Ark of Covenant ‘to be revealed’ after leaking roof in Ethiopian chapel
- Ark contains Ten Commandments God ‘gave’ to Moses on Mount Sinai
- One holy monk is the only person allowed to see the holy box…
- …but he’ll need a hand carrying metre long wooden structure to new home
By Rick Dewsbury
Last updated at 7:50 PM on 4th December 2011
A very British problem of a leaky church roof could be about to give the world the chance to glimpse the legendary Ark of the Covenant.
That’s because the claimed home of the iconic relic – a small chapel in Ethiopia – has sprung a leak and so the Ark could now be on the move.
The Ark – which The Bible says holds God’s Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai – is said to have been kept in Aksum, in the Chapel of the Tablet, adjacent to St Mary of Zion Church, since the 1960s.
According to the Old Testament, it was first kept in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem for centuries until a Babylonian invasion in the 6th century BC.
Leaking roof: The Chapel of the Tablet in Ethiopia that holds the Ten Commandments and has the water damage. The St Mary of Zion church, that originally held the tablet, can be seen in the foreground
Since then it’s been the goal of many adventurers and archaeologists to find it. Most-famously, but also fictitiously, Indiana Jones was shown in the 1981 Steven Spielberg film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
There has also been a long-running claim from the Orthodox Christians of Ethiopia that they have had the Ark for centuries, and since the 1960s it has apparently been kept in the chapel.
This small and curiously-styled building is surrounded by spiked iron railings, and situated between two churches, the old and new, of St Mary of Zion in central Aksum.
No one has been allowed to see the holy object, described in scripture as being made from acacia wood, plated with gold and topped with two golden angels, except one solitary elderly monk, who must watch over the Ark for the remainder of his life, and is never allowed to leave the chapel grounds.
But now the chapel – which was designed by the Ethiopian leader Emperor Hailie Selassie – has had to be covered in a tarpaulin to stop rain getting in.
The water damage could mean the Ark will be moved for the first time in decades giving religious worshippers and adventurers alike a chance to see it.
British photographer Tim Makins, 54, who is a travel photographer for publications like Lonely Planet, discovered the church had sprung a leak whilst travelling through Ethiopia last September.
Holy work: Workmen clear the ground adjacent to the Chapel of the Tablet. Right, Paintings in the old church of St Mary of Zion and the covered entrance to the inner chapel
He believes the moving of the Ark could be one of the best ways to discover if there’s any truth in the claims of the East African state.
Tim said: ‘During my most recent visit to the church, I was surprised to see some ground adjacent to the ”Chapel of the Tablet” being cleared and levelled by workmen, and some quantities of building stone being assembled nearby.
‘Asking around, I managed to discover that a new temporary chapel is due to be built, and the Ark is to be moved into it while the original chapel is repaired.
‘It seems that the builders of the 1960s were not as careful as the builders of centuries past, and the roof of the chapel has developed some serious leaks that now need comprehensive repair work.
Sought after: Indiana Jones, right, carries away the glistening Ark of the Covenant in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark by Steven Spielberg
‘To protect the Ark, a tarpaulin now covers the roof of the chapel but this is just a temporary measure.
‘To renovate the building thoroughly, the roof must be stripped back to the bare bones and so a replacement chapel is to be built next door providing a temporary home for it.’
Tim said the construction of the new temporary chapel would take about three months according to workers and religious figures at the site, though he suspects that it will probably take much longer.
He added: ‘When the work is finished, the Ark of the Covenant will be carried to its new resting place.’
‘That this can be done by the one person allowed to see it is unlikely, as The Bible describes the size of the Ark as 2.5 cubits in length, 1.5 in breadth, and 1.5 in height.
‘Cubits in today’s measurements translate to about 1.31 metres x 0.79m x 0.79m and it is normally carried on two long wooden poles.
‘If it really is this size, and still contains the two stone tablets that list God’s Ten Commandments, then the elderly monk will no doubt need some help to transport it.’
Bonfire Night expected to be a damp squid after tornado rips the roof off a stable
- Fierce winds leave trail of destruction in rural Worcestershire
By Stephanie Darrall
Last updated at 2:51 PM on 5th November 2011
It looks like the aftermath of a tropical storm, but this scene of destruction took place on a farm in Worcestershire yesterday.
