Old Testament Proofs Archives - Bible Authenticity

What Happened To the Ark of the Covenant?

September 8, 2026 BibleAuthenticity Comments 3 comments

What happened to the sacred “Ark of the Covenant” (Hebrews 9:4 LSV) that was kept in the Holy of Holies at “the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness” (Acts 7:44 LSB), and later at “God’s Temple” (2 Chronicles 4:19; 2 Chronicles 5:1 NIV) in Jerusalem that was built by Solomon? The final direct mention of the physical Ark in canonical Scripture is found in 2 Chronicles 35:3, which records King Josiah, in 622 BCE, telling the Levites to put the holy Ark back into the temple built by King Solomon. SPECULATIVE THEORIES AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ARK OF THE COVENANT Because the canonical Bible ends its story without any mention of what finally happened to the Ark of the Covenant, many readers and scholars have looked to other speculative sources and traditions, such as:

Hidden by Jeremiah: The non-canonical book of 2 Maccabees claims that the prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark and the altar of incense in a cave on Mount Sinai (the mountain Moses climbed) before the Babylonian invasion.
Destroyed by Babylon: Many scholars and theologians believe the Babylonians broke the Ark apart or burned it during the destruction of the temple. Opinions are mixed on r/AskAChristian, where some users suggest the Ark’s purpose ended with Jesus and it was lost in the exile, while others believe it was safely hidden away.
Other Legends: Traditions claim the Ark was taken to Ethiopia, hidden on Mount Gerizim, or taken up to heaven (as seen in an apocalyptic vision in Revelation 11:19).

The only viable option of the above three speculations is the second one. But, the biblical text does not state whether the Ark was captured, hidden, or melted down for its gold. The fact is that we really don’t know what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. The following section gives solid scriptural evidence that even makes the section speculation, above, questionable, at best.

“‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have treasured up to this day will be taken to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh” (Isaiah 39:6 LSB). “A precise forecast: nothing vague or symbolic, but literal deportation to a named empire. Fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar removed temple and palace treasures in 605 BC, 597 BC, and finally 586 BC (2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chronicles 36:18; Daniel 1:1-2)” (Bible Hub Study Bible). With this prophecy, namely, “nothing will be left,” we can be absolutely certain that, if it was still in existence, the Ark of the Covenant would be taken to Babylon read more

When Was the Book of Lamentations Written?

July 10, 2026 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Chronicl es 35

The lamentations of Jeremiah are depicted in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld.

The Bible is popularly viewed as a mixture of fact, fiction, and folklore. In this article, we will explore the subject of “When was the book of Lamentations written, and why is it important for us to know that?”

The relatively short five chapter Old Testament Bible book isn’t used very much these days. In fact, many Christians are unaware that the book even exists, and even many of those who are aware, would struggle to find its place in the Bible. This is ironic, because an older song often sung in Christian Church services, weddings and funerals, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, is based on Lamentations 3:22-23. read more

Did Moses Write the Torah, or Pentateuch? – Why It Matters

February 4, 2026 BibleAuthenticity Comments 16 comments

Many modern “scholars” believe the first five books of the Bible, called the Torah, or Pentateuch, written after the exile, that is, after 586 BCE, while the older Jewish and Christian view is that Moses wrote it. Did Moses write the Torah, or Pentateuch? Why does it even matter?

The Torah was originally one scroll when originally written in ancient Hebrew, which had no written vowels. The reader would supply the vowel sounds, and people would listen when it was publicly read by the priests so they could learn the correct pronunciations. Later, in the 3rd century BCE, when the Torah was translated into Greek, which had written vowels, it became necessary to divide the Torah into five parts, which came to be called, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. From this the name Pentateuch was used to describe these five books, which were originally only one scroll in the ancient Hebrew. In any case, the entire Torah, or Pentateuch, is often referred to in the scriptures as, “the Law”, “the Law of Moses”, or sometimes, as just “Moses”. read more

Could Jonah Have Been Swallowed By A Whale?

February 19, 2025 BibleAuthenticity Comments 22 comments

Is the Bible reliable? — Could Jonah have been swallowed by a whale?

According to the biblical narrative, Jonah was swallowed by a “great fish” (Jonah 1:17 ESV), and spent three days and three nights in its belly before being spat out, unharmed. However, skeptics have long dismissed the tale as fantastical, citing physiological impossibilities. Could Jonah have been swallowed by a whale, or a “great fish”? A very modern event reminds us not to be too quick to dismiss Biblical accounts as fictional. The BBC reports: =&0=&

Should Pseudepigrapha (Books By Fake Authors) Be In the Bible?

February 23, 2015 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

Increasingly claims are being made that many worthy books were omitted from the Bible, and thus raising doubts in people’s minds that “the Scriptures” of the Bible are “the word of God” (John 10:35 NLT). Pseudepigrapha, meaning “false title,” or books by fake authors, refers to Jewish books that falsely claimed to have been written by Moses, Enoch, Abraham or some other ancient hero of the faith, and are supposedly arbitrarily omitted from the Bible.

Most pseudepigrapha, or books by fake authors, were written between 250 BCE and 200 CE. Why aren’t they part of the 66 book Biblical cannon of inspired books/ The Pseudepigrapha books compared with what is genuinely “all Scripture . . . by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 LSB) solves this puzzle.

EXAMPLES OF NOTABLE PSEUDEPIGRAPHAL WORKS

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: A series of documents claiming to be the “testaments” of the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel, in which they by turn give exhortations to their descendants. This work was probably written in the second century BCE, but its present form seems to reflect revision by a Christian. Depending upon interpretation, it may present a doctrine of two messiahs: a priestly messiah (from Levi) and a royal messiah (from Judah). In a manner typical of intertestamental Judaism, this work describes the Mosaic Law as the wisdom of God but reflects also the influence of Stoicism, a Hellenistic school of philosophy.