Ark of the Covenant

In Judaism and Christianity, the ornate, gold-plated wooden chest that in biblical times housed the two tablets of the Law given to Moses by God. The Levites carried the Ark during the Hebrews' wandering in the wilderness. Following the conquest of Canaan, it was kept at Shiloh but was sometimes carried into battle by the Israelites. David took it to Jerusalem, and Solomon placed it in the Temple of Jerusalem, where it rested in the Holy of Holies and was seen only by the high priest on Yom Kippur. It is believed to have been captured when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, and its subsequent fate is unknown.

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Ark of the Covenant

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(Heb. aron ha-berit). A specially designed wooden chest containing the Tablets of the Covenant fashioned in the wilderness at God's command by the craftsman Bezalel (Ex. 25:10ff., 37:1ff.). It was the most sacred ritual possession of ancient Israel. Originally housed in the Sanctuary and later in the First Temple's Holy of Holies, this Ark was also carried by the Levites (or priests) whenever the Israelite people set out on the march or went to war. It had various designations such as "the Ark of the Pact" (aron ha-edut; Ex. 25:22), "the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord" (aron brit Adonai; Num. 20:33), "the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts enthroned on the cherubim" (I Sam. 4:4), or more simply as "the Ark of the Covenant" (Josh. 3:6) and "the Ark of the Lord" (I Sam. 5:3). Scriptural references indicate that it was in use from shortly after the revelation at Mount Sinai until after the time of Solomon (I Kings 8:6).

Because of its several designations and functions, some critical scholars believe that there may have been different traditions as to its origin and purpose. The Ark of the Covenant described in Exodus was a rectangular chest 2.5 cubits (3 3/4 ft or 1.10 meters) long and 1.5 cubits (2 1/4 ft or 70 cm) in height and width, open at the top. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold; the whole upper surface of the Ark also had a covering plate (kapporet) of gold, and of one piece with it were two golden figures of a Cherub which faced each other with outstretched wings. The Tablets of the Covenant were deposited in the Ark, which was then placed in the Sanctuary's Holy of Holies. Moses was told that the Lord would meet with him between the two cherubim.

Bible scholars note that shrines similar to the Sanctuary (Tabernacle) and replicas of creatures similar to the cherubim were also found among other Middle Eastern peoples of antiquity. They, too, deposited important documents in a holy place close to their gods. Unlike these heathen shrines, however, the Israelite Sanctuary contained no image of the deity, while the Ark contained only the two stone tablets---and they were not to be worshiped. Their function was to remind the people of their covenant with God, of His nearness to them, and of His demands on all aspects of their lives. Since the Tablets of the Covenant were housed in the Ark, and since the Lord was visualized as communicating with Moses from the cherubim above it, the aron ha-berit attained the highest degree of holiness. Touching it was considered a form of sacrilege liable to kindle Divine wrath (Num. 4:15; I Sam. 6:19).

Biblical tradition also associates the Ark with ancient Israel's wars of conquest. Its presence in front of the people was a sign that the Lord went ahead of them in battle (Deut. 1:30-33). "When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: 'Advance, O Lord! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flee before You!' And when he halted, he would say: 'Return, O Lord, You who are Israel's myriads of thousands!'" (Num. 10:35-36). Accordingly, when the Israelites first tried to conquer the Land (Num. 14:39-45), Moses warned them not to go "for the Lord is not in your midst." They disobeyed, attacking even though "the Lord's Ark of the Covenant" remained in the camp, and they were dealt a shattering blow. Critical scholarship differs as to whether these verses indicate that the Ark and the Lord were considered one and the same or whether the Ark "symbolized" the Lord's presence.

In any event, it was with the Israelites at the miraculous crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land (Josh. 3:6ff.) and when the walls of Jericho collapsed (Josh. 6). After the conquest of the land, it was kept in the Shiloh sanctuary, but was taken out occasionally to battles. During Samuel's wars (I Sam. 4-7), its presence in the Israelite camp led the Philistines to tremble, saying: "God has come to the camp" (I Sam. 4:7). Once the Ark fell into the hands of the Philistines, it wrought plague and havoc in their cities; only after the Israelites recovered it were they able to defeat the Philistines (I Sam. 5-7). When King David was bringing the Ark to Jerusalem, a certain Uzzah reached out and grasped it to prevent it from toppling. God struck him down on the spot for his indiscretion (II Sam. 6:6-7; and I Chr. 13:9-10). David later placed the Ark in a special tent (II Sam. 6:17), where it remained until his son, King Solomon, installed it in the Temple he had built in Jerusalem. When the priests brought the Ark into the Holy of Holies, a "cloud filled the House of the Lord ... for the glory of the Lord filled the House of God" (I Kings 8:1-11; II Chr. 5:2-14).