A tornado uprooted trees and tore the roof of a stable as it swept past the village of Inkberrow in the mid-afternoon.
Amazingly, the fierce winds threw the stable roof 20metres through the air before it came to rest stuck in the branches of a nearby tree.
Other trees were left broken in half at the Knowle Fields Barn Farm complex.
Twister: A tornado ripped the roof off a building and pulled up trees in Worcestershire yesterday
Waterlogged: Many roads in Essex became flooded on Friday, like this one in Ingatestone, after heavy rain
Incredibly, the storm passed over workers in a nearby office building, who didn’t realise the extent of the damage until they stepped outside after it had finished.
Dawn Wheatcroft, office manager at partitioning company Waterson’s Projects, which is based on the site, said that the storm seemed to ‘last forever’.
She said: ‘It seemed like forever whilst it was happening, although it probably lasted less than a minute.
‘It was a bit of a grey day but you never expect something like that to happen, it was one of the worst storms I’ve ever seen.’
Flooding: Heavy rain in the south caused road closures in Southampton yesterday
Weather experts believe the tornado may have been a funnel cloud, which can still cause destruction if it touches the ground.
Tornado sightings were also reported in nearby Redditch at the same time.
If not a washout, Bonfire Night looks set to be something of a damp squid as floods and torrential rain from last night give way to light rain mainly confined to Lincolnshire, East Anglia and South-East England.
Across remaining parts of the UK it will be a dry night with mostly clear skies.
Cold across Scotland and Northern Ireland with a widespread ground frost and an air frost in places. Mist and fog patches will develop too across parts of the north where winds are light.
Washout: Floods and heavy rain may turn Bonfire Night parties being held over the weekend into wet events forecasters have warned
Bristol bus accident: 6 injured as double decker roof ripped off by branch
- Injuries thought not to be life threatening
- ‘It was a pretty hellish… there was a lot of blood on people,’ says passenger
By Oliver Pickup
Last updated at 10:54 AM on 25th October 2011
Six commuters have been injured in a horrific rush hour accident after the roof of a double decker bus was completely ripped off by a low-hanging tree branch.
Those who suffered injuries this morning were taken from the scene at Fishponds Road in Bristol to hospital after the First Bus number 342 hit the tree branches.
It is thought that the trees had been partially brought down by strong winds over the weekend.
The wounded, who had been travelling upstairs, suffered multiple cuts and lacerations to their heads and faces as the roof of the white double decker bus was torn off and left 100 yards further along the road.
Emergency workers attend to the passengers of a double decker bus which had it’s roof ripped of by a tree in Bristol this morning
Emergency services arrived before 8am and performed a medical check on every passenger on the bus.
Paramedics treated injured patients in their seats on the top of the bus which was left totally exposed by the smash.
It is believed that six adults suffered cuts and lacerations to their heads, but the injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Two were taken to Frenchay Hospital with minor cuts to their heads, with one man transported for treatment on a spinal board.
Three further patients were being assessed at the scene, but were expected to be treated at the back of an ambulance.
Passenger Simon Starr, 34, was travelling on the bottom floor when the bus hit the tree and said: ‘After the crash I walked up the stairs and there were people screaming. It was a pretty hellish sight and scary to be involved in.
‘No one was unconscious fortunately but there was a lot of blood on some people. The bus was about half full, but ten people on the top deck needed treatment.
‘I was reading a paper and there was just this almighty bang. It was like the bus had gone into the back of a car.
‘Speaking to other passengers though it appears there was one very low branch and it’s just hit that.
‘Speed wasn’t a factor, I wouldn’t blame the driver. This one branch was just lower and bigger than most.
Eye-witnesses said that there was a lot of blood following the crash
Meanwhile a spokeswoman for the Great Western Ambulance Service said: ‘We are checking over all of the passengers that were on the bus.
‘We believe we have six patients in total, with none thought to have suffered life threatening injuries. I believe all of the six are adults and not children.
‘They have suffered cuts to their heads and other head injuries. We have paramedics and specialist paramedics there as well.
‘They are working together to find out which passengers have what injuries. Two have been taken to Frenchay with not serious head injuries.
