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00:00:00I'm continuing my journey to see 80 of the world's greatest treasures.
00:00:11This week, I travel through holy lands on a quest to understand man's compulsion to celebrate the
00:00:18gods through works of eternal beauty. It's a journey which will take me from the most romantic
00:00:25and most contested places on earth to the hidden gems of Ethiopia.
00:00:30Over the past three months, my cultural marathon has covered the Americas,
00:00:48Over the past three months, my cultural marathon has covered the Americas, Australia and Asia.
00:01:03Now, I find myself in the kingdom of Jordan.
00:01:11I'm heading towards the centre of a great hidden city.
00:01:16A city lost for centuries.
00:01:19It stands at the heart of the Holy Land.
00:01:26The deep and twisting gorge, or Sikh, is the gateway to one of the most extraordinary and mysterious places ever created by man.
00:01:46He's a great town, and the treasure is in a new town.
00:01:52He's even older and in a new city, and he lives.
00:01:54He's a great town.
00:01:55Of all the ancient ruined cities of the world I've seen on my journey,
00:02:05Petra is in a league of its own.
00:02:10Here's Petra's great architectural treasure, Al-Kazna.
00:02:16It's sculpted from the rock face
00:02:20and beautifully preserved like a jewel in a casket
00:02:26protected by the cliffs that rise all around it.
00:02:31It's a very, very sophisticated piece of classical design,
00:02:36beautifully, delicately detailed,
00:02:39dating from, it's now thought, the first century B.C.
00:02:44Al-Kazna means treasure.
00:02:46The Bedouin thought this building was so wondrous
00:02:50it had to contain a treasure from Egypt.
00:02:53So it means treasury.
00:02:55But really, what else can it be?
00:02:58Well, a tomb, perhaps.
00:03:00A temple, almost certainly.
00:03:03Some people see it as a great calendar.
00:03:05But what is absolutely clear from the central figure,
00:03:08which is Isis, the Egyptian goddess,
00:03:10which the Nabataeans had taken to their hearts.
00:03:13And this temple faces east towards the rising sun.
00:03:17So with Isis up there and his orientation
00:03:20was suggested to do with birth, with life, with fertility.
00:03:30Gosh, just look at this room.
00:03:35Absolutely incredible.
00:03:37It's a sort of natural marbling.
00:03:38This is the wonder of Petra,
00:03:42the beauty of nature,
00:03:46combined with the skill of man
00:03:49to create a very, very special place indeed.
00:04:00Petra was built by the Nabataean people
00:04:03more than 2,000 years ago.
00:04:05At its peak, the city was home to 30,000 people
00:04:09before being finally abandoned
00:04:11around 1,000 years ago.
00:04:15The Nabataeans were merchants
00:04:16who controlled the Holy Land's key trade routes.
00:04:20These links brought influences
00:04:22from the great ancient civilisations of the region,
00:04:25the Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians.
00:04:28The cliffs are alive with tombs,
00:04:39alive with death, I suppose.
00:04:42I say, as I look around,
00:04:43everywhere I see doors cut into rock faces,
00:04:49all of which would have contained bodies of the people
00:04:53and the Romans lived here.
00:04:57It was a thriving city.
00:05:05The tomb of the obelisks
00:05:06has echoes of ancient Egypt.
00:05:10To the Nabataeans,
00:05:11the obelisks represented the souls of the dead
00:05:13buried in the tomb.
00:05:14Wow.
00:05:18Inside, there are
00:05:19one, two,
00:05:22three, four, five
00:05:23main burial places.
00:05:27And this is clearly the most important one
00:05:29with a big arch above it.
00:05:32And over this texturing on the stonework,
00:05:35there's all this blackening.
00:05:37I suppose that's from
00:05:38centuries of Bedouin inhabitation.
00:05:41These nomadic people
00:05:42would have come up here,
00:05:43then lit fires, cooked,
00:05:45and then moved on.
00:05:50It's likely the Bedouins
00:05:51were responsible for clearing
00:05:53all the tombs of their contents,
00:05:55including any treasure.
00:05:58The portal here,
00:06:00the door,
00:06:01leads to what's now called
00:06:02a triclinium,
00:06:05which is simply a banqueting room
00:06:08with benches
00:06:09on three sides.
00:06:12though many of these
00:06:13in Petra
00:06:15used to celebrate the gods
00:06:17or perhaps
00:06:18part of
00:06:19the ritual of funerals.
00:06:22A funeral,
00:06:23feasts would be held in here.
00:06:24I leave behind
00:06:33the most beautiful graveyard
00:06:34on earth
00:06:35and climb the Nabataeans'
00:06:37holy mountain.
00:06:41Phew!
00:06:43This is the
00:06:44high place
00:06:46of the Nabataeans,
00:06:48their sacred
00:06:49acropolis.
00:06:50this is where
00:06:54they would pray
00:06:56to their gods,
00:06:59Dushara in particular,
00:07:01the god of the mountains.
00:07:04They kneel
00:07:05in the Nabataeans
00:07:07and look
00:07:08to the altar over there
00:07:09on which there would have been
00:07:11an abstract image
00:07:13of Dushara.
00:07:15a rock
00:07:16bigger
00:07:17but
00:07:18this will do.
00:07:20I'm on the altar now,
00:07:22rather wicked really.
00:07:23And you can see from here
00:07:24the world
00:07:25as seen
00:07:27by the Nabataeans
00:07:28from their
00:07:29very special,
00:07:32holy,
00:07:33high place.
00:07:34I head higher
00:07:54into the realm
00:07:54of the mountain god.
00:07:57My sturdy mule
00:07:58is on autopilot
00:07:59as he surges up
00:08:01the narrow path,
00:08:02teetering on the side
00:08:03of the deep gorge.
00:08:09It's like being
00:08:10on a magic carpet
00:08:11with a mind
00:08:12of its own.
00:08:22After a 40-minute climb,
00:08:24I reached the monastery,
00:08:27a building
00:08:27just as imposing
00:08:28as a treasury
00:08:29where my journey began.
00:08:33This is a twin
00:08:35with a treasury
00:08:37down below.
00:08:38If that's to do
00:08:40with the feminine,
00:08:41with birth,
00:08:42it looks east
00:08:43towards the rising sun.
00:08:45This
00:08:45is more to do
00:08:47with death
00:08:48with the masculine.
00:08:49It looks west
00:08:50towards the setting sun
00:08:51and it's probably
00:08:53the masculine god,
00:08:54Dushara.
00:08:55imagine what it was like
00:09:052,000 years ago.