Little mention is made of the Ark after the period of Solomon's Temple, the last reference dating from the time of Josiah in the seventh century BCE (see Jer. 3:16-17; II Chr. 35:3). Rabbinic traditions speculate that it may have been hidden by Jeremiah or that it could have been taken to Babylon when the First Temple was destroyed (Yoma 53b-54a; TJ Shek. 6:1-2, 49c). It was not present in the Second Temple (Yoma 5:2). A replica, the Holy Ark (aron ha-kodesh), now forms part of synagogues throughout the world. In place of the Tablets of the Covenant, this Ark houses the Scrolls of the Law.

The Religion Book:

Ark of the Covenant

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When Moses received from God the Law delivered to the Israelites after their escape from Egypt, he was told to build an ark upon which the glory of God would rest.

"Ark" comes from the Greek word for chest. "Covenant" means contract or agreement. The ark became a constant reminder of God's contract with his chosen people.

It was a box about two and a half feet high and wide, and four and a half feet long. It was made of wood and covered with gold leaf. It was transported by means of two long poles and placed within the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary, in the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting during the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. After the conquest of Canaan it was housed in the sanctuary at Shiloh, and it was later brought by King David to the site of the future Temple at Jerusalem. This was the occasion that so inspired David that he "danced before the Lord," much to the disgust of his wife (See David, King).

When the Babylonians destroyed Solomon's Temple in 586 bce, the ark disappeared. Although many have tried to locate it (including Indiana Jones in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark), its location has remained a mystery ever since. Some think it is hidden away in a temple in Ethiopia, brought there by the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Others believe it is hidden in the caves of Qumran or buried under the Temple Mount. Still others believe it destroyed.

Three symbolic objects were placed within the ark. Each recalled stories that, when taken together, represented the very essence of Judaism. (The stories are found in the biblical books Exodus and Numbers.)

The first object was the stone tablet containing the Ten Commandments. These represented God's law. But the people had broken God's law. While Moses was on Sinai receiving instructions that forbade the worship of idols, the people were down below dancing around a golden calf. The tablets would forever symbolize the people's rejection of God's law.

The second was a pot of manna. "Manna" literally means, "What is it?" When the people needed food in the desert, God told Moses to have them go outside and gather a daily supply of a light bread that would form with the dew each morning. Only one day's supply could be gathered because it would spoil if hoarded. The bread gathered on Friday would keep for an extra day so the people would not have to break the Sabbath commandment forbidding work on the seventh day. When the people went outside on the first morning to discover the miracle of God's provision, they saw the manna and said, "What is it?" The idea was to teach the people to trust in God's daily provision. But after the novelty wore off, the people complained, longing for "the leeks and onions of Egypt." So manna came to represent their rejection of God's provision.

The third item was "Aaron's rod that budded." Aaron, Moses' brother, had been selected by God to be High Priest. But the people wanted to elect their own leaders. They complained to Moses, who passed the word on to God. So Moses was told to have each tribe select a candidate for High Priest. Each would place his "rod," or walking staff, in the ground to be inspected during the next morning's convocation. The rod that "budded," or took root, would indicate God's choice. The implication was that God's leaders bear fruit.

Of course Aaron's rod produced a bud, and he went on to become the first High Priest of Israel. But the people would always be reminded that they had rejected God's leadership.

On the cover of the ark stood the Mercy Seat. Two carved angels, one on each side with their arched wings meeting in the middle, looked down at the ark's contents. There they saw rejection-rejection of God's law, God's provision, and God's leadership. That doesn't leave a lot more of God left to reject.

But on one day a year, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the Mercy Seat. On that day the angels would see not rejection but the blood of the innocent substitute, and the sins of the people would be atoned for.

Much speculation has arisen over the true meaning of the ark. Because the Bible makes a special point of saying Moses' face glowed when he came out from the visible presence of God, some have speculated it contained a source of light. It was said that at the ark Moses would hear the voice of God. This has sparked wild tales of it being a transmitter through which Moses was in contact with aliens from outer space, using details supplied from their blueprints to build the ark to their specifications. Because of the ark's supposed ability to inspire armies in war, and because at least one man is said to have died after he touched it without proper consecration, speculation arose as to its mystical or military powers.

The Ark of the Covenant is surrounded by mystery. Perhaps it still awaits discovery, resting in its 3,500-year-old hiding place. But its meaning to the Israelites was clear: the ark reminded them of their contract with the God who chose them to be a special people.

(See also Tabernacle in the Wilderness)

Sources: Bridger, David, ed. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Behrman House, 1962. May, Herbert G., and Bruce M. Metzger, eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Rev. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1974.

Bible Dictionary and Concordance:

Ark of the Covenant (of the Testimony, of the Lord)

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The Israelites' most holy cult-object: a wooden chest, built by Bezalel upon God's instruction to Moses at Mount Sinai (Ex 25:10-22; 37:1-9). Made of acacia wood and covered with gold, it was 2� cubits (c.3� ft, 1.10 m) long; its breadth and height were 1� cubits (c.2� ft, 70 cm) (Ex 25:10). Above it was a cover of pure gold, and at both sides, a cherub (Ex 25:17-20). Moses placed the tablets (the "testimony") of the law given to him by God on Mount Sinai (Ex 25:21; Deut 10:1-5) within the ark, which was therefore called "ark of the testimony" (Ex 25:22), "ark of the covenant of the Lord" (Deut 10:8; Josh 3:3), the "ark of the Lord" (I Sam 4:6) and "the ark of God" (I Sam 4:11, 17-18, 21-22). From above the cover, between the cherubs, God spoke to moses in order to give him his commandments (Ex 25:22). Thus the ark was a concrete sign of the divine presence in Israel (cf Ex 25:8).

