Has Tudor Parfitt's Ark of the Covenant Been Stolen?

On 17 Mar 08, a report came through on the Huliq web site that Tudor Parfitt’s Ark of the Covenant had been stolen. The story claims that an Ephraim Sadiki went to see the Ark at the Harare Museum, and was turned away on two separate occasions. The first he was simply told he could not see it, the second visit he was told the Ark had disappeared. Sadiki got the impression that the Ark had been stolen. The article’s author went to Harare and according to him, “was given the same treatment.”

Keep in mind that Huliq is a user based news reporting site. This means that just about anyone can submit a new story and the Huliq staff will review it for publication. Unlike “regular” media outlets, the onus of factual stories is on the author not the publisher. This format does create the possibility for inaccurate reporting, just like reading a blog has to be weighed for factual content.

One would think that given the buzz earlier this year about Parfitt’s Ark, some more follow up from the media and academia would have happened. The news wires have been largely silent about Parfitt’s Ark since the airing of the History Channel program that chronicled his theory. Any news relating to the Parfitt’s Ark has been relegated to TV listings for repeats of the History Channel Documentary.

There are four possibilities that exist regarding the piece in Huliq.

1. It’s a fabrication.

2. The Harare Museum staff simple did not want to be bothered with folks banging down their door to see the Ark and made up a ruse to keep the masses away. This seems unlikely; there would be a profit motive for Museum officials to display the Ark. “Hey kid, give me a dollar and I’ll let you see the Ark of the Covenant”, comes to mind.

3. The Ark has been sold to some unnamed collector or institution and the Museum doesn’t want to admit it. Parfitt even mentions in the documentary that the folks at the Harare Museum wanted to sell the piece to him. If the Huliq report is accurate and the Ark is not there, this seems the most likely scenario.

4. The Ark was actually stolen. Art and artifact theft is a big business across the world. All one has to do is to go to the Saztv web site to get a scope of this type of theft. That is unless the Israelis sent in commandos to steal the Ark. That seems as likely as ninja assassins storming Edinburgh Castle to steal the Stone of Destiny, but is a possibility…

So where is the Ark? Is it still resting in Harare or is it some collector’s den? I don’t know the answer to that question. I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground for the last month for any other related news, and there’s’ been nothing. The only thing I’m sure of at this point is that no one else is talking about it.

Grail Seekers Media Watch since 5 Apr 08

Grail Seekers this since last time:

With any luck, I should be returning to New York for the Bloodlines press conference at the Jewish Museum on 5 May 08. I’ve been in contact with Bruce Burgess and the folks at Cinema Libre Studios about getting a press pass to attend. So cross your fingers and throw some salt over your shoulder… If the trip does materialize, I’ll be doing audio blogs to keep everyone up to speed on the press conference.

On Audio:

Dreamlands was busy in the last week… Dr. Karen Ralls, author of the Templar Encyclopedia appeared on 19 Apr 08. Laurence Gardner appeared on 12 Apr 08 talking about his take on the bloodline of Jesus. Catch these interviews before they go into the archive vault.

Radio Rennessence has posted their interview with Henry Lincoln of Holy Blood, Holy Grail fame.

In the News:

A possible druid grave has been found in Colchester, UK.

Was Da Vinci of Arabic descent?

Could Gordon Brown open the way for Catholics to ascend the throne in England?

Viking artifacts have been found in Northern Scotland.

More news of illegal digs in Rennes-le-Chateau surface. You’ll need a translator or the ability to read French for this article.

The BBC follows the excavations inside the ring at Stonehenge. The article has embedded video of the dig.

On the Web:

The Alchemy Lab web site has a concise history of alchemy from Egypt to modern day.

Softpedia explores the monolithic Churches of Ethiopia. Check out the pictures in this article. It’s hard not to see the connections between the Templars, and Freemasonry of that matter, after seeing these images.

Sacred Texts posts Pike’s Morals and Dogma on line.

Blog On:

Bruce Burgess has been busy with around 20 entries into the Official Bloodlines blog in the last week.

Anthony North asks, Does the Devil have a Halo? I know the Devil plays Halo 3, and he’s running around with an energy sword which he commonly skewers me with…

The Truth Will Set You Free blog digs up the theory that Stanley Kubrick was killed by the Illuminati for making Eyes Wide Shut.

