Declassified CIA files suggest Ark of the Covenant may have been located
A recently resurfaced CIA document from 1988 suggests the U.S. government may have located the biblical Ark of the Covenant using psychic intelligence techniques under a secret Cold War-era program.
The report is linked to Project Sun Streak, a classified U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency initiative that attempted to gather information on distant targets using "remote viewers" — individuals trained to perceive unseen or far-off locations.
One such test involved a psychic, identified as Remote Viewer No. 032, who was given target coordinates without being told the nature of the object.
The viewer reportedly described a coffin-like container made of wood, gold, and silver — adorned with winged figures — that strongly resembles descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant from biblical texts.
'The target is a container… fashioned of wood, gold and silver… decorated with a six-winged angel,' the report reads.
The viewer claimed the object was buried underground in the Middle East, in a region where people spoke Arabic. They also described surrounding architecture resembling white mosque domes and individuals dressed in white garments.
Perhaps most striking is the claim that the artifact is 'protected by entities' who will 'destroy' any unauthorized attempt to open it.
The report adds that the Ark 'can only be opened when the time is deemed correct,' and that it carries a 'spiritual and historical significance far beyond what we now know.'
The CIA declassified the document in 2000, but it has recently gained attention after being featured on the Ninjas are Butterflies podcast.
Host Josh Hooper said he was skeptical until he located the file on the official CIA website.
The remote viewer's notes include sketches of a domed white structure, eight figures labeled 'mummies,' and a creature with wings and claws labeled 'seradin.'
While no physical evidence of the Ark has been found, theories about its location have persisted for centuries. Some believe it vanished during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC; others claim it was taken to Ethiopia.
Despite the sensational claims, historians and archaeologists remain cautious. Experts emphasize that remote viewing lacks scientific validation and that no verifiable proof of the Ark's existence has emerged.
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