The ark was placed in the tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies (Ex 40:20-21). Like the tabernacle and its contents, it was movable (Ex 25:12-14) and, during the wanderings of the Israelites, was carried by the Levite sons of Kohath (Num 4:5-6), 15). While marching or camping, the Israelites kept the tabernacle at their center (Num 2:1, 17), though according to another tradition it was carried in the vanguard (Num 10:33-36). The presence of the ark at the front of the people was a sign that the Lord went before them in battle (Deut 1:30-33): the walls of the city of Jericho fell down on the seventh day after Israel circumvallated the city with the ark (Josh 6:3-5, 12-16, 20). After the conquest of Canaan, the tabernacle with the ark in it was first set up in Shiloh (Josh 18:1, 10; 19:51). When the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, and the latter captured the ark (I Sam 4:10-11), this event was perceived as a sign of divine displeasure, the ark's departure being described as the exiling of the glory from Israel (I Sam 4:21-22; Ps 78:60-61).

The Philistines carried the ark off to Ashdod, and placed it in the temple of Dagon near the statue of their god, whereupon the idol fell off its pedestal. On being raised, the idol fell a second time and broke to pieces (I Sam 5:1-5). Moreover, the people of Ashdod were afflicted with bubonic plague which spread to Gath and Ekron, after the ark was transferred to those towns (I Sam 5:6-12). Seven months later the Philistines were advised by their diviners to send the ark off with a guilt-offering (I Sam 6:1-7) and it was restored to Israel at Beth Shemesh. However, when the inhabitants of that town were also stricken by a plague, the ark was transferred to Kirjath Jearim, to the house of Abinadab (I Sam 6:13-7:1), where it remained throughout the Philistine domination of Israel and the entire reign of Saul. After David defeated the Philistines and conquered Jerusalem (II Sam 5:6-25), he decided to transfer the ark from the house of Abinadab (now living in Baale Judah (II Sam 6:2), or Baalah, according to I Chronicles 13:6) to his new capital (II sam 6:1-5, also I Chr 13:1-8). The first attempt to convey the ark ended in disaster when Uzzah, son of Abinadab, touched it to prevent its falling: he died on the spot, whereupon David left the ark with Obed-Edom the Gittite (II Sam 6:7-11; I Chr 13:9-14). Only when Obed-Edom was blessed, did David venture to bring the ark to Jerusalem. Profuse offerings and a festive procession, led by David himself, accompanied the ark which was placed in a tent near the well of Gihon (II Sam 6:12-19; I Chr 15:1-16:3).

During David's reign no temple was built (II Sam 7:1-7) and the ark consequently remained in the tent, though it was taken out, carried by Zadok, Abiathar and the Levites, to accompany David's armies in times of war (II Sam 11:11; 15:23-24; cf I Kgs 2:26). The ark was still in the tent of Gihon when Solomon was anointed there (I Kgs 1:33-39, 43-45).

The situation changed when Solomon built the Temple. Now the ark was placed in the Holy of Holies under the cherubim (I Kgs 6:19, 23-28; 8:6-9), not unlike its place in the tabernacle built by Moses. Thus the ark took its place in the cult symbolism of the Temple and the chronicler called it "the footstool of our God" (I Chr 28:2). In Prophetic literature, including the cultic portions of the Book of Ezekiel, almost no mention is made of the ark. Jeremiah denounced the naive trust of the people in the ark, contrasting it with the ultimate certainty that Jerusalem itself is the "throne of the Lord" (Jer 3:16-17). The ark was not present in the Second Temple; it is not mentioned among the cult objects captured by Nebuzaradan (II Kgs 25:13-17) nor among those returned by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7-9; 5:14; 6:5). It is unknown whether the ark was destroyed in the fire which consumed the First Temple (II Kgs 25:9) or whether it had disappeared earlier. But according to II Chronicles 35:3, Josiah ordered the Levites to return the ark to its place in the sanctuary. The ark's absence in the period of the Second Temple was explained by its concealment (II Macc 2:1-8). In the NT it is mentioned as appearing in the heavenly temple (Heb 9:4; Rev 11:19).