Has the Grail Been Destroyed in Japan?

According to the 16 Apr 08 edition of the Mainichi Daily News, the Holy Grail has been destroyed in Japan. The article claims that sometime in January, "The Amagusa Kurishitankan (Christian Building) was demolished as part of a restoration project funded by the special road maintenance taxes and the Christians' Holy Grail was obliterated”.

The thought that the Grail resided in Japan might come as a incongruous to some. It’s not as far fetched as you might think if you consider the traditions of the Kakure Kirishitan, (Hidden Christians) and the village of Shingo in Japan. Shingo’s claim to fame is that that Jesus came to the island after his brother James took his place on the cross. In 1935, Sajiro Sawaguchi, a native Shingoite even claimed to be a descendant of Jesus.

What isn’t so evident about the January destruction of the Amagusa Kurishitankan is a matter of semantics. The article refers to the relics being destroyed in the Amagusa Kurishitankan and the Amagusa Kurishitankan also being thought of as the Kakure Kirishitan’s Holy Grail.

This begs the question could the Kakure Kirishitan’s have held the Grail? The answer might be that a military standard used by 17th century Japanese Christian Amagusa Shiro during a Christian rebellion against the Shogun is preserved was Amagusa Kurisuchian, depicts the Grail. In 1935, a golden cross was found in a Christian’s grave who fought against the Shogun. On the cross was an inscription in an indecipherable sentence that many believe will lead to treasure Amagusa Shiro had hidden. Some believe the Grail was part of that treasure horde.

Were these the relics that were destroyed in the Amagusa Kurisuchian in January? If so, this Grail tradition might very well have died with the destruction of the museum.

Templar Tomb found in France, A Bloodline Movie Press Release

The fine folks at Cinema Libre Studio sent me this press release yesterday. I have a feeling the buzz about the Bloodlines movie will only increase after this. The following is the unedited press release.

TOMB DISCOVERED IN FRANCE CONSIDERED KNIGHTS TEMPLAR –WHEN EXCAVATED, FINDINGS MAY CHALLENGE THE TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY

EXPLORED IN NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘BLOODLINE’ PREMIERING MAY 9

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 17, 2008) – An underground tomb found in the Languedoc region of southwest France has been discovered, which may help substantiate the existence of a Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene bloodline, according to the new documentary BLOODLINE, premiering May 9 in New York and May 16 in Los Angeles. The rare find will be further examined at a Monday, May 5 news conference at the Jewish Museum in New York City. The chamber contains a mummified corpse on a rose-colored plinth under a shroud bearing the distinctive red cross of the Knights Templar, and is surrounded by wooden chests, revealing a cache of gold chalices and coins. The discovery has been reported to the French Government agency, Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles Languedoc-Roussillon (DRAC-LR), and plans are underway for a full scale survey.

“After the Crusades, it was rumored that the Templars had discovered treasure underneath the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem that could debunk the Catholic Church’s doctrine,” said BLOODLINE director Bruce Burgess, of the unprecedented discovery of what appears to be an intact Knights Templar tomb. “This treasure was believed to be priceless relics - documents, the Holy Grail, even the embalmed remains of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene – which was then brought to southern France, and hidden.”

The subterranean chamber was discovered by an English adventurer, Ben Hammott, using a hidden code in the decor of the church at Rennes-le-Chateau left behind by the 19th century priest, Berenger Sauniére. The film team was able to gain access into the tomb by using a remote camera inserted through a small air shaft at the top of the chamber. (Clips visible at http://blip.tv/file/827329/)

Relics were not removed, although the team was able to extract a few hair strands from the corpse, which have undergone testing by the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada. “Like most ancient or degraded samples, we knew our best chance for successful results would be to focus our efforts on mitochondrial DNA,” said analyst Renee Praymack Fratpietro. “We were able to determine a Middle Eastern maternal origin of the individual based on haplotyping information. After we found out where this hair sample came from, we realized the significance of this work."

BLOODLINE producer René Barnett concluded, “Given the DNA results, the region’s Templar history and the legend of priest Sauniere which indicated that he found a tomb in the area that could “shake the Vatican to its core,” we think this is a staggering find.”

