The Ark of the Covenant at Axum
After Menelik I was anointed king of Ethiopia in Jerusalem, the elders of Israel's tribes — jealous of Solomon's favor toward his Ethiopian son — decided that the firstborn sons of Israel's nobles should accompany Menelik back to Ethiopia. Before departing, Azariah, son of the high priest Zadok, stole the Ark of the Covenant from the Temple, replacing it with a replica. Guided by divine light, the Ark traveled to Ethiopia, where it was installed at Axum with great ceremony. The Ark, called Tabot Zion or Zion of the Holy of Holies, brought God's presence to Ethiopia. It is kept in the Church of