Concordance
ARK OF THE COVENANT: (OF THE TESTIMONY,
OF THE LORD): Ex 25:10, 14-16, 21-22; 26:33-34; 30:6,26; 31:7; 35:12; 37:1, 5; 39:35; 40:3, 5,20-21. Lev 16:2. Num 3:31; 4:5; 7:89; 10:33, 35; 14:44. Deut 10:1-3, 5, 8; 31:9, 25-26. Josh 3:3, 6, 8,11, 13-15, 17; 4:5, 7, 9-11,16, 18; 6:4, 6-9, 11-13; 7:6; 8:33. Judg 20:27. I Sam 3:3; 4:3-6, 11,13, 17-19,21-22; 5:1-4,7-8, 10-11; 6:1-3, 8, 11, 13,15, 18-19, 21; 7:1-2; 14:18II Sam 6:2-4,6-7, 9-13,15-17; 7:2; 11:11; 15:24-25,29. I Kgs 2:26; 3:15; 6:19; 8:1,3-7, 9, 21. I Chr 6:31; 13:3, 5-7,9-10, 12-14; 15:1-3, 12,14-15, 23-29; 16:1, 4, 6, 37; 17:1; 22:19; 28:2, 18. II Chr 1:4; 5:2, 4-10; 6:11, 41; 8:11; 35:3. Ps 132:8. Jer 3:16. Heb 9:4. Rev 11:19

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Ark of the Covenant

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The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית‎ ʾĀrôn Hābərît, modern pron. Aron Habrit), also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus^[1] as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. According to some traditional interpretations of the Book of Exodus,^[2] Book of Numbers,^[3] and the Letter to the Hebrews^[4] the Ark also contained Aaron's rod, a jar of manna and the first Torah scroll as written by Moses; however, the first of the Books of Kings says that at the time of king Solomon, the Ark contained only the two Tablets of the Law.^[5] According to the Book of Exodus, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accordance with the instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai.^[6] God was said to have communicated with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover.^[7] Rashi and some Midrashim suggest that there were two arks - a temporary one made by Moses himself, and a later one constructed by Bezalel.^[8]

The covered ark with golden staves carried by the priests, and seven priests with rams' horns, at the siege of Jericho, in an eighteenth-century artist's depiction.

The biblical account relates that during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, the Ark was carried by the priests some 2,000 cubits in advance of the people and their army, or host.^[9] When the Ark was borne by priests into the bed of the Jordan, water in the river separated, opening a pathway for the entire host to pass through (Josh. 3:15-16; 4:7-18). The city of Jericho was taken with no more than a shout after the Ark of the Covenant was paraded for seven days around its wall by seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh. 6:4-20). When carried, the Ark was always wrapped in a veil, in skins and a blue cloth, and was carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the priests who carried it. There are no contemporary extra-biblical references to the Ark.^[10]

Biblical account

Construction and description

According to the Book of Exodus, God instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay upon the mountain within the thick cloud and darkness where God was (Ex. 19:20; 24:18) and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim-wood to house the Tablets of Stone. Moses instructed Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the Ark (Exodus 31).^[11]

The Book of Exodus gives detailed instructions on how the Ark is to be constructed. It is to be 2½ cubits in length, 1½ in breadth, and 1½ in height (as 2+¹⁄₂×1+¹⁄₂×1+¹⁄₂ royal cubits or 1.31×0.79×0.79 m). Then it is to be plated entirely with gold, and a crown or molding of gold is to be put around it. Four rings of gold are to be attached—two on each side—and through these rings staves of shittim-wood overlaid with gold for carrying the Ark are to be inserted; and these are not to be removed. A golden cover, adorned with golden cherubim, is to be placed above the Ark. The Ark is finally to be placed behind a veil (Parochet), a full description of which is also given.^[12]

Mobile vanguard

Moses and Joshua bowing before the Ark, painting by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, c. 1900

1728 illustration of the Ark at the erection of the Tabernacle and the sacred vessels, as in Exodus 40:17-19

After its creation by Moses, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during their 40-years of wandering in the desert. Whenever the Israelites camped, the Ark was placed in a special and sacred tent, called the Tabernacle.

When the Israelites, led by Joshua toward the Promised Land, arrived at the banks of the River Jordan, the Ark was carried in the lead preceding the people and was the signal for their advance (Joshua 3:3, 6). During the crossing, the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its waters, and remained so until the priests—with the Ark—left the river after the people had passed over (Josh. 3:15-17; 4:10, 11, 18). As memorials, twelve stones were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood (Josh. 4:1-9).

In the Battle of Jericho, the Ark was carried round the city once a day for seven days, preceded by the armed men and seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh. 6:4-15). On the seventh day, the seven priests sounding the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark compassed the city seven times and, with a great shout, Jericho's wall fell down flat and the people took the city (Josh. 6:16-20). After the defeat at Ai, Joshua lamented before the Ark (Josh. 7:6-9). When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they stood on each side of the Ark. The Ark was again set up by Joshua at Shiloh, but when the Israelites fought against Benjamin at Gibeah, they had the Ark with them and consulted it after their defeat.

Capture by the Philistines

Main article: Philistine captivity of the Ark

The Ark is next spoken of as being in the Tabernacle at Shiloh during Samuel's apprenticeship (1 Sam. 3:3). After the settlement of the Israelites in Canaan, the Ark remained in the Tabernacle at Gilgal for a season before being removed to Shiloh until the time of Eli, between 300 and 400 years (Jeremiah 7:12), when it was carried into the field of battle, so as to secure, as they had hoped, victory to the Hebrews. The Ark was taken by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:3-11) who subsequently sent it back after retaining it for seven months (1 Sam. 5:7, 8) because of the events said to have transpired.

