King Solomon's treasures revealed: Newly translated Hebrew text lists legendary riches - including the Ark of the Covenant

'Treatise of the Vessels’ suggests artefacts were hidden in the Middle East
Text was meant for entertainment rather than a guide to treasure's location
Treasures mentioned include musical instruments made of gold, ornaments from the Garden of Eden and various precious religious stones

PUBLISHED: 11:41 EST, 9 January 2014 | UPDATED: 07:42 EST, 10 January 2014

A real life Indiana Jones has uncovered details about King Solomon's riches in a newly translated Hebrew text.

But treasure hunters may have to wait a bit longer as, unlike the film ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ details about the exact location of these treasures are unclear.

Rather than a guide to lost treasure, the newly translated ‘Treatise of the Vessels’ was a legendary story written in Biblical times that was meant to entertain.

The Ark of the Covenant is a gilded case believed to have been constructed nearly 3,000 years ago

TREASURES DESCRIBED IN THE TREATISE OF THE VESSELS

The Ark of the Covenant

The Tabernacle - According to the Hebrew Bible, this was a portable dwelling where God chose to meet his people

Musical instruments made of gold

Ornaments from the Garden of Eden

77 golden tables of the Bread of the Presence - bread placed on a special table as an offering to God

Silver trumpets

The clothing of the high priest

Thousands of garments of regular priests

Gems from the 'Celestial Pavement', or Heaven

The text, translated by Professor James Davila from St Andrews University, suggests the artefacts from King Solomon's temple were tucked away in various places throughout the Middle East.

It lists a number of treasures including the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, musical instruments made of gold, ornaments from the Garden of Eden and various precious religious stones.

It describes: '77 tables of gold, and their gold was from the walls of the Garden of Eden that was revealed to Solomon, and they radiate like the radiance of the sun and moon, which radiate the height of the world.'

'The number of stones was forty-six thousands and the number of pearls was the same...seven curtains of fold in which was collected twelve thousands talents of gold and the vestments of the Levites and their belts.'

Enlarge

The Hebrew text claiming to reveal the location of King Solomans hidden treasure and the fate of the Ark of the Covenant. The oldest confirmed example of the treatise, which survives to present day, is from a book published in Amsterdam in 1648 called 'Emek Halachah'

A modern-day Indiana Jones has uncovered details about the fate of the Ark of Covenant (pictured in this stone carving) in a newly translated Hebrew text

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

The Ark of the Covenant is a legendary gilded case believed to have been constructed nearly 3,000 years ago.

According to biblical text, the Ark holds the Ten Commandments handed down to Moses by God.

It was housed in King Solomon's Temple, which contained a variety of different treasures.

In the Book of Exodus, the Ark is a box made from a of wood generally translated as acacia, covered in gold.

The top surface of the Ark is decorated with two cherubim, or angels, who crouch facing each other with wings outstretched, forming a seat. Some say God himself occupies that seat, while the Ark served as a footstool.

When King Solomon’s Temple was captured and destroyed by the Babylonians in 597 and 586 B.C., the coveted artefact disappeared forever.Some of the treasures were hidden in Israel and Babylonia, while others were delivered into the hands of the angels Shamshiel, Michael and Gabriel.

‘The text tells us no more about where the Ark and other treasures might be than if you watched the film,’ Professor Davila told MailOnline.

‘But it does provide some interesting insights into Jewish legends in the Middle Ages….Mostly it tells us ways in which people understood the Bible that are not part of official interpretation.’

The Ark of the Covenant is a legendary gilded case believed to have been constructed nearly 3,000 years ago.

According to biblical text, the Ark holds the Ten Commandments handed down to Moses by God. It was housed in King Solomon's Temple, which contained a variety of different treasures.

But when King Solomon’s Temple was captured and destroyed by the Babylonians in 597 and 586 B.C., the coveted artefact disappeared forever.

Archaeologists are still unsure whether Ark was captured, destroyed or hidden, and many have searched for it throughout the centuries.

The text, which dates back at least as far back as the 15th century, says the ‘treasures were concealed by a number of Levites and prophets.’

‘Some of these (treasures) were hidden in various locations in the Land of Israel and in Babylonia, while others were delivered into the hands of the angels Shamshiel, Michael, Gabriel and perhaps Sariel,’ he writes.

The writer of the text draws on traditional methods of scriptural explanation to explain where the treasures might have been hidden.

But there are a number of inconsistencies in the text. For example, in the prologue it states that Shimmur the Levite and his companions hid the treasures.

Later on the text mentions the treasures being in the keeping of, or hidden by, Shamshiel and other angels.

‘I believe the author looked at various legends without much concern about making them consistent,’ said Professor Davila.

He added that the treatise is similar in some ways to the metallic ‘Copper Scroll,’ one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found near the site of Qumran in the West Bank.

WHO WAS THE LEGENDARY KING SOLOMON?

King Solomon

King Solomon has fascinated historians, scholars and treasure hunters for centuries.

Some have been drawn to his poetry, others to his tales of wisdom - and many to the tales of his phenomenal wealth.

Although the only accounts of him come from the Bible, many historians believe he was a real and immensely powerful figure.

The son of King David - of the David and Goliath story - and Queen Bathsheba, he was the third King of Israel and ruled for 40 years, between 965BC and 925BC.

During his reign, Israel was at the heart of a prosperous and stable empire.

He rebuilt Jerusalem, creating magnificent palaces and fortresses, and also built the first temple to store the Ark of the Covenant.

His life was extravagant. The Book of Kings reveals he had 700 wives, including the daughter of a pharoah and 300 concubines.

The Old Testament also reveals how he was visited by the Queen of Sheba, who was so impressed by his wealth that she arrived on camel with spices, gifts and tons of gold.

According to Bible, he was a prolific writer, composing 1,005 songs and 3,000 proverbs.

Many are still in use, with the expression 'pride comes before a fall' based on one of his sayings.

According to biblical text, the Ark holds the Ten Commandments handed down to Moses by God. This image (ca. 1725-1727) shows the Ark of the Covenant and is by Giovanni Battista Pittoni

Indiana Jones, right, carries away the glistening Ark of the Covenant in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark by Steven Spielberg

The Copper Scroll, which dates back around 1,900 years, shows several ‘striking parallels’ with the newly translated treatise, Professor Davila said.

The treatise says that the treasures from Solomon's Temple were recorded ‘on a tablet of bronze,’ a metal like the Copper Scroll.

The Copper scroll also discusses the location of hidden treasure, although not from Solomon's Temple. Professor Davila said this might reveal a tradition of inscribing lists of treasures on metal.

The oldest confirmed example of the treatise, which survives to present day, is from a book published in Amsterdam in 1648 called ‘Emek Halachah.’

However, Professor Davila is the first to translate the text into English.

Middle East Facts

Monday, July 20, 2015