Rating: 
Summary: uneven but nonetheless worthwhile
Review: The book was way too long - the author unnecessarily repeated certain ideas over and over again. [Proof by repetition!]At the same time, the author skipped around other issues entirely. For example, what was the ark? The author provided almost no speculation from a scientific point of view. I was quite disappointed by "it's a gift from god and cannot be explained". The author is great at speculating and drawing conclusions from very little, so it's hard to understand why he didn't do a little more work on this. It makes me wonder what he had in mind in the event that he actually found the ark. Would he have stopped at a physical description of it? Surely he had a long list of questions that could be answered. But he never talked about it, so it's as if he knew there was no point in preparing such a list. (I could've imagined a whole chapter on this subject alone.) Same observation about Axum. Why did he not have a long list of questions (and ideas) for what was going to happen when he finally talked to the keeper of the ark. I'm astounded that he just asked some weak questions and gave up. There are all sorts of ways he could've gotten more information. I can't help wondering if he did indeed find out that the Ark wasn't there and so he came up with this lame ending so the whole thesis of the book wasn't a total waste. The book could've used a lot more pictures. He wasted pages and pages on text as he tried to describe symbols and their arrangements. A few good pictures would've been much simpler. (When a lawyer does this in court, it's because a picture would disprove the point he's trying to make.) Sorry to be so negative - I am giving this four stars because I did enjoy reading the book and have recommended it to friends. It's just that it had some gaping holes.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read.
Review: This does read as an adventure story and archeological expedition all in one, as such it provides gripping stuff. Graham Hancock, along with other authors, have tapped into what appears to be a growing global awareness of a hidden literal history that lyes as an undercurrent in many religous teachings. In his further books he carries this theme along well, ok maybe mars is one planet too far, but it continues to incurr many minds too ponder the wonderous world we live in. Co-operation is better than competion so maybe he can learn from more orthodox minds and they in turn can try to open up to the many possibilities of an alternative view. Always search for the truth and although this book may not contain the whole truth it will make you sit back and think which is far better than going through life blissfully blind to the potential within all of us.
Rating:
Summary: A whirlwind of knowledge
Review: Hancock writes a fascinating tail of one of the most sought after religious relics of our time. Displaying a profound and almost scary ability to find connections and meanings in the most darkest of corners. I found this book to be not only entertaining but very informative. Hancock's journalistic qualities are readily apparent as he weaves a fascinating tail of epic proportions. Fact or fiction? Only you can be the judge of that, but the evidence presented by Hancock is of a most astounding nature. Presenting convincing evidence of the long and perilous journey of the Ark and it's relationship to religious artifacts and cults of all genre. An absolutely fantastic book.
Rating: 
Summary: IT WAS NOT HELPFUL
Review: I DID NOT LIKE YOR BOOK IT WAS NOT HELPFU
Rating: 
Summary: an entertaining story at best
Review: An interesting narrative of Hancock's search for the Ark of the Covenant. His account of events is both entertaining and informative, even though it is at times highly questionable and sloppy. At best, it is a good read for both the secular and religious minded. By the way, the Ark is buried under the Temple Mount.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and Thought Provoking
Review: This book was captivating from the start. From an entertainment standpoint, the book was impossible to put down. Highly recommended for open-minded individuals searching for knowledge and truth. However, as should be the case with all works of this type, the reliability and proper intrepretation of the sources should be investigated before one considers the work scientific. In the end it all comes down to a matter of faith.
Rating:
Summary: great BOOK
Review: a story of adventure and travel in the present and in the past. could not let go of it.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, but not convincing
Review: Graham Hancock is one of the authors that I really pay attention, mostly because of the seriousness of his studies. In here, he attempts to demostrate that he found the Ark of the Couvenant using keen archeological insight. But there are few points I want to make clear. First, it's the fact that he uses the Holy Grail stories and novels to find the Ark. This method can be highly questionable if one considers the fact that when the tales of the Holy Grail first appeared, nobody knew what the Holy Grail was. Only many years after the first tale appeared, it began to be related to the cup or vase of the Last Supper or with the blood of Christ. In fact, in one of the stories, when the hero finds the Grail, he stops believing in God. Is this really related to the Ark of the Couvenant? Secondly, I had the feeling throughout the book that he wanted to find the Ark in Axium. Although I recognize all the good job he has done finding all the archeological evidence, it seems to me that this can be a questionable factor in his book. However, once again, I enjoyed the book. I am not so much of a believer in relics. In fact, my Bible studies seem to indicate that the Ark really existed, be it of supernatural origin or not. I think that, even when Hancock is not very convincing, his quest as shown in his book is really quite fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling but not convincing
Review: I really enjoyed this book as a speculative adventure piece. I learned a bit about the history of the Ark, the Grail, the Templars, and the Ethopian Jews. In the end, I had to take his conclusions with more than a grain (a pillar perhaps?) of salt. He leaves holes big enough to drive an ark through... and that would be Noah's, not the Ark of the Covenant. Read it with a healthy dose of skepticism and enjoy a quasi-historic tourbus ride come detective novel.
Rating:
Summary: A good read and at first site excellent research but....
Review: I read this book 4 years ago while living in Southern France and enjoyed it very much. I admire the amount time and research that goes into writing a book of this kind. Question..... during the reasearch into the history of the Ark did Mr. Hancock read a book called "The Lost Books of the Bible"? A chapter in this book clearly describes the Ark as being in the Temple when Mary (the mother of Jesus)was a young girl. These books ,some believe, were available to pilgrims who visited the Holy Land prior to the crusades. It would certainly help to explain why the Templars excavated so extensively around and under the Temple Mount!
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