After their first defeat at Eben-ezer, the Israelites had the Ark brought from Shiloh, and welcomed its coming with great rejoicing. In the second battle, the Israelites were again defeated, and the Philistines captured the Ark (1 Sam. 4:3-5, 10, 11). The news of its capture was at once taken to Shiloh by a messenger "with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head." The old priest, Eli, fell dead when he heard it; and his daughter-in-law, bearing a son at the time the news of the capture of the Ark was received, named him Ichabod—explained as "The glory has departed Israel." in reference to the loss of the Ark (1 Sam. 4:12-22).

The Philistines took the Ark to several places in their country, and at each place misfortune befell them (1 Sam. 5:1-6). At Ashdod it was placed in the temple of Dagon. The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; and on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken. The people of Ashdod were smitten with hemorrhoids; a plague of rats was sent over the land (1 Sam. 6:5). The affliction of boils was also visited upon the people of Gath and of Ekron, whither the Ark was successively removed (1 Sam. 5:8-12).

After the Ark had been among them for seven months, the Philistines, on the advice of their diviners, returned it to the Israelites, accompanying its return with an offering consisting of golden images of the tumors and rats wherewith they had been afflicted. The Ark was set in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and the Beth-shemites offered sacrifices and burnt offerings (1 Sam. 6:1-15). Out of curiosity the men of Beth-shemesh gazed at the Ark; and as a punishment, seventy of them (fifty thousand seventy in some ms.) were smitten by the Lord (1 Sam. 6:19). The Bethshemites sent to Kirjath-jearim, or Baal-Judah, to have the Ark removed (1 Sam. 6:21); and it was taken to the house of Abinadab, whose son Eleazar was sanctified to keep it. Kirjath-jearim remained the abode of the Ark for twenty years. Under Saul, the Ark was with the army before he first met the Philistines, but the king was too impatient to consult it before engaging in battle. In 1 Chronicles 13:3 it is stated that the people were not accustomed to consult the Ark in the days of Saul.

In the days of King David

Illustration from the 13th century Morgan Bible of David bringing the Ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6).

At the beginning of his reign, King David removed the Ark from Kirjath-jearim amid great rejoicing. On the way to Zion, Uzzah, one of the drivers of the cart whereon the Ark was carried, put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was smitten by God for touching it. David, in fear, carried the Ark aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, instead of carrying it on to Zion, and there it stayed three months (2 Samuel 6:1-11; 1 Chronicles 13:1-13).

On hearing that God had blessed Obed-edom because of the presence of the Ark in his house, David had the Ark brought to Zion by the Levites, while he himself, "girded with a linen ephod," "danced before the Lord with all his might" and in the sight of all the public gathered in Jerusalem — a performance that caused him to be scornfully rebuked by his first wife, Saul's daughter Michal (2 Sam. 6:12-16, 20-22; 1 Chron. 15). In Zion, David put the Ark in the tabernacle he had prepared for it, offered sacrifices, distributed food, and blessed the people and his own household (2 Sam. 6:17-20; 1 Chron. 16:1-3; 2 Chron. 1:4).

The Levites were appointed to minister before the Ark (1 Chron. 16:4). David's plan of building a temple for the Ark was stopped at the advice of God (2 Sam. 7:1-17; 1 Chron. 17:1-15; 28:2, 3). The Ark was with the army during the siege of Rabbah (2 Sam. 11:11); and when David fled from Jerusalem at the time of Absalom's conspiracy, the Ark was carried along with him until he ordered Zadok the priest to return it to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29).

In Solomon's Temple

The Ark carried into the Temple from the early 15th century Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

When Abiathar was dismissed from the priesthood by King Solomon for having taken part in Adonijah's conspiracy against David, his life was spared because he had formerly borne the Ark (1 Kings 2:26). Solomon worshipped before the Ark after his dream in which God promised him wisdom (1 Kings 3:15).

During the construction of Solomon's Temple, a special inner room, named Kodesh Hakodashim (Eng. Holy of Holies), was prepared to receive and house the Ark (1 Kings 6:19); and when the Temple was dedicated, the Ark—containing the original tablets of the Ten Commandments—was placed therein (1 Kings 8:6-9). When the priests emerged from the holy place after placing the Ark there, the Temple was filled with a cloud, "for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14).

When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, he caused her to dwell in a house outside Zion, as Zion was consecrated because of its containing the Ark (2 Chron. 8:11). King Josiah had the Ark put in the Temple (2 Chron. 35:3), whence it appears to have again been removed by one of his successors.

