Local religious movement claims the Ark of the Covenant is in the Solomon Islands

A new theory is drawing attention to Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands as a potential hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant. Local accounts point to a lost temple deep in the jungle that was modeled on King Solomon’s Temple to safeguard the sacred chest. The hypothesis has been energized by a locally produced film, “The Lost Temple Discovery.” The film examines mysterious stone ruins on the island that some residents believe are remnants of a sanctuary built to receive the Ark. The filmmaker, identified as Frank Daifa, said, according to the Daily Mail. “The stonework itself is nothing special, but it hides a formula of power and glory,” according to Japanese website TOCANA.

At the heart of the claim is a tradition among communities in northern Malaita. They say ancient travelers from Israel carried the Ark across the Pacific by canoe on an approximate 8,000-mile (about 12,875 kilometers) journey some two millennia ago. Local lore holds that the voyage ended with the construction of a hidden temple in the island’s mountainous interior. The site was conceived to mirror key aspects of King Solomon’s Temple and serve as a resting place for the Ark.

Among the To’abaita people in the north of Malaita, a deeply rooted belief holds that they descend from the “Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.” This story appears in personal and communal practices. Some individuals reportedly wear the Star of David, recite Hebrew prayers, and use fragments of the Hebrew language in everyday life. Alongside these customs, small Christian groups in the region maintain that the Ark was buried on the island. They share rumors of a concealed temple where ancient inhabitants once practiced rituals resembling Jewish worship.

A local religious movement, the All Peoples Prayer Assembly (APPA), formerly known as the Deep Sea Canoe Movement and founded in the 1980s, is among the strongest proponents. Members assert that their ancestors journeyed from the Middle East to the Pacific centuries ago, bringing elements of Israelite faith to Malaita. Within APPA’s teachings, the Ark is believed to remain hidden somewhere on the island. The community considers itself the guardian of the sacred relic. These beliefs add a spiritual dimension to searches for the lost temple site.

The Ark of the Covenant—described in biblical tradition as a gold-plated chest that housed the Ten Commandments—vanished from historical records more than 2,500 years ago. Its disappearance has generated a wide array of theories. Competing claims have placed its last known resting place in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Japan. The Malaita tradition adds the Solomon Islands to that list. It frames the Pacific as the final leg of a transoceanic journey undertaken to secure the Ark far from the upheavals of the ancient Near East.

For residents who embrace the story, the island’s rugged interior, scattered stone features, and enduring ritual practices align with the narrative of a concealed sanctuary. Skepticism remains strong among professional researchers, however. Most historians and archaeologists doubt the Ark could have traversed the Pacific in ancient times. They note that no physical evidence links Malaita to an ancient Israelite presence or verifies a temple built to the design of King Solomon’s sanctuary, according to Daily Mail Online. Even so, oral histories, APPA’s teachings, and Difa’s documentary have kept interest alive.