00:09:07These communities
00:09:08of travellers
00:09:09and traders
00:09:10from all over
00:09:11Central Asia
00:09:12and Europe
00:09:12coming here
00:09:13and suddenly
00:09:15burst into this
00:09:16wonderland
00:09:17of perfect
00:09:19classical architecture.
00:09:21The lost world
00:09:25of the Nabataeans
00:09:26is only known to us
00:09:27through the monuments
00:09:28they built
00:09:28to their dead.
00:09:39The beginning
00:09:40of the end
00:09:40came when Petra
00:09:41was annexed
00:09:42by the Romans
00:09:43in 106 AD
00:09:44and the city
00:09:45declined
00:09:46as a trading centre.
00:09:48It was later
00:09:49devastated
00:09:49by two huge earthquakes.
00:09:59My day
00:10:00is not over.
00:10:01I have a dinner date
00:10:02with Bedouins
00:10:03who once took shelter
00:10:04in the tombs.
00:10:06I'm hoping
00:10:06they will tell me
00:10:07about Petra's ghosts.
00:10:13Excellent.
00:10:14What a nice gentleman.
00:10:15Excellent.
00:10:17Other Bedouin stories
00:10:19and myths
00:10:19about some
00:10:20of the buildings
00:10:20because they're
00:10:20very haunting,
00:10:21aren't they?
00:10:22Do you know
00:10:23about this?
00:10:23Do you want to see
00:10:24the people here?
00:10:25Yes, he's better.
00:10:26He's better.
00:10:26He's better.
00:10:27He's better.
00:10:28He's better.
00:10:28He's better.
00:10:29He's better.
00:10:30He's better.
00:10:30He's better.
00:10:30They heard many stories
00:10:32that they were stoning them,
00:10:34those spirits,
00:10:35as they walked
00:10:36by night.
00:10:37He was stoned
00:10:39by spirits
00:10:41and then he lost
00:10:44conscience.
00:10:44He was unconscious
00:10:45for 24 hours.
00:10:47Gosh,
00:10:49perhaps we should
00:10:50come down to earth
00:10:52and sample
00:10:53some of this
00:10:54delightful food.
00:10:57Hello, what's up?
00:10:59This is the Bedouin.
00:11:00Oh, I see.
00:11:01This is bread.
00:11:02Bread, yes.
00:11:02And rice.
00:11:03Yes.
00:11:04This is a whole lamb.
00:11:06It's a lamb.
00:11:07Oh, lovely.
00:11:08I haven't seen these.
00:11:14What are these things?
00:11:15Testicles.
00:11:17Oh,
00:11:18these chaps now are
00:11:20partial to a testicle.
00:11:22It's very well-endowed,
00:11:24this sheep.
00:11:25Good Lord,
00:11:25is it more massive?
00:11:28Very fine.
00:11:30Mmm.
00:11:31It's nothing like
00:11:32a good testicle.
00:11:33The following morning,
00:11:42I leave Petra
00:11:42and head along
00:11:43one of the great
00:11:44trading routes
00:11:45of the ancient world,
00:11:47the King's Highway.
00:11:48This monotonous
00:12:03desert landscape
00:12:03was once
00:12:04the holy epicentre
00:12:06of three of the world's
00:12:07major religions,
00:12:09Judaism,
00:12:10Christianity
00:12:10and Islam.
00:12:11My next treasure
00:12:21is in the small
00:12:22Jordanian town
00:12:23of Madaba.
00:12:31This church
00:12:32may look pretty
00:12:33ordinary.
00:12:34It was built
00:12:34in the 1890s,
00:12:35in fact,
00:12:36but it contains
00:12:37a remarkable
00:12:38treasure.
00:12:40The oldest
00:12:41known map
00:12:42of the Holy Land
00:12:44showing
00:12:45Christian sites.
00:12:50Only a fragment
00:12:51survives,
00:12:53but it still
00:12:53throws fascinating
00:12:54light on the Holy Land
00:12:561,500 years ago,
00:12:58before the age
00:12:59of Islam
00:13:00and when Christianity
00:13:01was a dominant
00:13:02religion.
00:13:05This mosaic
00:13:06was created
00:13:08in about 550
00:13:10and was the floor
00:13:12of an early
00:13:14Christian basilica.
00:13:16Originally,
00:13:17it measured
00:13:1724 metres
00:13:18by 6 metres.
00:13:19This is what's left.
00:13:21It is utterly
00:13:21remarkable.
00:13:23I'm standing
00:13:23here on the
00:13:25Mediterranean coast.
00:13:27So this is the
00:13:27west.
00:13:28What we have here
00:13:29is an
00:13:31extraordinary
00:13:32detailed vision
00:13:33of this sacred
00:13:36land.
00:13:38There is the
00:13:39ancient city
00:13:40of Jericho,
00:13:42surrounded by
00:13:42date palms,
00:13:44and here
00:13:45about the
00:13:45earliest map
00:13:47of the city
00:13:48of Jerusalem.
00:13:49Here it is
00:13:50with its wall
00:13:51oval in form.
00:13:53Here is the
00:13:54great Roman
00:13:55street going to
00:13:57the centre
00:13:57of the city
00:13:59with columns
00:13:59on each side.
00:14:00And of course
00:14:01the great
00:14:02Christian monument
00:14:03here is the
00:14:05Church of the
00:14:05Holy Sepulchre,
00:14:07shown upside
00:14:07down with its
00:14:08yellow dome.
00:14:10The greatest
00:14:11Christian church
00:14:11in the world
00:14:12at the time.
00:14:13Over there,
00:14:15Bethlehem,
00:14:16it's like a
00:14:16tourist guide
00:14:17to the great
00:14:18sites.
00:14:18Imagine Christian
00:14:20pilgrims coming
00:14:21here from all
00:14:22over and look
00:14:23at this map
00:14:24and know
00:14:24where to go.
00:14:25I decide
00:14:32to follow
00:14:32one of the
00:14:33great pilgrimage
00:14:33routes to
00:14:34Mount Nebo,
00:14:35a sacred site
00:14:36which helps
00:14:37explain how
00:14:38the rival
00:14:38faiths of the
00:14:39Holy Land
00:14:40locked homes
00:14:41in a seemingly
00:14:41endless cycle
00:14:43of violence.
00:14:43I'm standing
00:15:03on one of the
00:15:05most extraordinary
00:15:05and powerful
00:15:06places on earth
00:15:07because right
00:15:09here,
00:15:10according to
00:15:11the Old
00:15:12Testament,
00:15:13the Lord
00:15:14showed Moses
00:15:15the promised
00:15:16land stretching
00:15:18before me
00:15:19to the west.
00:15:22Jerusalem,
00:15:23Jericho,
00:15:24Bethlehem,
00:15:25the Dead Sea,
00:15:26the Holy Land,
00:15:29now Israel
00:15:29and the occupied
00:15:30territories,
00:15:31formerly Palestine.
00:15:34Israelis believe
00:15:35that this ancient
00:15:37text and promise
00:15:38is as live today
00:15:40as in the past.
00:15:42and therefore
00:15:43underpins
00:15:44and supports
00:15:45their case
00:15:46for possessing
00:15:48the Holy Land,
00:15:50a terrain that
00:15:50here looks
00:15:52incredibly romantic
00:15:53and peaceful
00:15:53but which we know
00:15:54is tragically a scene
00:15:57of turmoil,
00:15:59conflict,
00:16:01misery,
00:16:02all because
00:16:04of the promise
00:16:05made right here
00:16:08where I'm standing
00:16:08now.
00:16:29The following morning,
00:16:31I leave Jordan
00:16:31for the promised
00:16:32land of the Israelites.
00:16:33We drive along
00:16:48the banks
00:16:49of the Dead Sea
00:16:50towards Jerusalem.
00:16:52It's a city
00:16:53which is holy
00:16:54to three of the world's
00:16:55great religions,
00:16:56yet for centuries
00:16:57it's been divided
00:16:57by fear and suspicion.
00:16:59The temple mount
00:17:10in Jerusalem
00:17:11is my treasure
00:17:12because it contained
00:17:14one of the most
00:17:15inspirational
00:17:16and mysterious
00:17:18buildings in the world,
00:17:20a building which,
00:17:21according to the Old Testament,
00:17:22was designed
00:17:23according to God's
00:17:25own specifications
00:17:26and in its forms,
00:17:29details,
00:17:30proportions
00:17:30and contents
00:17:31enshrined
00:17:33and revealed
00:17:34the laws of beauty
00:17:35and harmony
00:17:36and the secrets
00:17:37of creation.
00:17:41Most of Solomon's
00:17:42temple
00:17:42has long since
00:17:43vanished,
00:17:45destroyed by
00:17:45King Nebuchadnezzar
00:17:46of Babylon
00:17:47two and a half
00:17:48thousand years ago.
00:17:50But Jews,
00:17:51Christians and Muslims
00:17:52each viewed
00:17:53Temple Mount
00:17:53as sacred.
00:17:54Now,
00:17:56a late 7th century
00:17:57Islamic shrine,
00:17:58the Dome of the Rock,
00:17:59stands on the top.
00:18:00Before the rise
00:18:24of the Christian
00:18:25and Islamic faiths,
00:18:27three great temples
00:18:27were built
00:18:28in succession
00:18:29on Temple Mount,
00:18:31the focus of worship
00:18:32for the ancient Israelites
00:18:33going back three millennia.
00:18:35The last reconstruction
00:18:54of the temple
00:18:54took place
00:18:55in about 20 BC,
00:18:57undertaken by King Herod.
00:19:00And that wall
00:19:01in front of me,
00:19:02the lower portion,
00:19:02dates from that time
00:19:04with spectacular,
00:19:06very large,
00:19:07beautifully cut blocks.
00:19:10This portion
00:19:11of the western wall
00:19:12of the temple
00:19:13is known universally
00:19:14as the waving wall,
00:19:16the site most sacred
00:19:18to Jews.
00:19:19People there are praying,
00:19:20men on the left,
00:19:21women on the right.
00:19:23Praying towards the wall,
00:19:24putting little messages,
00:19:25prayers in the chinks
00:19:26of the wall.
00:19:27They're not praying
00:19:28to the stones.
00:19:29It's more abstract than that.
00:19:31They're praying
00:19:32to the heart
00:19:33of the temple mount,
00:19:34to the foundation stone,
00:19:37enshrined,
00:19:38buried within the mount,
00:19:39which, I believe,
00:19:41is where God started
00:19:42his creation.
00:19:50So how did a site
00:19:51venerated by Jews
00:19:52and Christians
00:19:53end up having
00:19:54Islamic buildings
00:19:55on top of it?
00:19:59In 638 AD,
00:20:01Muslim forces
00:20:01captured Jerusalem
00:20:02and built a mosque
00:20:04and their own shrine,
00:20:05the Dome of the Rock,
00:20:07on the mount.
00:20:09Today,
00:20:10it's one of the most
00:20:10tense and fought-over
00:20:11places on earth.
00:20:13The top of the mount
00:20:14is administered
00:20:15by Muslim Palestinians,
00:20:17but is ultimately
00:20:18under the control
00:20:19of Israel.
00:20:25beneath the dome
00:20:29is a huge
00:20:30and rough-hewn
00:20:31lump of rock.
00:20:33This is what
00:20:34Temple Mount
00:20:35is all about.
00:20:38The rock is sacred
00:20:39to Muslims, Jews
00:20:40and Christians
00:20:41because they all believe
00:20:42it to be the place
00:20:42where Abraham,
00:20:44the primary patriarch
00:20:45of all three religions,
00:20:47planned to sacrifice
00:20:47his son, Isaac.
00:20:52In addition,
00:20:52for Islam,
00:20:53it is a rock
00:20:54from which Muhammad
00:20:55ascended to heaven.
00:21:00But there's another reason
00:21:02why Temple Mount
00:21:03means so much
00:21:03to all three faiths.
00:21:06The Temple of Solomon
00:21:07is said to have been
00:21:08home to the Ark
00:21:10of the Covenant.
00:21:12God's throne on earth
00:21:13and a casket
00:21:14containing the Ten Commandments
00:21:16has handed down
00:21:17from God
00:21:18to Moses.
00:21:20So what happened
00:21:21to the Ark
00:21:22of the Covenant,
00:21:24this great treasure
00:21:25of the Israelites?
00:21:26Well, there's been
00:21:27much speculation
00:21:28over the centuries,
00:21:29but really
00:21:29no one knows.
00:21:31The Ark, it is said,
00:21:32stood in the Holy of Holies
00:21:34in Solomon's Temple
00:21:36and it could
00:21:38have been hidden
00:21:39in a secret chamber
00:21:41deep in the mount
00:21:42just before Nebuchadnezzar
00:21:44destroyed the temple
00:21:45and the Ark
00:21:47could be there
00:21:48to this day.
00:21:50There's also
00:21:51another story.
00:21:53Solomon
00:21:53had a son
00:21:54by the Queen of Sheba
00:21:56and Solomon
00:21:57gave his son
00:21:58the Ark
00:21:58to take back
00:21:59to his homeland,
00:22:01Ethiopia.
00:22:09Many have searched
00:22:10in vain
00:22:10for the Ark
00:22:11of the Covenant,
00:22:12including Crusaders
00:22:13after they captured
00:22:14Jerusalem
00:22:14in the late 11th century.
00:22:18I, too,
00:22:19am determined
00:22:19to take up the quest,
00:22:21however unlikely.
00:22:39Ethiopia's problems
00:22:40of war, famine
00:22:41and poverty
00:22:42are all too well known.
00:22:44But looking down
00:22:45on the land
00:22:46is beautiful,
00:22:47fertile, lush,
00:22:49with valleys
00:22:50gorgeous and plateau.
00:22:52It looks like
00:22:52the Garden of Eden.
00:22:53of course,
00:23:06this is an intensely
00:23:08biblical land
00:23:09with the values
00:23:11of the Old Testament
00:23:12becoming part
00:23:14of the culture
00:23:16of the country.
00:23:18As the Ethiopians
00:23:19say,
00:23:20this land
00:23:21has a tradition
00:23:22that goes back
00:23:23to the days
00:23:24of King Solomon.
00:23:33The connection
00:23:34with Solomon
00:23:34starts here
00:23:35in the ancient
00:23:36city of Axum.
00:23:37The Ethiopian legend
00:24:01goes
00:24:01that the Ark
00:24:02was removed
00:24:03from the Holy of Holies
00:24:04in Jerusalem
00:24:04while Solomon
00:24:05was still alive.
00:24:08So King Solomon's son
00:24:10Menelik,
00:24:12the son he had
00:24:13with the Queen of Sheba,
00:24:15is said
00:24:15to have brought
00:24:16the Ark of the Covenant
00:24:17here to Axum
00:24:18nearly 3,000 years ago.
00:24:21The Ark of the Covenant,
00:24:23God's great gift to man,
00:24:25the Ark containing
00:24:26the secrets
00:24:27of creation.
00:24:30Unlikely,
00:24:31as it may seem,
00:24:32this building
00:24:33could contain
00:24:34could contain
00:24:34one of the great treasures
00:24:35of the world
00:24:38which holds the answers
00:24:40to all of our questions
00:24:41about where we come from
00:24:43and where we're going to.
00:24:48May I enter this building
00:24:51to look at the Ark of the Covenant?
00:24:53Only one monk inside,
00:24:55even the bishop,
00:24:56not inside.
00:24:57So the one monk
00:24:59is inside now
00:25:00and this one monk
00:25:01apparently,
00:25:02the guardian monk,
00:25:03can never leave
00:25:04this building.
00:25:05He has to stay
00:25:05in the building,
00:25:06in the compounds
00:25:06all his life.
00:25:08His mere task,
00:25:09his great task
00:25:10is to,
00:25:11well,
00:25:12keep people like me out.
00:25:13So what do you recommend
00:25:14I do now
00:25:15if I want to get
00:25:16nearer to the building?
00:25:17The monk
00:25:17is not talking
00:25:19for any something.
00:25:21It's everyday prayer.
00:25:22He never outside.
00:25:23He prays 24 hours a day,
00:25:25seven days a week.
00:25:26This is an admirable monk.
00:25:29All right,
00:25:29so there must be
00:25:30some other person
00:25:31that I can speak to.
00:25:32If he never leaves the building,
00:25:35clearly speaking to him
00:25:36is a lot of difficult
00:25:36since I'm outside of this gate.
00:25:39So there must be,
00:25:39is there somebody else?
00:25:40Other head priest.
00:25:42Head priest.
00:25:43That's the very man
00:25:44I need to see.
00:25:46It's not encouraging,
00:25:47but if,
00:25:47against all the odds,
00:25:49the Ark is here,
00:25:50I just have to see it.
00:25:52Hello.
00:25:53Thank you very much
00:25:56for allowing me
00:25:58to visit you.
00:26:01Welcome.
00:26:04Welcome.
00:26:07Welcome to Aksum.
00:26:10What does the Ark contain now?
00:26:13Does the head priest
00:26:14know what's inside?
00:26:16The box?
00:26:17The Ark is here.
00:26:19I want to tell you.
00:26:21I want to tell you.
00:26:22I want to tell you.
00:26:23I want to tell you.
00:26:26I want to tell you.
00:26:28I want to tell you.
00:26:29The Ark of the Covenant is written.
00:26:29The Ark of the Covenant is written.
00:26:34Ten Commandments.
00:26:36Ten Commandments.
00:26:37The Ten Commandments.
00:26:38And it's inside gold box.
00:26:40I'm going to ask this question now,
00:26:42which I know
00:26:43maybe is a presumptuous question,
00:26:44But are there any circumstances in which I could be allowed to approach,
00:26:49or indeed even to see, the Ark of the Covenant?
00:27:05OK, he says that the whole Ark of the Covenant is not to be seen.
00:27:09I cannot go and see it now, even in any special circumstances,
00:27:14because I say I've come a long way and I've come from Jerusalem
00:27:18in quest of the Ark of the Covenant.
00:27:29The high priest ended up warning me that if I saw the Ark,
00:27:33a terrible fate would before me, I'd be turned to ashes.
00:27:38But one glimmer of hope does remain.
00:27:41Most Ethiopian churches contain copies of the Ark.
00:27:56There's a priest who may be able to help me see one of these,
00:27:59according to Raphael, whom I meet in the town square.
00:28:04And what about the Ark of the Covenant? That's interesting, isn't it?
00:28:07Mm-hm.
00:28:08Sometimes copies of it are taken round the town by the monks.
00:28:12Yeah, it's around, but that mass is not the original.
00:28:15On Sunday? Not the original, I know.
00:28:18No, no, no, no!
00:28:19The real one lives in there, I know.
00:28:22Yeah, the real one, yeah, he still lives in here.
00:28:23Oh, hello.
00:28:24Yeah.
00:28:25Being guarded.
00:28:26Yeah, he's a big guard.
00:28:27This is AK-47, wow.
00:28:30Is there any chance, will you translate for me?
00:28:33I want to ask him, is there any chance of me being able to see
00:28:36one of the copies of the Ark of the Covenant?
00:28:40I know the visual ones there, but there are more copies in the church.
00:28:43Can I see them?
00:28:44I will not see them for any people, he'll see only the priests.
00:29:03The priests will also not see, but you just see only one monk.
00:29:13It's the same old story. Yes, there are copies, but I can't see them. I'm frustrated.
00:29:21So near, and yet, and yet, can the Ark of the Covenant, one of the oldest and most powerful sacred objects ever created,
00:29:33really be in that modern building over there with its crumbling mosaics and a street lamp sticking out to the top of it?
00:29:40I can't see it to really protect me from the power of the object. If I see it, I'll be cursed.
00:29:50I fear it's a treasure too far.
00:30:02My trip to Axum is not, however, wasted, because it possesses another ancient and mysterious treasure,
00:30:08which could date back as much as 2,000 years.
00:30:20I'm exploring the ruins, the remains of Axum, which was 2,000 years ago, a great city.
00:30:27The kingdom that ruled this land was the most powerful kingdom between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.
00:30:36This is a carved granite, and it's one, I believe, of a series of stelae, these great obelisks, that stood here,
00:30:51this site which was the necropolis of this city, where the kings and leading members, the elite of the land, were buried.
00:30:59Everywhere you look in Axum, there are toppled stone obelisks known as stelae.
00:31:14More than 300 of them.
00:31:17It's like stumbling upon Stonehenge after an earthquake.
00:31:20This whole area is the remains of a royal cemetery.
00:31:25Beneath my feet could lie the skeletons of long-dead kings and queens of a lost empire.
00:31:31My God, just look at this monster.
00:31:48It's the largest of the stelae.
00:31:52It was originally one stone, and it was the largest carved stone monument
00:31:59from the ancient world.
00:32:03I'm told it weighs 500 tons.
00:32:08And this great object originally stood 33 meters above ground level.
00:32:18Just think of the technology, the organization of this kingdom
00:32:22to be able to quarry, cut, carve, transport, and then erect an object of this size.
00:32:34It absolutely beggars belief.
00:32:38And what's incredible, nobody really agrees about its age.
00:32:42It's thought that most of the stelae date back to the early 4th century AD.
00:32:54Though some are certainly older, others more recent.
00:33:01A single stone rising 21 meters high.
00:33:04And what's astonishing, it is conceived as a building, as a mini skyscraper.
00:33:13Because here is a door.
00:33:16And above me are windows and floors.
00:33:20Clearly it's a monument to the dead.
00:33:24This must have been the dwelling of the dead.
00:33:26And this obelisk faces south, facing the sun as it goes on its course from east to west.
00:33:35The sun must have been very important.
00:33:37Because we have here discs, sun discs, right the way up.
00:33:41So I suppose the dead soul has some relationship to the sun,
00:33:45would take energy from the sun, would, in a sense, continue to live.
00:33:48In which case, this obelisk is a phallic symbol, a symbol of fertility.
00:33:58The stelae, which are topped by the pagan image of a sunrise,
00:34:02are symbols for life and rebirth.
00:34:04Yet strangely, there are hints of Christianity too.
00:34:08The windows can also be interpreted as crosses.
00:34:11This suggests a remarkable continuity between old and new beliefs,
00:34:18after Christianity arrived in the Ethiopian royal court in the 4th century.
00:34:31I chance upon a wedding,
00:34:33and it's revealing to witness how memories of ancient kings and queens,
00:34:36perhaps even Solomon and Sheba,
00:34:39live on as part of Ethiopia's unique brand of Christianity.
00:34:42The next day, I'm up at the crack of dawn.
00:34:43I head north out of Aksham.
00:34:45The next day, I'm up at the crack of dawn.
00:34:47I head north out of Aksham.
00:34:48A gruelling six-hour drive lies ahead.
00:34:49I'm up at the crack of dawn.
00:34:54I head north out of Aksham.
00:34:59A gruelling six-hour drive lies ahead.
00:35:02The next day, I'm up at the crack of dawn.
00:35:08I head north out of Aksham.
00:35:11A gruelling six-hour drive lies ahead.
00:35:14lies ahead.
00:35:32At this early hour,
00:35:34you can really understand
00:35:36why Ethiopia is described
00:35:38as God's country.
00:35:44I'm travelling with Samson,
00:35:55a colon who can guide me
00:35:57to my treasure,
00:35:59a notoriously difficult thing
00:36:00to see,
00:36:01as I'm about to find out.
00:36:07I'm on my way to
00:36:08Debradamo,
00:36:09to the oldest monastery
00:36:10in Ethiopia
00:36:11to, I hope,
00:36:13see a treasure
00:36:14that will give me
00:36:15more facts
00:36:17about the legend
00:36:18of the Ark of the Covenant
00:36:19coming to Ethiopia.
00:36:32Debradamo dates
00:36:33from the time
00:36:34of Ethiopia's
00:36:35legendary Nine Saints
00:36:36who spread Christianity
00:36:38through the land
00:36:39in the 5th century.
00:36:41The monastery houses
00:36:43a remarkable collection
00:36:44of ancient manuscripts.
00:36:46I'm aiming to see
00:36:47the most important
00:36:48and sacred of these.
00:36:58Almost at the monastery,
00:37:00Debradamo,
00:37:01there it is,
00:37:02this great rock
00:37:04rising very high
00:37:05with vertical sides.
00:37:07on top of this plateau
00:37:09sits the monastery.
00:37:11The road
00:37:12is now just skirting
00:37:13below this
00:37:14monstrous obstacle
00:37:16which we have to ascend.
00:37:18It looks pretty daunting,
00:37:20actually.
00:37:21God,
00:37:22this is very high.
00:37:25We must proceed
00:37:26with care.
00:37:27We've had word
00:37:28from London
00:37:29and not far
00:37:29from Debradamo
00:37:30there are mounting
00:37:31border tensions
00:37:32between Ethiopia
00:37:33and neighbouring
00:37:35Eritrea.
00:37:37You have any energy
00:37:38to climb up?
00:37:39Yeah, energy.
00:37:41But those people
00:37:41are being pulled,
00:37:42are they not?
00:37:42I mean,
00:37:43I don't think I could
00:37:43climb 20 metres
00:37:45myself vertically.
00:37:47They're being pulled
00:37:48by monks at the top.
00:37:49Yeah, monks.
00:37:52Let me take this.
00:37:53I've got to get up
00:37:54this sheer cliff face
00:37:56about 20 metres.
00:37:57So you see this one.
00:37:58How?
00:37:59Okay.
00:38:00We put it in your waist
00:38:01here
00:38:01and hold you up.
00:38:04Okay,
00:38:04shoes off.
00:38:05Yeah.
00:38:06Do that first off.
00:38:08So,
00:38:09yeah.
00:38:10How often does it
00:38:11break this safety thing?
00:38:12I presume they
00:38:13haul heavy things
00:38:14up there,
00:38:15carcasses of dead animals.
00:38:18Things as heavy
00:38:18as me anyway.
00:38:19Well, yeah,
00:38:20sometimes people
00:38:21they pull up oxes.
00:38:23So,
00:38:23don't worry.
00:38:23So they should
00:38:24just about handle me.
00:38:25Okay.
00:38:25Fine for sure.
00:38:26That?
00:38:27Yes,
00:38:28you see,
00:38:28that's your belt.
00:38:29That's my safety belt.
00:38:32Oh,
00:38:32what's that?
00:38:33It's maximum security.
00:38:34Maximum.
00:38:36Two loops.
00:38:36I see.
00:38:37I'm going to double loop.
00:38:39Oh,
00:38:39this is very,
00:38:40like a bosun.
00:38:41Hoist is very
00:38:42sort of nautical.
00:38:44Okay.
00:38:44Shall I get going?
00:38:45Yeah.
00:38:46I simulate this one.
00:38:48This one.
00:38:49This.
00:38:50Okay.
00:38:50Someone's going to have
00:38:56to pull a bit more.
00:38:57No.
00:38:58Whoa.
00:39:01Hang on,
00:39:01I'm going too far
00:39:02to one side.
00:39:03Yeah,
00:39:03just try to
00:39:04keep your balance.
00:39:06I'm getting the hang of it a bit.
00:39:07Yes.
00:39:08Get my feet in.
00:39:09Yes.
00:39:14Pull a bit more.
00:39:16Hang on.
00:39:17I can stand there.
00:39:21You see?
00:39:22I'm about 2,000 meters
00:39:25above sea level.
00:39:27Nearly 3,000.
00:39:293,000.
00:39:30Yeah.
00:39:31Take and breathe
00:39:32halfway up.
00:39:33The experience is,
00:39:34I can say,
00:39:36exhilarating.
00:39:39Thrilling.
00:39:40How are you feeling now?
00:39:41A bit alarming.
00:39:43Phew.
00:39:45This is a bit slipperier.
00:39:47Oh,
00:39:49got a foothold.
00:39:51That's it.
00:39:51You keep on pulling.
00:39:53This bit's more difficult.
00:39:54I can't.
00:39:55Hang on.
00:39:56That's it.
00:39:59Not too elegant,
00:40:00but did the business.
00:40:03Oh,
00:40:04wow.
00:40:05Wonderful.
00:40:06Thank you very much.
00:40:07All these men
00:40:08need to pull me up.
00:40:10Oh,
00:40:10assist me in my climb.
00:40:11The treasure I hope to see
00:40:15is a book called
00:40:16The Glory of Kings
00:40:17or Kebra Nagast.
00:40:19But I've heard worrying
00:40:20reports of a fire
00:40:22in Debra Dama's library
00:40:23which caused extensive damage.
00:40:26So, Samson,
00:40:27what chance of seeing
00:40:27the Kebra Nagast,
00:40:28the book of The Glory of Kings?
00:40:30I know they have
00:40:30a copy here,
00:40:32so will we see it?
00:40:34Well,
00:40:34my experience
00:40:35is never be sure
00:40:36about this thing.
00:40:37Yeah,
00:40:38if they like us.
00:40:39But this is kind of
00:40:40a key text,
00:40:40isn't it,
00:40:40because we're offering
00:40:41some facts
00:40:42about this legend
00:40:44of the Ark
00:40:45coming with Menelik.
00:40:46That's sure.
00:40:47I mean,
00:40:47that's for sure.
00:40:47It's like a document.
00:40:49It's a document.
00:40:50It's a Ethiopian heritage,
00:40:52it's a history,
00:40:53the history of the church,
00:40:54the history of God,
00:40:55the Ark of the Governor,
00:40:56the history of kings too.
00:40:57Yeah,
00:40:58this is the church
00:40:59right here.
00:41:00It's sort of 6th century.
00:41:01This is the oldest church
00:41:02in Ethiopia.
00:41:03Golly,
00:41:05what an intriguing building,
00:41:07Samson,
00:41:07the churches.
00:41:07No mortar,
00:41:08it's all dry stone,
00:41:09isn't it?
00:41:09Yeah,
00:41:10it's lovely.
00:41:12And,
00:41:12normally in the church
00:41:15you don't point,
00:41:17you hunt like that.
00:41:19Don't point?
00:41:19Yeah.
00:41:19Okay,
00:41:20I stand advised on that.
00:41:22Yeah,
00:41:22I mean,
00:41:22you know,
00:41:23it's...
00:41:24Without pointing,
00:41:25let's go in.
00:41:26Yeah,
00:41:26yeah.
00:41:27After you.
00:41:27We can go.
00:41:28Okay.
00:41:42I know.
00:41:43I know there was a fire quite recently and the library was damaged, is that why it's no longer around?
00:41:55Was the book, was it the manuscript destroyed?
00:41:58Yeah, the books including, as he said,
00:42:11Cabernet Auguste, including Cabernet Auguste and other heritage, treasure of the church, destroyed.
00:42:20Well, okay, I understand. This is rather like the Ark of the Covenant.
00:42:24Things are quite complicated and hard to see.
00:42:28But there are other manuscripts here, I know, that survived the fire.
00:42:31I mean, can I see any old documents?
00:42:35Out of this building, there's another library. So there are books there.
00:42:40Oh, we could visit the library then. Yeah, that's agreeable.
00:42:44Let me take you to the library.
00:42:47It's disappointing, but then I'm told I can see something equally wonderful.
00:42:52The most important book to survive the blaze.
00:42:57Ah, oh gosh, okay.
00:43:03Yeah, it says Tamera Maryam, The Miracle of Mary.
00:43:06The Miracle of Mary, Maryam. Okay, like other books I've seen, says about the Virgin Mary and the birth of Christ.
00:43:13So, I mean, how old is this, as far as these priests are concerned?
00:43:24More than 1,500 years.
00:43:26More than 1,500 years.
00:43:28Well, if I could see the illustrations, I'd be a very happy man.
00:43:33Oh, this is the first one, is it? Ah, my goodness me.
00:43:36So, what are we seeing here?
00:43:38What are we seeing here?
00:43:45Yeah, father.
00:43:46He's the father, he's the founder of...
00:43:48No, no, no. I mean, God's father.
00:43:50That's God?
00:43:51Yeah.
00:43:52Shown as an image, that's quite bold.
00:43:54So that is an image of God.
00:43:56And if we go on, this is fascinating.
00:43:59Ah, Maryam, Mary.
00:44:01Mary.
00:44:02This is from George.
00:44:03That's from George.
00:44:04That's from George.
00:44:05That's from George.
00:44:06Gosh, and in Vietnam, and there are more?
00:44:08Yeah, there is one more, I think.
00:44:10There's my...
00:44:11Ah, the crucifixion.
00:44:13Yeah, the crucifixion of Christ.
00:44:17With Maryam Mary crying.
00:44:19Yeah.
00:44:21I must say, you know, seeing a book like this,
00:44:24that dates back, well, 1,500 years, incredible,
00:44:27always having been on this site,
00:44:29the site for which it was made,
00:44:31an individual, unique, to use that word,
00:44:34and it's absolutely right use.
00:44:35It is a complete unique,
00:44:36a book that's so important to people in this country.
00:44:39It's really overwhelming to see it.
00:44:41And, out of all that,
00:44:43it's a beautiful object, artistically, isn't it?
00:44:46Incredible.
00:44:50The Miracle of Mary is one of the most moving examples
00:44:53I've seen of the ancient art form of the illuminated manuscript.
00:44:58I doubt if it's really 1,500 years old,
00:45:02but that's not the point.
00:45:04In the eyes of the monks, it comes alive.
00:45:07It has real sacred power.
00:45:09I still have two more treasures in Ethiopia.
00:45:19I hope to find both in the small town of Lalabella
00:45:22in the Lasta Mountains.
00:45:24It's now a backwater that was once one of Africa's great cities.
00:45:37About 850 years ago,
00:45:50King Lalabella, the man who ruled this beautiful land,
00:45:56had a vision.
00:45:58He believed the Star of David had moved from the Holy Land,
00:46:03from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.
00:46:06And he wanted to create here, in his kingdom,
00:46:10the New Jerusalem and the New Holy Land,
00:46:13all rolled into one with rock-cut churches,
00:46:17commemorating, representing the most sacred sites,
00:46:21the most sacred buildings, the most sacred places
00:46:23in and around Jerusalem.
00:46:36This is St George's Church,
00:46:38and it's absolutely sensational.
00:46:43A very tall structure, carved,
00:46:46burrowed out of this very hard rock, granite really.
00:46:50It's quite incredible.
00:46:51It's a two- or three-storey building.
00:46:54A perfect geometrical form.
00:46:57Greek cross.
00:46:59A lovely detail.
00:47:00Beautiful windows here at the top.
00:47:02Like, they call it ogee-pointed arches,
00:47:05while they're Islamic.
00:47:06The technical achievement,
00:47:08the technical ability to create this,
00:47:10the will, the manpower,
00:47:12it's incredible.
00:47:13Evidence of a great civilization here.
00:47:15This is really one of the wonders of the world,
00:47:18this church.
00:47:34It's the mystery why Lallabella's builders chose
00:47:37the laborious option of carving the churches and pathways
00:47:41deep into the volcanic rock.
00:47:45Perhaps it's to do with Christ's body being entombed in a cave.
00:47:49Or even the sacred nature of the rock itself,
00:47:52as a temple mount and Petra.
00:47:59So I'm in this great trench.
00:48:00Oh, gosh, there's tombs over there,
00:48:02cut into the side of this trench.
00:48:04Obviously, burials have taken place.
00:48:06Look at it.
00:48:07My goodness.
00:48:08Look at this.
00:48:09There's a body still here.
00:48:11A pair of bodies.
00:48:12Mummified.
00:48:17Great Scott.
00:48:18Skull.
00:48:19Feet.
00:48:20Skin.
00:48:22There's a passageway,
00:48:23cut right the way round.
00:48:24There's a, obviously, honeycombed,
00:48:26with burial chambers.
00:48:29Now, it's great to get closer
00:48:31to the church itself.
00:48:34One can begin to imagine the task
00:48:37of cutting this hard rock,
00:48:39what with, presumably, with iron,
00:48:41chiselling it away, cutting it away.
00:48:43It's a mental sort of work,
00:48:45as well as the physical,
00:48:46having to conceive the thing,
00:48:48and then, of course,
00:48:49to set it out accurately
00:48:51as one cuts down.
00:48:53It's a great work of sculpture, really.
00:48:55Wow, golly, this is wonderful.
00:49:04There's St George,
00:49:05after the church is named,
00:49:07and, oh, this gentleman,
00:49:08show me a rather strange contraption,
00:49:10interesting machine.
00:49:11Oh.
00:49:12What is this?
00:49:17It's a cask.
00:49:18It's like the Ark of the Covenant.
00:49:21Not quite the right shape.
00:49:22It's not the Ark of the Covenant.
00:49:24Is it, this is your Ark?
00:49:26Yes.
00:49:27Yes.
00:49:28What, what, what, what, what, what?
00:49:29Yes.
00:49:30Does this open?
00:49:31Do you have the key?
00:49:32No.
00:49:33Ah.
00:49:34So near, so far, as always.
00:49:38Yes.
00:49:39Well, I think,
00:49:41probably getting a bit carried away here,
00:49:43because, of course,
00:49:44I know,
00:49:45Arks are religiously guarded
00:49:46in these Ethiopian churches,
00:49:48kept at the East End
00:49:49in the Holy of Holies.
00:49:51That was an Ark, though, I think,
00:49:52but pensioned off.
00:49:53Now it's probably just, um,
00:49:55contains, uh,
00:49:56the church vestments
00:49:58and odds and ends.
00:49:59But I'm sure,
00:50:00from its proportion,
00:50:01once upon a time,
00:50:03that was
00:50:05one of the great copies
00:50:06of the Ark of the Covenant.
00:50:07Of course,
00:50:08the church being locked
00:50:09and, um,
00:50:10end of the day.
00:50:11Thank you very much, indeed.
00:50:27Lalabella's 11 rock-cut churches
00:50:29are split into two separate complexes.
00:50:32One representing the earthly
00:50:34and the other the celestial Jerusalem.
00:50:37The churches are linked
00:50:39by a subterranean world,
00:50:41a labyrinth of tunnels,
00:50:43caves and passageways.
00:50:45Defence was clearly a factor
00:50:47in their design.
00:50:49These rock-cut passages
00:50:54around the churches
00:50:56are not just utilitarian.
00:50:58They unite the churches
00:51:00into a sacred world.
00:51:03And as I walk through them,
00:51:06I feel like I'm blood
00:51:09coursing through this great holy body
00:51:13with another bellow.
00:51:14This tunnel seems to go on forever.
00:51:28It twists and turns.
00:51:30Ah!
00:51:31Now,
00:51:32I went to the light
00:51:33at the end of this tunnel,
00:51:34but there is a hatch.
00:51:35And steps.
00:51:36Rock-hewn steps.
00:51:37This, I presume,
00:51:38takes me into better manual.
00:51:39I should have emerged in a peculiar way
00:51:52through the floor of the church
00:51:54if this all goes according to plan.
00:51:58It looks like the game's up.
00:52:02It's bolted or fixed out.
00:52:06Have I missed my turning?
00:52:07Is there actually another way into the church?
00:52:10Well, okay.
00:52:11Back the way I came.
00:52:17Gosh, it's quite complicated,
00:52:19this tunnel system.
00:52:21Anyway, I'm out now.
00:52:28At last,
00:52:30Beta Immanuel,
00:52:31one of the churches
00:52:32that symbolises
00:52:33the celestial Jerusalem,
00:52:35representing
00:52:36the seven heavens.
00:52:40The facade,
00:52:41including windows
00:52:42shaped like the sunrise symbol
00:52:43on axiom stelae,
00:52:45is impressive.
00:52:46But I don't linger
00:52:48as I'm told that
00:52:49another of the churches
00:52:50has a most extraordinary interior.
00:52:58Oh, gosh.
00:53:08This is the Beta Mariam,
00:53:10that is,
00:53:11the church of the Virgin Mary.
00:53:13It's meant to represent
00:53:14her house
00:53:15in the Holy Land.
00:53:24The church is set to date
00:53:25from the 12th century,
00:53:26but some people
00:53:27think it's earlier,
00:53:28maybe the 10th century.
00:53:30What's clear, though,
00:53:31is inspired by
00:53:33Roman classical architecture.
00:53:35But,
00:53:36it is the painting
00:53:37that makes this building
00:53:38absolutely extraordinary.
00:53:39Up here,
00:53:40the Seal of Solomon,
00:53:42the six-pointed star,
00:53:44making a connection
00:53:45between here
00:53:46and the Temple of Solomon
00:53:47in Jerusalem.
00:53:48Up there,
00:53:49something extraordinary.
00:53:51A sun,
00:53:52a solar disk,
00:53:54making connections,
00:53:55perhaps,
00:53:56with old religions
00:53:57of this land.
00:54:02It's heartening
00:54:03how early Christians
00:54:04in Ethiopia
00:54:05seem to have embraced
00:54:06old beliefs and symbols
00:54:07rather than eradicate them.
00:54:09in Egypt.
00:54:19It's the 26th of September,
00:54:21the date of one
00:54:22of Lella Bella's
00:54:23great annual festivals,
00:54:24the Festival of the Cross.
00:54:26I hope to find my next treasure
00:54:29in the middle
00:54:30of the celebrations.
00:54:31In fact, pilgrims
00:54:33have travelled far and wide
00:54:34to see it,
00:54:35to touch it.
00:54:36It's the symbol
00:54:37of the New Jerusalem.
00:54:53Well, incredible.
00:54:54This is the Lella Bella Cross.
00:54:55Seven, eight hundred years old,
00:54:56I'm told.
00:54:57And the procession
00:54:58is now beginning.
00:54:59The priests are allowing people
00:55:00to kiss this cross.
00:55:01One of the most sacred objects
00:55:02in Ethiopia.
00:55:06The procession's made its way down
00:55:10to this bit of bonfire.
00:55:11Some of the sort of faggots
00:55:12being gathered
00:55:13by the local people.
00:55:14Bundles of trigs, I think,
00:55:15constitute the offering,
00:55:16the symbolic offering.
00:55:17I say to burn away their sins,
00:55:18I guess.
00:55:19.
00:55:20.
00:55:21.
00:55:22.
00:55:23.
00:55:24.
00:55:25.
00:55:26.
00:55:27.
00:55:28.
00:55:38.
00:55:39.
00:55:40.
00:55:41.
00:55:42.
00:55:49.
00:55:50The cross is reputedly made
00:55:51of solid gold
00:55:52and is an elaborate piece of work
00:55:55with layers of meaning.
00:55:56The central crucifix symbolises Christ,
00:55:59of course.
00:56:00Around the top edge are twelve cusps
00:56:03representing the apostles.
00:56:05And on either side,
00:56:06the wings of an angel.
00:56:08Can I have a blessing from the cross?
00:56:11.
00:56:12.
00:56:13.
00:56:14.
00:56:15.
00:56:16.
00:56:17.
00:56:18.
00:56:19.
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00:56:30.
00:56:31.
00:56:32.
00:56:33.
00:56:34.
00:56:35.
00:56:36.
00:56:37.
00:56:38.
00:56:39.
00:56:52.
00:56:53.
00:56:54.
00:56:55.
00:56:56.
00:56:57.
00:56:58.
00:56:59.
00:57:00.
00:57:01.
00:57:02.
00:57:17.
00:57:18.
00:57:19.
00:57:20.
00:57:21.
00:57:22.
00:57:23.
00:57:43.
00:57:44.
00:57:45.
00:57:46.
00:57:47.
00:57:48.
00:57:49.
00:57:50.
00:57:51.
00:57:52.
00:57:53.
00:57:54.
00:57:55.
00:57:56.
00:57:57.
00:57:58.
00:58:00.
00:58:01.
00:58:02.
00:58:03.
00:58:04.
00:58:05.
00:58:07.
00:58:08.
00:58:10.
00:58:11.
00:58:12Ah, so here's the Eastern End, the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary.
00:58:32Ah, here's the gentleman, the priest.
00:58:35Ah, hello.
00:58:37Hello.
00:58:38Nice to see you again.
00:58:41Ah, thanks for God who let you to be here for this holiday.
00:58:54Thank you very much indeed.
00:58:57This cross is not human-made, handmade cross.
00:59:07This cross is not human-made, handmade cross.
00:59:12It's given from God, through angels to say the Ark of the Covenant, I understand.
00:59:21They call it Afraigavam in Amharic, means people never be afraid, ashamed, who touched this
00:59:33one.
00:59:34We'll get healing and blessing.
00:59:37So the cross has miraculous powers, and they're the powers to heal and to make you free from
00:59:43fear, free from shame.
00:59:45Yeah.
00:59:46Fantastic.
00:59:47And I've touched it.
00:59:48From the Holy Land and Jerusalem to the Holy Land of Latabella here in Ethiopia created
00:59:59about 850 years ago.
01:00:00It's a curious thing the way human beings to pursue their spiritual life need to worship
01:00:06physical relics, objects and places.
01:00:13It's a paradox, a paradox that can lead to conflict when two faiths vie to possess, to control the same sacred sites.
01:00:20I've seen that conflict, that sense of violence in Jerusalem.
01:00:21But at least here in Latabella, this Holy Land possesses a sense of peace, a sense of peace and
01:00:25peace.
01:00:26a sense of bliss.
01:00:51a sense of bliss.
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