‘One of the two – a man – was taken on a spinal board but his injuries are not thought to be serious.’
The 342 bus had all of its roof torn off, after colliding with a low-hanging branch
A spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset police said: ‘Police were called to Fishponds Road, Bristol at around 7.40am this morning to reports of an incident involving a double decker bus.
‘The ambulance service is treating several passengers at the scene.
‘The road has been closed from the Eastville side of Hawkesbury Road and also the Fishponds Road junction with Brentry Road.
‘Motorists are being urged to avoid the area at this time.’
And a spokesperson for First Bus said: ‘We can confirm that there has been an incident this morning on Fishponds Road involving a Service 342 bus.
‘The top of the double decker bus was in collision with some tree branches which were hanging over the road.
‘The bus was in service at the time, with a number of passengers on board. A number of people have sustained injuries and have been taken to hospital for further treatment. None of the injuries are thought to be life threatening.
‘Our teams are on the scene and are working with the relevant authorities to determine exactly what has happened.
‘Our thoughts are with those people who were on the bus at the time of the incident and their family and friends.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to reassure people that such incidents are thankfully very rare, and that the bus remains one of the safest forms of transport in the UK.’
Miner dies after roof of North Yorkshire colliery caves in
- Other miner is saved in three-hour rescue
- Two main shafts are 800m deep
- ‘Remember, think safety every hour of the day’ says sign at entrance of mine
By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 5:26 AM on 28th September 2011
Emotional: Abby Crowther weeps with relief after hearing that her father Martin, who works at the mine, was not involved in the accident
A miner was killed and another rescued last night following a roof collapse in a coal mine deep underground.
A full-scale emergency operation was launched after the two men, who have not yet been named, became trapped at the Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire yesterday afternoon.
Almost four hours later the authorities revealed that one of the men had died.
The second man suffered leg injuries which were not believed to be serious, and was taken to hospital.
It is the third fatality at the mine in three years.
The tragedy comes on the eve of the funeral of the first of four men who died earlier this month in South Wales following the flooding of the Gleision colliery in Cilybebyll, Pontardawe.
Gareth Williams, managing director of UK Coal, which operates the Kellingley mine, spoke at a press conference to confirm the death.
He said: ‘Colleagues successfully recovered one of the two men who was trapped by the legs and he was brought to the surface but we regret that a second colleague was confirmed dead by the medical team, despite their best efforts.’
No names would be released until family members had been informed, he added.
Waiting game: Families and friends of miners who work at the colliery wait outside for news last night
‘Think safety every hour of the day,’ reads the notice at the entrance of the Kellingley colliery
While the rescue was going on, family members who did not know whether their loved ones were involved gathered at the mine entrance, some of them in tears.
Sisters Leanne and Abby Crowther wept with relief when they were told their father Martin, who also works at the mine, was safe.
The colliery, near Knottingley, employs about 600 staff and is the largest remaining deep mine in Yorkshire.
Its two main shafts are almost 800 metres deep. Only one of the shafts is used by miners. The other is used to transport coal. The mine supplies local power stations as well as producing some household coal.
Two miners have been trapped underground at Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire
The North Yorkshire colliery has had a history of safety related incidents
WELSH MINE TRAGEDY INQUEST ADJOURNED
The inquest into the deaths of four men who died in a tragic colliery disaster following the flooding of the mine in south Wales was opened and adjourned today.
Phillip Hill, 44, Garry Jenkins, 39, David Powell, 50, and Charles Breslin, 62, died when water engulfed the Gleision Colliery in Cilybebyll, Pontardawe, earlier this month.
The corner spoke of the ‘sad circumstances’ that led to the men’s deaths.
Their families did not attend the inquest which lasted just a few minutes.
It was adjourned until a later date by Swansea Coroner Phillip Rogers.
During the brief hearing the coroner said he would adjourn proceedings for the receipt of further reports.
Detailed examination results relating to each man are likely to take a further eight to 12 weeks, South Wales Police have said.
The operation involving all emergency services began after the men became trapped at 4.35pm.
Police said the man who died was in his 40s and from North Yorkshire. The injured man is also in his 40s and from West Yorkshire.
