Thousands Cheer Return of Relic Stolen Long Ago
Thousands of singing Ethiopians lined the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, to greet the return of a replica of the Ark of the Covenant taken from Ethiopia by British soldiers more than 130 years ago.
Government officials and clergy from Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church collected the sacred box--called the tabot--at the capital’s airport after it was flown from London. The relic was taken to Holy Trinity Cathedral, where it will be housed.
Tabots are sacred replicas of the Ark of the Covenant, which the Bible says Israelites used to carry the Ten Commandments.
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