the ruin of Constantinople, had it objects sent to Jerusalem in 555 A.D.

Modern writers of occult history suggest that the Knights Templar discovered the Ark in the ruins of Solomon's temple and took custody of it, eventually shipping it back to Europe. A number of hiding places have been suggested for it:one of them is Rennes le Chateau in France, certain European forests and even remote Abyssinia. Some authors have raised the possibility that before reaching its ultimate resting place, the Ark may have been guarded in a very unusual location: the fortress known as Castel del Monte, located in the "heel" of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula.

Castel del Monte was built in 1240 A.D. at the command of the Frederick II, holder of an impressive number of titles,including Holy Roman Emperor and King of Jerusalem. A patron and ally of the Knights Templar, the emperor decreed that his strange, octagonal castle be built to precise measurements having magical significance and enclosing a main hall known, suggestively, as the Master's Chamber. The late Robert Charroux suggested that Castel del Monte was meant to be "a castle of Templar alchemists, governed by the figure 8, which when written horizontally, is the symbol of infinity and universal domination." (Charroux, Legacy of the Gods, NY: Berkeley, 1974).

Lacking all the typical inner structures of a castle, such as armories, refectories and living quarters, this octagonal fortress was not meant to repel invaders or serve as a garrison. In the light of all of its mystical associations, could we not speculate