Raiders of the Hidden Ark: The story of the Parker expedition to Jerusalem

‘This is the story of a remarkable adventure, exciting, harrowing, beautifully written and thoroughly researched.’ – Lady Selina Hastings, author This is a tale of an extraordinary adventure by Edwardian aristocrats to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem. The young men were educated at Eton, had fought in elite units of the British military, and socialized with European royalty and wealthy Americans. One was related to Winston Churchill, one had thwarted an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria as a schoolboy and another had helped spark the Boer War. A Finnish scholar had convinced this group of young Englishmen that he had uncovered secret ciphers in the Bible showing where the Ark was hidden. The group headed for Jerusalem on a private yacht together with a Swiss psychic, a Finnish poet, and a Swedish captain who had witnessed the darkest heart of colonial madness. The Parker expedition is an extraordinary story, seemingly stranger than fiction. It includes secret biblical ciphers, a deadly curse, bribery, gun-running, riots and madness. It may sound unbelievable, but it is real. Rudyard Kipling wrote, ‘Talk of fiction! Fiction isn’t in it.’ The story of the Parker expedition is a story about two empires, the British at its peak and the Ottoman close to its end. It is also a story that still echoes in Jerusalem today, after the archaeological expedition unwittingly ‘scattered sparks in the religious tinder-heap’ and created headlines around the world: ‘Have Englishmen Found the Ark of the Covenant?’ – New York Times 7th May 1911 ‘Englishmen Are Said To Have Looted the Sacred Mosque at Jerusalem’ – Chicago Tribune 4th May 1911 ‘A Treasure Hunt in Jerusalem. British Explorers’ Alleged Sacrilege’ – The Guardian 4th May 1911 ‘Theft of Relics in the Jerusalem Mosque of Omar’ – Vossische Zeitung 2nd May 1911 ‘The Parker expedition, Excitement in Jerusalem, Allegations against the explorers’ – Sydney Morning Herald 6th May 1911 Previously untold in English in its entirety, Graham Addison’s research has uncovered many new details. He skillfully weaves these together in the amazing story of the individuals who sailed on a private yacht bound for Jerusalem in 1909 to dig up the Ark. He tells who the adventurers were, what really happened in Jerusalem and what became of them afterward. Reviews ‘The Parker expedition ranks as the weirdest of all archaeological excavations, yet the details of what took place in Jerusalem in the early 1900s have remained mysterious. Thanks to Graham Addison’s meticulous sleuthing, we now have a much clearer–and even more fascinating–glimpse into an expedition that rocked the world.’ – Andrew Lawler, author of Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City ‘In ‘Raiders of the Hidden Ark’, Graham Addison has revealed the incredible story of the ill-fated Parker expedition to find the Ark of the Covenant. Meticulously researched, and expertly told, this book is a masterpiece of historical research and story-telling. Compelling reading.’ – Felicity Cobbing, Chief Executive & Curator, Palestine Exploration Fund ‘The most complete account of the Parker expedition I have read. It brings to light many new aspects of the expedition.’ – Professor Ronny Reich, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of Haifa and Excavator of the City of David (1995-2010) ‘This is the story of a remarkable adventure, exciting, harrowing, beautifully written and thoroughly researched. Graham Addison displays not only an acute understanding of period and location but also of the levels of society in which his fascinatingly complex characters were part. His account of this extraordinary undertaking, and for many its tragic aftermath, is a truly impressive undertaking.’ – Lady Selina Hastings, author — ISBN13: 9781919649504