The Babylonian Conquest and aftermath

In 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple. There is no record of what became of the Ark in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. But in Greek 3-d Book of Ezra (1 Esdras) suggests that Babylonians:

"...took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, and the ark of God, and the king's treasures, and carried them away into Babylon." (1 Esdras 1:54)

Book of Revelation

According to the Christian New Testament Book of Revelation, the Ark is in the Temple of God in Heaven, "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark of his Covenant" (Rev. 11:19 NIV).^[13]

References to the Ark in Scripture

Jewish Tanakh

The Ark is first mentioned in the Book of Exodus, and then numerous times in Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Psalms and Jeremiah. In the Book of Jeremiah, it is referenced by Jeremiah, who, speaking in the days of Josiah (Jer. 3:16), prophesied a future time when the Ark will no longer be talked about or be made again.

Second Book of Maccabees

Christian New Testament

Carrying the Ark of the Covenant: gilded bas-relief at the Auch Cathedral

In the New Testament, the Ark is mentioned in the Letter to the Hebrews and the Revelation to St. John. Hebrews 9:4 states that the Ark contained "the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant." Revelation 11:19 says the prophet saw God's temple in heaven opened, "and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple."

A number of Roman Catholic writers connect this verse with the Woman of the Apocalypse in Revelation 12:1, which immediately follows, and argue that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the "Ark of the New Covenant."^[14]^[15] Carrying the saviour of mankind within her, she herself became the Holy of Holies. This is the interpretation given in the fourth century by Saint Ambrose, Saint Ephraem of Syria and Saint Augustine.^[16] Athanasius the bishop of Alexandria wrote about the connections between the Ark and the Virgin Mary: "O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O (Ark of the) Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which Divinity resides" (Homily of the Papyrus of Turin).^[17]

Quran

In chapter 2 of the Islamic Quran (Verse 248), the Children of Israel, at the time of Samuel and Saul, were given back the Tabut E Sakina (the casket of Shekhinah) which contained remnants of the household of Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) carried by angels which confirmed peace and reassurance for them from their Lord. The Qur'an states:

And (further) their Prophet said to them: "A Sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the covenant, with (an assurance) therein of security (Sakina) from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a symbol for you if ye indeed have faith.^[18]

The Islamic scholar Al Baidawi mentioned that the sakina could be Tawrat, the Books of Moses.^[19] According to Al-Jalalan, the relics in the Ark were the fragments of the two tablets, rods, robes, shoes, mitres of Moses and the vase of manna.^[19] Al-Tha'alibi, in Qisas Al-Anbiya (The Stories of the Prophets), has given an earlier and later history of the Ark.

According to most Muslim scholars, the Ark of the Covenant has a religious basis in Islam, and Islam gives it special significance. A Shia sect of Muslims believe that it will be found by Mahdi near the end of times from Lake Tiberias.^[20]

Rumoured current locations

Since its disappearance from the Biblical narrative, there have been a number of claims of having discovered or of having possession of the Ark, and several possible places have been suggested for its location.

Mount Nebo

2 Maccabees 2:4-10, written around 100 BC, says that the prophet Jeremiah, "being warned by God" before the Babylonian invasion, took the Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Altar of Incense, and buried them in a cave on Mount Nebo (Jordan), informing those of his followers who wished to find the place that it should remain unknown "until the time that God should gather His people again together, and receive them unto mercy."^[21]

Ethiopia

The Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum allegedly houses the original Ark of the Covenant.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant, or Tabot, in Axum, not far from the border with Eritrea. The object is currently kept under guard in a treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion and is used occasionally in ritual processions.^[22] Replicas of the Axum tabot are kept in every Ethiopian church, each with its own dedication to a particular saint, the most popular of these include Mary, George and Michael.^[23]

The Kebra Nagast, composed to legitimise the new dynasty ruling Ethiopia following its establishment in 1270, narrates how the real Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I with divine assistance, while a forgery was left in the Temple in Jerusalem. Although the Kebra Nagast is the best-known account of this belief, the belief predates the document. Abu Salih the Armenian, writing in the last quarter of the twelfth century, makes one early reference to this belief that they possessed the Ark. "The Abyssinians possess also the Ark of the Covenant", he wrote, and, after a description of the object, describes how the liturgy is celebrated upon the Ark four times a year, "on the feast of the great nativity, on the feast of the glorious Baptism, on the feast of the holy Resurrection, and on the feast of the illuminating Cross."^[24]

On 25 June 2009, the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, Abune Paulos, said he would announce to the world the next day the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, which he said had been kept safe and secure in a church in Axum, Ethiopia.^[25] The following day, on 26 June 2009, the patriarch announced that he would not unveil the Ark after all, but that instead he could attest to its current status.^[26]

Southern Africa

The Lemba people of South Africa and Zimbabwe have claimed that their ancestors carried the Ark south, calling it the ngoma lungundu or "voice of God", eventually hiding it in a deep cave in the Dumghe mountains, their spiritual home.^[27]^[28]

On 14 April 2008, in a UK Channel 4 documentary, Tudor Parfitt, taking a literalist approach to the Biblical story, described his research into this claim. He says that the object described by the Lemba has attributes similar to the Ark. It was of similar size, was carried on poles by priests, was not allowed to touch the ground, was revered as a voice of their God, and was used as a weapon of great power, sweeping enemies aside.^[29]

