: Hancock proposes that the Ark was removed from Solomon's Temple during the reign of the apostate King Manasseh (c. 650 BC) to protect it. He tracks its supposed movement to Elephantine Island in Egypt, then to Lake Tana in Ethiopia, before reaching Axum. Key Theories and Speculation
Hancock introduces several controversial theories that have become hallmarks of his work: Graham Hancock – Znak i Pečat
: Like much of Hancock’s later work (e.g., Ancient Apocalypse ), "The Sign and the Seal" is classified by mainstream archaeologists and historians as "pseudoarchaeology." Critics argue that his conclusions rely on selective evidence and imaginative leaps rather than rigorous peer-reviewed research. : Hancock proposes that the Ark was removed
: Hancock focuses on the chapel of the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. He interviews the "Guardian of the Ark," a monk who is the only person permitted to see the relic. : He explores the Kebra Nagast (Glory of
: He explores the Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings), Ethiopia's national epic, which claims that Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark from Jerusalem to Axum.
: He suggests a link between the medieval Knights Templar and the Ark. He argues that the Templars' interest in Ethiopia was driven by a quest to find the relic and that they may have provided the architectural expertise for the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela .