According to biblical accounts, the Israelites built the Ark of the Covenant after fleeing Egypt in the 13th century BC, and it is believed to contain the Ten Commandments. Some historians suggest it was housed in the Holy of Holies within the Temple of Jerusalem until it vanished in 586 BC. Others believe it may have been taken to Ethiopia, where local traditions claim it is hidden in a church.
No conclusive physical evidence has ever been found, but a CIA document declassified in 2000 reveals that the agency may have located the Ark as early as 1988.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) utilized individuals with alleged paranormal abilities to gather intelligence on remote locations and events. One such program, Project Sun Streak, employed “remote viewing,” in which psychics used coordinates to visualize specific places or objects.
On December 5, 1988, a remote viewer known as “No. 032” was given an unidentified target to describe. Their vision was striking:
“The target is a container with another container inside it,” the document recorded. “It is made of wood, gold, and silver, and decorated with a six-winged angel.”
The viewer also described the object as coffin-shaped and located somewhere in the Middle East, where Arabic was spoken. Though unaware they were searching for the Ark of the Covenant, their description closely matched historical depictions of the sacred chest, which biblical accounts state was built around 1445 BC.
The document further stated: “The target is hidden—underground, dark, and wet. Its purpose is to unite people and is connected to ceremony, memory, homage, and resurrection. It holds spiritual significance and historical knowledge beyond what is currently understood.”
Additionally, the remote viewer claimed the Ark is “guarded by entities” and can only be accessed by those with proper authorization.
This report is part of a broader archive of CIA psychic research, often used for tracking missing persons or hostages.