In his book The Lost Ark of the Covenant (2008), Parfitt also suggests that the Ark was taken to Arabia following the events depicted in the Second Book of Maccabees, and cites Arabic sources which maintain it was brought in distant times to Yemen. One Lemba clan, the Buba, which was supposed to have brought the Ark to Africa, have a genetic signature called the Cohen Modal Haplotype. This suggests a male Semitic link to the Levant. Lemba tradition maintains that the Ark spent some time in Sena in Yemen. Later, it was taken across the sea to East Africa and may have been taken inland at the time of the Great Zimbabwe civilization. According to their oral traditions, some time after the arrival of the Lemba with the Ark, it self-destructed. Using a core from the original, the Lemba priests constructed a new one. This replica was discovered in a cave by a Swedish German missionary named Harald von Sicard in the 1940s and eventually found its way to the Museum of Human Science in Harare.^[28]

Parfitt had this artifact radio-carbon dated to about 1350 AD, which coincided with the sudden end of the Great Zimbabwe civilization.^[30]

Europe

Chartres Cathedral, France

French author Louis Charpentier claimed that the Ark was taken to Chartres Cathedral by the Knights Templar.^[31]^[32]

Rennes-le-Château, then to America

Several recent authors have theorised that the Ark was taken from Jerusalem to the village of Rennes-le-Château in Southern France. Karen Ralls has cited Freemason Patrick Byrne, who believes the Ark was moved from Rennes-le-Château at the outbreak of World War I to America.^[33]

Vatican City

The Ark of the Covenant is alleged to be kept in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, surviving the pillages of Rome by Genseric and Alaric I.^[34]^[35]

United Kingdom

In 2003, author Graham Phillips hypothetically concluded that the Ark was taken to Mount Sinai in the Valley of Edom by the Maccabees. Phillips claims it remained there until the 1180s, when Ralph de Sudeley, the leader of the Templars found the Maccabean treasure at Jebel al-Madhbah, returned home to his estate at Herdewyke in Warwickshire, UK, taking the treasure with him.^[36]

Ireland

During the turn of the 20th century British Israelites carried out some excavations of the Hill of Tara in Ireland looking for the Ark of the Covenant – the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland campaigned successfully to have them stopped before they destroyed the hill.^[37]

In popular culture

The Ark of the Covenant is the main focus of Steven Spielberg's 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

References

^ Exodus 25:10-22
^ Exodus 16:33-34
^ Numbers 17:25-26 (or Numbers 17:10-11 in some translations)
^ Hebrews 9:4
^ 1 Kings 8:9
^ Exodus 25:10-16
^ Exodus 25:22
^ Hertz 1936
^ Numbers 4:5-6
^ Cline, Eric H. (2007). From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible. National Geographic. p. 130. ISBN 978-1426200847.
^ Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt, Moses and The Torah: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, pages 85-86 (Emmaus Road Publishing, 2007). ISBN 978-1-931018-45-6
^ Exodus 25
^ The Ark of the Covenant in Prophecy, Randall Price
^ Ray, Steve (October 2005). "Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant". This Rock 16 (8). http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0510fea5.asp. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
^ David Michael Lindsey, The Woman and The Dragon: Apparitions of Mary, page 21 (Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., 2000) ISBN 1-56554-731-4
^ Dwight Longenecker, David Gustafson, Mary: A Catholic Evangelical Debate, page 32 (Gracewing, 2003). ISBN 0-85244-582-2
^ http://maryimmaculate.tripod.com/marian2.html
^ Quran 2:248
^ ^a ^b Hughes, Thomas Patrick (1995-12-01). A Dictionary of Islam By Patrick Hughes, Thomas Patrick Hughes, pg 624. Books.google.com. ISBN 9788120606722. http://books.google.com/?id=JherW50tVyAC&pg=PA624&dq=ark+of+the+covenant+islam. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
^ Iqd al-Durar fi Akbar al-Imam al-Muntadhar, by Shaikh Jamaluddin Yusuf al Damishqi, p. 51-a
^ Cf. Deuteronomy 34:1-3 and 2 Maccabees 2:4-8.
^ Paul Raffaele, "Keepers of the Lost Ark?" Smithsonian Magazine, December 2007 (accessed 5 April 2011)
^ Stuart Munro-Hay, 2005, The Quest for the Ark of the Covenant, Tauris (reviewed in Times Literary Supplement 19 August 2005 p. 36)
^ B.T.A. Evetts (translator), The Churches and Monasteries of Egypt and Some Neighboring Countries attributed to Abu Salih, the Armenian, with added notes by Alfred J. Butler (Oxford, 1895), pp. 287f
^ Fendel, Hillel (2009-06-25). Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday", Aruta Sheva (Israel International News). Retrieved on 2009-06-25
^ IGN (2009-06-19). Ho visto l'Arca dell'Alleanza ed è in buone condizioni. Retrieved on 2009-06-26
^ The Lost Ark of the Covenant by Tudor Parfitt, published by HarperCollins 2008.
^ ^a ^b A Lead on the Ark of the Covenant, By David Van Biema Thursday, Time.com, Feb. 21, 2008.
^ "Debates & Controversies - Quest for the Lost Ark". Channel4.com. 2008-04-14. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080513034056/http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/lostark.html. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
^ [1]^{[dead link]}
^ Brian Haughton, Haunted Spaces, Sacred Places: A Field Guide to Stone Circles, Crop Circles, Ancient Tombs, and Supernatural Landscapes, page 142 (Career Press, Inc., 2008). ISBN 978-1-60163-000-1
^ Louis Charpentier, Les Mystères de la Cathédrale de Chartres (Paris: Robert Laffont, 1966), translated as The Mysteries of Chartres Cathedral (London: Research Into Lost Knowledge Organisation, 1972).
^ Karen Ralls, The Templars and The Grail: Knights of The Quest, page 99, pages 163-164 (Quest Books, Theosophical Publishing House, 2003). ISBN 978-0-8356-0607-7. Citng Patrick Byrne, Templar Gold: Discovering the Ark of the Covenant (Blue Dolphin Publishing, Inc., 2001). ISBN 1577330994
^ J. Salmon, A Description of The Works of Art of Ancient and Modern Rome, Particularly In Architecture, Sculpture & Painting, Volume One, page 108 (London: J. Sammells, 1798).
^ Debra J. Birch, Pilgrimage To Rome In The Middle Ages: Continuity and Change, page 111 (The Boydell Press, 1998). ISBN 0-85115-771-8
^ Legend Hunters - Ark of the Covenant (FactualTV - Knights Templar Documentary)
^ Ivan McAvinchey. "News 2006 (March 9)". Rsai.ie. http://www.rsai.ie/index.cfm?action=obj.display&obj_id=153. Retrieved 2010-03-07.

