Ripped right out of an Indiana Jones film, some resurfaced declassified documents have the internet abuzz about the CIA’s apparent quest for the Ark of the Covenant. First described in the book of Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant was an intricately designed box that held the two tablets of the Ten Commandments and other sacred relics that the Israelites carried with them during their 40-year exile in the desert and during their conquest of the Promised Land. The Ark was so holy that to touch it would mean instant death. It was also meant to bring success to the Israelites during their military campaigns, something that serves as an important plot point in the film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The documents detailing a training exercise for Project Sun Streak are dated from December 1988 and were declassified in 2000. They have recently resurfaced over the internet. The documents make a reference to an individual, “viewer 032,” using remote viewing to locate the Ark of the Covenant. Projects like Sun Streak involved the CIA partnering with individuals who claimed to have telepathic abilities to gain information. The viewer describes seeing a container using remote viewing, stating that container appears to be in the Middle East as the people speaking around is location are speaking Arabic. The description stated, “Target is a container. This container has another container inside of it.” The viewer described that container as being “fashioned of wood, gold and silver” and being decorated with “seraphim” or angels,” matching the Ark’s description in the Old Testament. The viewer also reported seeing “Mosque domes” and that the Ark was hidden underground. Access to the Ark was limited as it was “protected by entities.” As to using the Ark, the viewer determined that the Ark “can only be opened (now) by those who are authorized to do so.” The viewer also warned that anyone who tried to force the Ark open would be “the container’s protectors.”

US Army Chief Warrant Joe McMoneagle, who is remote viewer 1, stated that a target would be written down and put in an envelope where the viewer could not see what was being looked for. McMoneagle, however, doubted the account. “Using remote viewing against any target for which ground truth does not exist or is impossible to obtain, such as UFOs, UAPs, the surface of Mars, or the locations of historical relics, is a waste of time and resources. If someone claims that remote viewing proves the existence of something, such as the Ark of the Covenant, they must produce the Ark to substantiate their claim,” he told The New York Post. He called the exercise, “a training target done on a whim” and stated that the Ark was “legendary.” “If they can produce the actual Ark based on the information, it will be a surprise to me, as well as to many others.”