Foreword and Acknowledgements * INTRODUCTION * The Holy Relic at Aksum * 'A Ridiculous Fable'? * Unravelling the Web * HISTORICAL OUTLINE * THE GREAT MYTH * Solomon and Sheba * The Legend of the Heavenly Zion Makeda, Queen of Sheba * The 'Glory of Kings' * THE TABOT AND THE ARK * The Mysterious Altars of Ethiopia * Tabotat, Ark and Tablets * Tabot: Confused Definitions * Linked Identities * 'It is here.' * A Chapel and its Guardian * Zion at Aksum * Tabot and Grail * THE ARK AND THE TABLETS * From King Solomon to Queen Gudit * Manuscript Treasures * A Search Begins * Nine Saints * War in Himyar * Dating the Kebra Nagast * After Kaleb * Queen * Gudit * Coptic Memories * Khazar Interlude * The Ark and the Zagweacute; Kings * The Usurpers * The Ark of Lalibela * A Colophon * Tabot of Seyon * Heirs of Solomon * The nebura'ed Yeshaq King Yeshaq, Lion of David * Coronation at Aksum * Quest for a Legend * Some Literary Fragments * European Rumours * Three Books * The Book of Aksum * Ho Preste Joam das Indias * The Conquest of Abyssinia * Tales of Solomon and Sheba * Francisco Alvares * The Golden Legend * Saga Za-Ab * Joatilde;o de Barros * Nicolao Godinho * THE ARK OF ZION * The Coming of the Ark * The Ark of the Covenant at Aksum * Peacute;ro Pais * Manoel de Almeida * Manoel Barradas * Afonso Mendes and Balthasar Telles * The Flight of the Ark * Gadla Marqorewos * An Arabic Tale * Exotic Embroideries * Emperor Iyasu I and the Ark * Charles-Jacques Poncet * Abba Gorgoreyos and Job Ludolf * Emperor Iyasu II and Remedius Prutky * Foreign Commentaries, 1764-1881 * An Armenian Visitor * James Bruce and the Kebra Nagast * Father Dimotheos, Gerhard Rohlfs * Epilogue * MARY OF ZION * The Dwelling Place of the Ark * Maryam Seyon, Aksum * The Foundation of Aksum Seyon Church * Dedication to Mary of Zion * Mariolatry and the Kebra Nagast * The Ark at Dabra * Makeda * Wanderings of the Ark * THE 'ARK' AT AKSUM SEYON? CONCLUSIONS * Royal Propaganda * Ethiopia's Tribulations * Metamorphosis * The White Stone * Jesuit or Christian Arab? * Survival * Chronological Chart. History of the Ethiopian Ark * Appendix. Some Documentation.