIRONMENT HERE, SO PETROGLYPHS IN SUCH
AN ARID CLIMATE LIKE THIS, VERY LITTLE RAINFALL, SO THINGS THAT LOOK
RELATIVELY NEW ARE ACTUALLY HUNDREDS
OF YEARS OLD, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK
IS THE CASE HERE. - SO WHO DO YOU THINK
MAY HAVE CARVED IT? - WELL, I THINK, BY ASSOCIATION, WITH ALL THE NATIVE AMERICAN
PETROGLYPHS, I MEAN, RIGHT NEXT TO IT,
LITERALLY, PROBABLY NATIVE AMERICAN,
PROBABLY THE PUEBLO, WHOSE RUINS ARE, YOU KNOW,
JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY, SO TO ME, THAT MAKES
THE MOST SENSE. AND IF THEY DID THIS
AND IT IS THE ARK, THEN THEY HAD TO HAVE SEEN IT. SO THAT MEANS SOMEBODY HAD
TO COME THROUGH HERE. MAYBE THE NATIVE AMERICANS SAW
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, AND THEY CARVED THIS, AND THIS IS
THEIR CLOSEST RENDITION OF IT, WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE. AND, TO ME, THAT MAKES
THE MOST SENSE. - I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON
PETROGLYPHS AND NATIVE CARVINGS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST, AND THIS IS NOTHING LIKE
I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE. THIS DOES NOT MATCH ANYTHING
THAT'S EVER BEEN FOUND. I THINK IT IS A CARVING
OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. - WELL, I HAVE TO AGREE
WITH YOU, AND IF YOU LOOK AROUND HERE, YOU'LL SEE DEPICTIONS
OF ANIMALS, HUMANS, AND HUNTING, AND IT'S JUST
MORE NATURAL SCENES AND LIFE WITHIN
THE NATIVE COMMUNITY, AND THIS JUST DOESN'T FIT
THAT MOTIF AT ALL. THIS TRAIL THAT
I'VE BEEN INVESTIGATING ON THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
HAS BASICALLY MOVED FROM EAST TO WEST. IT STARTED IN ISRAEL. I THINK THE TRAIL COMES HERE
TO ARIZONA. YOU KNOW WHAT, JIM. AS I LOOK AROUND HERE, THE GEOLOGY
REALLY DOESN'T LEND ITSELF TO A GOOD HIDING PLACE. WHERE DO YOU THINK
THEY MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THE ARK? - I THINK IT COULD BE
IN ONE OF THE CAVES IN THE GRAND CANYON. - LOCAL NATIVES HAVE
MANY STORIES AND LEGENDS ABOUT ANCIENT PEOPLE COMING
TO THE GRAND CANYON. MAYBE THEY BROUGHT THEIR ARK.
WHO KNOWS? - MAKES SENSE. - I MEAN, THE GEOLOGY
IN THE GRAND CANYON LENDS ITSELF TO CAVES. WE KNOW
THERE'S MANY CAVES THERE. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO GET TO, AND IF THEY DID COME THERE, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE
A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE IT. JIM, WHO'S TO SAY
THAT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT DOES OR DOESN'T EXIST? AND IF IT DOES EXIST, WHO'S TO SAY
THAT IT ISN'T RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES? THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IS THE MOST REVERED RELIGIOUS RELIC
IN ALL OF HISTORY. AND EVIDENCE
THAT I'VE SEEN SUGGESTS THAT IT COULD BE HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES. MY INVESTIGATION INVOLVED
FOUR DIFFERENT SITES THAT ARE ALL TIED TOGETHER
BY THEIR CONNECTION TO LEGENDS ABOUT THE ARK. WHETHER JONATHAN SWIFT, THE LOST TRIBES, OTHER HEBREW PEOPLE, OR SOMEONE ELSE ENTIRELY
IS RESPONSIBLE, I THINK IT COULD BE HERE
IN THE U.S. I DON'T BELIEVE LEGENDS OF
THE ARK IN AMERICA ARE FICTION. I'VE LOOKED INTO CLUES
THAT STRETCH FROM IRELAND
TO THE ARIZONA DESERT, SUGGESTING TO ME THAT THE ARK
OF THE COVENANT BEING HERE COULD BE PART OF A REAL STORY AND THAT THERE ARE MORE CLUES
STILL HIDDEN, WAITING TO BE FOUND. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT OUR HISTORY, JUST LIKE THE ARK,
IS SACRED AND SHOULDN'T BE TOUCHED. BUT I'M NOT AFRAID TO SCRATCH
THE SURFACE TO ASK QUESTIONS
THAT DEMAND AN ANSWER. AND FOR MYSTERIES LIKE
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE
MY SEARCH.