A police spokesman said: ‘At around 7.30pm, two miners were brought to the surface by North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
‘A joint investigation into the incident will be carried out by specialist mine inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive and North Yorkshire Police.’
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman added: ‘We deployed our specialist Hazardous Area Response Team who are trained to work underground, an ambulance incident officer, senior doctors, response vehicles and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance who have been working closely with emergency service colleagues at the scene.
In recent years there have been two deaths at the mine. In October 2009 miner Ian Cameron, 46, died after an apparent equipment failure when he was crushed by a roof support. In September 2008 miner Donald Cook, 50, died in a roof fall at the colliery.
Inventor blows off the roof of his house after experiment to make vodka goes wrong
- 10 houses evacuated in South Wales village after Lawrence Toms found wandering streets in his blackened underwear
- The graduate’s company Real Cool Futures also makes gift paper stationery from sheep droppings
By Emily Allen
Last updated at 7:17 AM on 9th September 2011
An inventor blew out his windows and part of his roof when his home-made vodka kit exploded in his bedroom.
Lawrence Toms, 43, was tinkering with his vodka distillation equipment when neighbours suddenly heard a massive blast blowing out the windows and the roof of his home.
Ten neighbouring houses had to be evacuated before Mr Toms found wandering in his blackened underwear in the street.
Damage: Lawrence Toms was tinkering with his vodka distillation equipment when the blast occurred blowing out the windows and the roof of his home which is currently boarded up while windows are replaced
Home-brewing: Lawrence Toms was trying to make vodka in his bedroom when the experiment went wrong
Police were today investigating the explosion and the home brewing apparatus was taken away for examination.
Neighbours said Mr Toms had been making vodka at his home after downloading a recipe and instructions from the internet.
Next-door neighbour Gavin Rees, 28, said: ‘I’d just put my five-year-old to bed when I heard a massive explosion.
‘I looked out of the window and saw my neighbour in the street in his boxers and shorts with all his skin burnt off his arms.
‘I took him in and ran his burns under the tap until the paramedics took him away.’
Four fire engines and an ambulance were called to the terraced street in the village of Treherbert, Rhondda, South Wales.
Fire fighters battled to control the blaze while Mr Toms was taken to a specialist burns unit.
Hannah Knowles, 63, who lives opposite, said: ‘I was just settling down to watch Coronation Street with a cup of tea when I heard a huge bang.
‘I looked out the window and saw giant jets of flame shooting out of the roof of Mr Tom’s house. I’ve never seen anything like it.
‘His windows were blown out but luckily for me his camper van was parked outside and that shielded me from the blast.’
Mr Toms, a graduate of St Mary’s University, London, runs his own company called Real Cool Futures.
One of his products is making gift paper and stationery from sheep droppings which has been presented to Prince Charles.
Explosion: Four fire engines and an ambulance were called to the terraced street to put out the blaze. The blackened windows, smoke stained room and damaged roof can be seen
In 2006 he won a £20,000 Millennium Award for ‘social entrepreneurship’.
But neighbours believe he was experimenting by making full-strength vodka using distillation apparatus which he had built in a bedroom.
Neighbour Susan Minty, 52, said: ‘He was definitely old enough to know better – he’s going to wake up with one hell of a hangover.
‘It’s crazy, you don’t go making something like that in a terrance street especially when there’s lots of kids about.
‘The fire fighters told us we were lucky the whole street didn’t go up.’ Mr Toms was yesterday being treated at Morriston Hospital in Swansea where he was described as ‘stable’.
South Wales Police said they believe that the explosion was caused by home-made alcohol.
‘The windows were blown out of the property and it was lucky no one in the street was injured.’ ‘We believe the explosion was triggered by a home brewing kit.
‘It’s not a criminal offence to brew your own alcohol for private use, unless it’s being carried out without licence for commercial benefit.
‘But officers are satisfied he was making it for his own consumption and this was not a commercial operation.’ Instructions available on the internet say: ‘Distillation is best done somewhere other than your house for safety considerations.
‘Distillation apparatuses are heated by open flames and other means that can cause bodily injury and result in explosions, especially due to the flammable nature of alcohol.
‘Leaks in a still or any situation where alcohol or alcohol vapour may end up exposed to flame, can very likely lead to explosion and fire.’
