(Photograph taken by Tom Crotser, used by permission)

 

The cave entrance, which held the ark, was found in a group of trees below the Franciscan Monastery on Pisgah. In 1980 Mr. Crotser and his wife, Margie, went to Jordan to take preliminary photos of the area. They spoke to the monks at the monastery, explaining to him Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant in this mountain. These Jordanians must have believed the report, for the following year, they had put in a aluminum plaque that related how the Ark was brought to this area. The military did say that there were rumors of some wealthy family burying gold in this mountain, but they didn’t realize that such valuable biblical treasures were in the area.

The next year, three other men returned with Mr. Crotser to explore the cave opening further. With permission of the Franciscan headquarters in Ammon, the Institute team drove on to Pisgah, about 35 miles southwest of Ammon. After crawling down the small hole opening, we came to the man-made hole. After removing some stones at the base, we entered that long passage, lined with burial tombs on each side. The following is a continuation of the personal testimony given by Mr. Crotser.

"Blackness I could feel surrounded me as I began that seemingly endless walk down that corridor. The length may have been only 300 feet, but the time it took me to make sure that there was not something I was missing made it seem much longer. The width was about 5 feet while the height of the ceiling varied. Most of the time I could walk upright, but other times I had to stoop down or I would have hit my head.

Finally we came to a larger broken-out area which resembled a ‘room’. The area maybe about 10 foot by 12 foot.

Over toward the far corner I saw something that looked like it was covered with some ancient cloth or skins - I couldn’t tell which it was so dirty. What staggered me was just a glimmer of what was underneath. After carefully removing the covering I gasped. There it was. For the first time since Jeremiah placed it in this cave, a human eye was gazing upon the sacred Ark. A strong presence seemed to engulf me. Words cannot express the sense of awe, even the sense of God there in that cave.

The thought that this vessel didn’t look like I expected it to look did not stop me from believing what I found. It looked just like a box. It seemed to have moveable doors in the front and a three-inch apron around the top. It had a criss-cross type design on it, and is made out of some type of metal that looks like gold.

I expected to see the cherubim sitting on top, but they were not there. Then I remembered that the mercy seat was not permanently attached to the Ark. Neither were the cherubim. If that solid slab of gold were on top, the weight would have been so immense that eight men could not have lifted it without breaking the poles.

Where were the staves or poles that were used to carry it? A look around revealed a wrapped bundle toward another wall. Only after restudying the Scriptures in Exodus 25:15 did I realize that the poles were not permanently attached to the Ark. They were permanently connected into the rings, which were attached to the chains, which were attached to the removable feet. Most drawings that I had seen of the Ark were made by people who only imagined what it looked like. So I had to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God that was staring me right in the face.

I measured the box. The length was 62 ½ inches while the base and height were both 37 ½ inches. The proportions matched the scriptural dimensions of 2 ½ by 1 ½ by 1 ½ cubits. This would make the cubit 25 inches. I didn’t touch the Ark out of reverence and respect for God. I knew of Uzzah who had been struck dead after just placing his hand to steady it, but I personally was not being motivated by fear for self in what I did in the cave.

I wasn’t there to open the box, so I didn’t. I was only sent to Pisgah to find it. Now, if this next year God sends me open it, I will open it. I’m not going to do anything unless I am sent.

I did take some flash pictures of the ARK. Not all of them turned out since the flash unit was not working properly. Those that did turn out do give good detail of what the box looks like.

None of us thought about carrying it out of the cave. What would we do with it even if we could get it through the sealed wall. Some have asked me later if I am afraid someone else will come and get the Ark. This is not my concern. God is able to contend for himself. It has been safe for 2500 years, even with the hiding place clearly specified in Maccabees, so I trust that God is able to keep it safe until He wants it fully restored. Like the Scripture says, ‘there is a time for every purpose under heaven’."

The picture below shows the actual Ark of the Covenant. Tom Crotser was said to have shown the first pictures of it to David Rothschild, a very popular Jewish scholar, and now it is being passed on to all who will see in hopes for the whole world to know about.  Jesus is returning very, very soon!  Praise God!