Religious archaeologists in Israel claim they have found the stone where the Ark of the Covenant once sat.
The Bible bombshell was made by researchers from Israel's Tel Aviv University, who found a 3,100-year-old temple near the modern-day town of Beit Shemesh.
Biblical scholars believe that the Ark contained the Ten Commandments which Moses received on Mount Sinai.
They also claim that the Ark was on top of a large square table.
The stone was covered with animal dung, which archaeologists believe was a result of the Philistines.
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Archaeologists claim the stone is remarkably similar to a mythical "large stone" described in the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament.
It was used to hold up the Ark after it arrived at Beth Shemesh when the Philistines returned it to the Israelis.
The relic was 28ft (8.5m) long on each side and perfectly square.
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Excavations of the temple from the 12th century BC reveal it was later plundered and "intentionally desecrated" by the Philistines, who turned it into an animal pen.
The legendary Ark of the Covenant has been sought by archaeologists for centuries and was the subject of the fictional 1981 Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It is believed that the 3,100-year-old building is a temple because it was separated from most of the other neighbouring buildings, had stronger walls, and pointed east in the direction of the rising sun.
Experts claim that two large round stones with carved gutters found at the site may have been used for producing sacred wine for ceremonies.
Rituals may have been performed at the site, as indicated by the fact that animal bone, pottery and cups were also discovered there.
Professor Shlomo Bunimovitz, the archaeologist leading the dig, said: "There is a lot of evidence that it was indeed a temple.
"When you look at the structure and its content, it's very clear that this is not a standard domestic space but something special."
The holy site was plundered and destroyed, before being turned into an animal pen, Dr Zvi Lederman, another leading archaeologist on the project, said.
"To me, this is an act of hostility, an intentional desecration of a holy place."
Beit Shemesh was a border town in pre-monarchic Israel and was often a flashpoint in conflicts between the Israelites and Philistines.
This isn't the first time archaeologists have claimed to have found the ancient relic.
In September last year, Daily Star Online mapped the possible locations of the Ark of the Covenant.
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