A newly translated Hebrew text called "Treatise of the Vessels" (Massekhet Kelim in Hebrew) claims to reveal where treasures from King Solomon's temple were hidden, and may reveal what happened to the Ark of the Covenant itself.



For all you non-history buffs, the Ark of the Covenant is a chest that said to have held tablets containing the 10 commandments. It was housed in King Solomon's Temple (which was also called the First Temple), which was later plundered and torched by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century B.C.

James Davila, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, in an article in the book "Old Testament Pseudepigrapha More Noncanonical Scriptures Volume 1" wrote that the newly translated text says the "treasures were concealed by a number of Levites and prophets."

Based on the new details, the writer of the text likely was not trying to convey factual locations of the hidden treasures of Solomon's Temple, but rather was writing a work of fiction, based on different legends. While the text leaves the exact location of the Ark unclear, it does state that it "shall not be revealed until the day of the coming of the Messiah son of David…"

As for any would-be treasure seekers keen on reading more on this discovery, you can head over to Livescience for the full story.