Archaeologists excavating the site of Tel Shiloh in Samaria claim they have uncovered remains of an ancient structure that may have housed the Aron Habris, the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred, gold-covered chest described in the Torah as the resting place of the Luchos Habris brought by Moses from Mount Sinai.According to tradition, the Aron was placed in the Tabernacle, the Mishkan. For many years, the Mishkan, and later a stone sanctuary that replaced it,stood in Shiloh, until the Beit Mikdash was built by King Shlomo in Jerusalem. The fate of the Aron remains unknown; it disappeared from biblical records even before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
According to the Daily Mail, a team of researchers claims to have found, at the archaeological site of Tel Shiloh, which, according to the Bible, served as Israel’s first spiritual center, a stone structure whose dimensions and orientation match the biblical description of the Tabernacle.
Previously it was thought that the Mishkan had been located further north at the Shiloh site. But Dr. Scott Stripling, director of the Tel Shiloh excavation, believes that has found not just the site of the Mishkan but also the stone remains of the edifice.
Dr. Stripling told the Christian Broadcasting Network:
“We uncovered a monumental structure from Iron Age I, whose dimensions match those of the Tabernacle as described in the Bible. The structure is oriented east to west and divided in a 2:1 ratio, exactly as described in the scriptures.”
Beyond the structure itself, the researchers claim to have found over 100,000 animal bones at the site—mostly from sheep, goats, and cattle—and surprisingly, mostly from the right side of the animals. This aligns with Vayikra Chapter 7, which states that the right thigh of the sacrifice was given to the priests: “And the right thigh you shall give as a contribution to the priest from your peace offerings” (Vayikra 7:32).
“This is not a coincidence,” said Stripling. “The evidence of sacrificial rituals here is overwhelming, and it perfectly matches the biblical description. It’s hard to ignore.”
Pottery shards found among the bones are dated to the same period, strengthening the hypothesis that the site was indeed used during the time of the Mishkan, before the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The newly uncovered structure also features a massive internal wall dividing the space into two parts—reminiscent of the biblical description in Exodus Chapter 26, which describes how the Holy of Holies (where the Ark was placed) was separated from the outer chamber by a curtain (the Parochet).
Although the Ark itself has not yet been found, the discovery of this structure at Tel Shiloh—combined with the ritual evidence found on site—sheds new light on the religious life, faith, and practices of ancient Israelites. Most of all, it brings renewed attention to the search for the most sacred object in the Bible.
Shiloh, located in the hilly region of southern Samaria, is described in the Bible as the first religious center of Israel. According to the Book of Shmuel, this is where Eli served as High Priest during a critical moment in Israelite history. In Chapter 4, it is told that the Israelites, battling the Philistines, brought the Aron to the battlefield hoping for a miracle. However, the Aron was captured by the Philistines, and Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.
When the messenger returned to Shiloh and told Eli—who was then 98 years old and nearly blind—that the Aron had been taken and his sons had died, Eli fell off his chair, broke his neck, and died.
According to Dr. Stripling, his team may also have identified the city gate where Eli died—a find that adds a dramatic and rare dimension to the site’s archaeological significance.
Excavations at Tel Shiloh are ongoing, and the scientific community is closely following each new discovery that might bring us closer to a deeper understanding of this holy site.
