This is the true story of an extraordinary-and at times outrageous-adventure led 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 socialised with European royalty and wealthy Americans.
A Finnish scholar had convinced them that he had uncovered secret ciphers in the Bible revealing where the Ark was hidden. The group set off for Jerusalem on a private yacht, accompanied by a Swiss psychic, a Finnish poet, and a Swedish captain who had witnessed the darkest heart of colonial madness. A long-term resident of Jerusalem described them as 'certainly the oddest archaeologists ever to visit the city.'
The story of the Parker expedition is one of two empires: the British at their peak and the Ottoman Empire nearing its end-and of a city at the centre of the world. It is a story that still echoes today, after the expedition unwittingly 'scattered sparks in the religious tinder-heap' that is Jerusalem, creating 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
'Theft of Relics in the Jerusalem Mosque of Omar' - Vossische Zeitung 2nd May 1911
In a spoiler alert, they spent a fortune but-of course-did not find the Ark. This is not a book for those seeking a new theory about where the Ark of the Covenant might be found. As Rudyard Kipling wrote of the expedition, 'Talk of fiction! Fiction isn't in it.'
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)
