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It appears that Menelik was faithful to the God of Solomon, but Solomon, after taking so many wives,
               was creating alters in honor to the gods of his wives.  He was wandering away from his love for Yahweh.
               Fear that God would be replaced with idols, Menelik, along with the elders of Israel, plot to take the Ark
               of the Covenant to Sheba.  A duplicate is made and switched, and Menelik takes the Ark with him back
               to Ethiopia.  It supposedly remains in the Chapel of the Tablet next to the Church of Maryam Tsion in
               Aksum, Ethiopia. lxvii

               An interesting book to read is The New Temple and the Second Coming by Grant R. Jeffrey.  In this book,
               Mr. Jeffrey makes an interesting and compelling argument that the Ark was moved to Israel in the
                                                                                       rd
               1990’s from Aksum and now resides near Jerusalem.  It will be moved into the 3  temple when it is built
               in Jerusalem.  He cites eyewitnesses and testimonies of those involved in relocating it to Israel.

               Below are charts showing the different Kings, prophets/prophetesses, and comparisons to activities in
               the book of 1-2 Kings.

               Figure 1.1.7 lxviii
                                          DIVIDED KINGDOM “SCORECARD” (1-2 Kings)

                                    ISRAEL                                         JUDAH
                                    9 Kings                                   19 Kings, 1 Queen
                            9 Ruling dynasties (families                  2 Ruling Dynasties (families)
                                7 Assassinations                               5 assassinations
                                   1 suicide                                   2 Striken by God
                                1 Striken by God                            3 exiled to foreign lands
                       All judged “evil” by the Kings Historian       8 judged “good” by the kings historian


               Figure 1.1.8
                          lxix
                                    Baal (of the Canaanites) vs. Elijah and Elisha (of Yahweh)

                        Baal, as storm-god, controls rains          Elijah commands drought (1 Kings 17:1)
                  Baal ensures agricultural fertility and bountiful   Israel experiences famine and drought, yet Elijah
                                   harvest                       and Elisha provide grain and oil miraculously (2
                                                                             Kings 4:1-7, 42-44)
                         Baal controls lightning and fire       Elijah commands fire from heaven in the name of
                                                                 Yahweh (1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10-12; 2:11)
                           Baal controls life and death          Elijah and Elisha raise the dead in the name of
                                                                Yahweh (1 Kings 17:7-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37; 5:1-20)









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