An "Arc of the Covenant" Storyline

J

jmpet

Valued Senior Member
I am working on an abstract story about the discovery of the Arc of the Covenant somewhere in Israel. But playing it out logically every way I can, its discovery will lead one way or another to World War Three.

The "bad guys" in this case are the Muslims who either want it for themselves or want to destroy it as it's idolatry. Either way, they attack Israel to get the Arc. From there, World War Three breaks out and us "good guys" have to end up nuking and destroying the entire Arab world.

Now we must all agree that the Arc is a war chest of some mystical type... all the Old Testament did with it was bring it to battles and win until 586 bc, then it was secreted away for us to find today.

We must also assume the Jews will want to build Third Temple to properly house it, which once again will lead to war with the tearing down of the Dome of the Rock to make way.

Is there any way the Arc can be discovered that wouldn't lead to World War Three? Writer's cramp!

To me it's sad that the world may not be ready for the Arc to be rediscovered- maybe that's the moral of the story.

Can you folks add some input to these random ideas?
 
Weel the first thing you need to know is that it's spelled "Ark" - just like Noah's big boat. ;)

And the second, according to the majority of theologians who've actually put it into the greater context is that it's served it's purpose - just as did the people at the time it was around - and now both, those people and the ark, have served that purpose, they've all been done away with. It belonged to a different time and different circumstances.
 
Yes but let's move past that that pretend it was actually hidden away somewhere to be found today.- the ArK.
 
Re: Arc. When doing creative writing, often spelling and punctuation loses out to the creativity of a new concept of idea. Sorry I spelled it Arc instead of Ark- I just don't see how this changes the point of the OP.
 
It is found in neutral ground in Isreal in a catacolmb. Not under the temple but a block away from it, behind a false wall. It is claimable by the Israelis.
 
You could have it hidden in plain sight, rather than deep under some smelly old cave.

My theory is that it was boarded over and made into the desk at the oval office.
 
No- if found under The Dome of the Rock, Muslims will automatically claim it. I want to avoid this, so it's found a few blocks away from the Mount underground in some lost catacolmb hidden behind a fasle wall etc... It all fits historically too.
 
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M*W: I'm all for utilizing creative license, but let's take a look at the Latin to English translation of "arca":

http://www.online-dictionary.biz/latin/english/meaning/arca

arca: box, chest
arca, archa: chest, box, money box, coffin, cell

So, the arc, arca, archa, or the ark, is an object that is a container for something else.

However, I don't believe the "Ark of the Covenant" exists in some tangible form so, it cannot be stored or hidden anywhere. Until we can identify (prove) what the Covenant actually was, we cannot determine where it was contained.

I believe the story of the ark (any spelling) is a myth. Since so many myths were of astro-theological origin, no matter how hard we look for the ark on Earth, we're not going to find it. The bible refers to Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, but the story of Noah's Ark takes place much earlier in flood myths of cultures predating OT times.

The Ark of the Covenant as given to Abraham as a gift from god. It refers to the sun (god) and his demigods, the planets, constellations and stars having dominion over Abraham's lot. Ancient humans viewed life on Earth as living under a half dome that contained their many gods (zodiac) who were higher than the lowly humans and animals. How circumcision came into play is that the penis (patriarchy) was worshiped on Earth (as they assumed it was in heaven) as the circular universe under the "dome."

If you're looking for a ship big enough to contain all the plants and animals in the world, or for a box that may have contained an ancient battery, you need look no farther than the ancient myths.
 
jmpet said:
I am working on an abstract story about the discovery of the Arc of the Covenant somewhere in Israel. But playing it out logically every way I can, its discovery will lead one way or another to World War Three.

The "bad guys" in this case are the Muslims who either want it for themselves or want to destroy it as it's idolatry. Either way, they attack Israel to get the Arc. From there, World War Three breaks out and us "good guys" have to end up nuking and destroying the entire Arab world.

Now we must all agree that the Arc is a war chest of some mystical type... all the Old Testament did with it was bring it to battles and win until 586 bc, then it was secreted away for us to find today.

We must also assume the Jews will want to build Third Temple to properly house it, which once again will lead to war with the tearing down of the Dome of the Rock to make way.

Is there any way the Arc can be discovered that wouldn't lead to World War Three? Writer's cramp!

To me it's sad that the world may not be ready for the Arc to be rediscovered- maybe that's the moral of the story.

Can you folks add some input to these random ideas?
Click to expand...

Easy one. Just have it found by a secret society. Then you could have other secret societies all having a secret war without anyone being aware of it. And in the final confrontation you could do a, raiders of the lost arc, kind of ending, you know when the angels come out and burn the skin off them all.

Like in the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3KV4fLSNoU



All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
in response to the op, imo it would take a hell of a lot less than that to spark ww3. people are practically begging for it.
 
first off what i know of the ark of covenant..if one physically touches it, they are dead..

i did find this passage that could add to a novel..
14 “Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance
Click to expand...

I would think to line up with your story line, it would have to release something that gets in the heads of everyone that increases their understanding of things to the point that they realize war is irrelevant.

maybe a glimpse of what heaven is really like,
maybe a glimpse of the future or alternate reality where war doesn't exist,
maybe something that shows the different religious groups they are all correct (or even all wrong)

or if you want to get thick with the scifi..have the arc opened and the opening of the ark signals an alien culture to make contact, that contact communicates that the aliens were responsible for seeding life on this planet.
to be different, you would have to make the aliens benevolent (malevolent aliens abound in science fiction)
IE, we are from the planet Elijiah and we have come to save those who have learned what we left for them to learn..the earth is almost done and you have done it to yourselves, we are hear to save humanity by saving those who have learned...


an anti-climatic solution would be for the finders to give it to the other group..
 
Part of the original idea is to present that it's mere discovery will lead to all sorts of conflicts... I didn't even get to whether or not the Arc has any powers.

Naturally the High Rabbi of the highest Temple in Israel will keep it at his place and it will be properly handled and worshipped.

But ultimately it belongs in Third Temple on the foundation rock but currently there's a Dome over it...

I also definetly don't want to rip off Indiana Jones... I think you can present a good enough story on its own merit without ripping off another idea.
 
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