The DRAC Commissioner in the region, Jean-Pierre Giraud said, “This is certainly a very intriguing discovery, but it's just too early to tell how important it is. We need to do a full survey of the site to determine the age of the corpse and the other items in the tomb. The archeology department of the DRAC-LR will be carrying out an examination of the site as soon as access has been made possible.”

The area surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau features prominently in the bloodline legend which follows the premise that Mary Magdalene escaped Jerusalem with child, sailed to France and settled in the region.

For the latest updates – including clips, press releases and updates on the dig - visit www.bloodlinethemovie.com.

Grail Seekers Media Watch for the week ending 5 Apr 08

Grail Seekers this week:

Time and tide changes all things, or so my fortune cookie from last night’s dinner said…. Maybe my outlook on life, the universe and everything will change this week.

On Audio:

The Oopa Loopa Café will have a show on Oz’s visit to the Kensington Rune Stone on the 10^th.

The Laura Lee show will have Michael Heiser on ancient Semitic languages on the 10^th; and Michael Cremo on the 12^th.

In the News:

Well Jimmy Page’s Grail tapestry didn’t sell at auction this week. I wonder if it will show up on Ebay?

Well we now know the Achesons from Hertford aren’t part of the “Ancient & Noble Order of the Knights Templar”. I had a feeling they would denounce the group.

A North Fort Myers Masonic Lodge was broken into and $49,000 worth of “relics” were taken.

Two Israeli Rabbis think the Ark of the Covenant is still in Jerusalem.

The Times Online opens up the English HQ of the Hospitilars.

Was Sodom and Gomorrah hit by a comet?

The BBC reports excavations inside the Stonehenge ring will start soon.

On Film:

Movie Vine reviews Philip Gardiner's The Bond Code. Who knew Flemming was into alchemy?

On the Web:

Priory of Sion.com examines André Bonhomme’s role in the formation of the POS.

Red Ice Creations posted all of the Occult History of the Third Reich documentary.

Live Science takes us back to the Council of Nicea

Blog On:

The “to be continued” blog has a concise history of the Oak Island mysteries.

Numerologist Gary Van Tenuta has an open letter on Tracy Twyman’s blog on some intriguing gematria.

The Kemo’s Journal blog explains the Templar’s greatest secret…

Lambuth University Opens the Processus contra Templarios to the Public

When the Vatican Press released Processus contra Templarios (Prosecution Against the Templars) last October, there was a cloud of speculation as to what the book contained and who was going to obtain one of the 799 publicly available copies. Many of those who purchased the text did not want any publicity, and the Vatican did not release a list of those who obtained a copy.

Lambuth University in Jackson, TN has taken a different route. Last Friday, Lambuth unveiled the university's acquisition of Processus copy number 241 . Joining Stanford, Cornell, and the University of Manchester (UK); Lambuth is one of the few institutions that has made the acquisition public knowledge. They’ve even gone a step further and invited the public on campus to celebrate the addition to their library. I made my way to Jackson yesterday to see the documents for myself. I never thought I would ever get the chance to view a copy, especially just two hours from home.

Processus is housed in a simple wood and glass case in the front of the Luther L. Gobbel Library. The University acquired the text after trustee Steve Brooks donated the funds to purchase the set. When ask what motivated Brooks to acquire the text, library staff members simply said he thought it would be a good addition to the library.

The library’s staff seemed a little overwhelmed at the prospect of having such a rare text in their care. Chief of Circulation Elaine Walker admitted she didn’t know much about the Templars before the acquisition but admits, “The Knights Templar and I have spend a the last few months getting to know each other.”

Yesterday’s event at the Gobbel Library was like a meet and greet with the text. Walker did a short presentation about the history of the Templars and the import of the text. Then the Library's Director Pam Dennis opened up the Processus for everyone’s examination. The staff passed out white gloves for everyone to take a peek at the documents.

The main book contains commentary and trial transcripts in English and Italian. The set also came with an exact reproduction of the Chinon Parchment. Water spots, pin pricks, and all other imperfections were all there. The only thing that the Vatican press did not include with the set was a translation of the Chinon Parchment. The transcript of the original Latin available within the main text in a more easy to read format.

Lambuth’s goal is that the text be made available to researchers and all those interested in examining it. I applaud Lambuth for opening their resources to me and the rest of the world. There will be a day very soon I'll be back to spend with the Processus.