The Ark of the Covenant

There is a fascinating story associated with this building. According to Ethiopian legend, it holds the original Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark of the Covenant is a very holy artifact in the history of Judaism, holding the tablets that were given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai. But it disappeared when the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. Some say that it had already disappeared before the Babylonians came. The Smithsonian Institute has information at:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/ark-covenant-200712.html?gclid=CKbZlerHmJcCFRIcawodlmhS-A
According to Ethiopian legend, Menelik I was the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. As a young man, Menelik returned to visit Solomon. God spoke to him and to Solomon, telling them that Menelik was to take the Ark of the Covenant when he returned to Ethiopia. It was taken, first to a church on an island in Lake Tana, and later to Axum and has remained there since. Ethiopians believe the Ark yet remains in this building. There is a caretaker for the building, and when he gets old, he will appoint a successor. No one else has access to the building. In many of the churches we visited, there was a replica of the Ark, and it is a very important artifact for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.