External links

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Ark of the Covenant

Portions of this article have been taken from the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906. Ark of the Covenant
Initial text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897. Ark of the Covenant
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Ark of the Covenant
Shemot (Exodus) - Chapter 25
Israel National News. Kabbalist Blesses Jones: Now's the Time to Find Holy Lost Ark
Smithsonian.com "Keepers of the Lost Ark?"
Derby, Josiah, "The Gold of The Ark", Jewish Bible Quarterly Journal.
Havergal, William Henry. Six Lectures on The Ark of The Covenant (London: Hamilton, Adams And Co, 1867). Available on Google Books. [2]
Pendleton, Philip Y., A Brief Sketch of the Jewish Tabernacle. 1901. (International Sunday-school Lessons for 1902. Standard Eclectic Commentary comprising original and selected notes, explanatory, illustrative, practical. Embellished with maps, diagrams, chronological charts, tables, etc.)
Schatz, Elihu, "The Weight of The Ark of The Covenant", Jewish Bible Quarterly Journal.
Shyovitz, David, The Lost Ark of the Covenant. Jewish Virtual Library.

v d e Ark of the Covenant topics

People	Kohanim • Kohen Gadol • Israelites • Levites • Bezalel • Tribe of Judah • Aholiab • Kohath • Tribe of Levi • Jeremiah • Joshua • Samuel • Solomon • Menelik I • Beta Israel

Contents	Stone tablets • Ten Commandments • Manna • Aaron's rod • Cherub

Locations	Mount Sinai • Jericho • Jordan River • Holy of Holies • Kodesh Hakodashim • Ai • Shiloh • Gibeah • Gilgal • Eben-Ezer • Philistia • Beth Shemesh • Kiriath-Jearim • Temple Mount • Dome of the Rock • Well of Souls • Cathedral of Chartres • Tana Qirqos • Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

v d e Temple in Jerusalem

Structures	Tabernacle · First Temple / Solomon's Temple · Second Temple / Ezra's Temple / Herod's Temple · Third Temple / Ezekiel's Temple

Elements	Altar · Ark of the Covenant · Shekhinah · Holy of Holies · Seven-branched candelabrum · Foundation Stone · Mercy seat · Solomon's Porch · Temple treasury · Boaz and Jachin · Western Wall · Warren's Gate · Western Stone · Wilson's Arch · The Sanctuary · Molten Sea · Urn for ashes of the Red Heifer

Priesthood	Priestly sash · Ephod · Holy anointing oil · Breastplate · Priestly tunic · High Priest · Sacrifice · Priestly robe · Linen undergarments · Turban · Priestly divisions · Shemen Afarsimon · Priestly crown · Urim and Thummim · Priestly covenant

History	Bar Kokhba revolt · Siege of Jerusalem · Tisha B'Av · Judaea Capta coinage

Temple Mount	Gates · Excavations · Mount Zion · City of David

See also	Replicas of the Jewish Temple · Navel of the World · Temple Denial

Indiana Jones

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Ark of the Covenant

Ark of the Covenant

Ark of the Covenant

Ark of the Covenant

Ark of the Covenant (of the Testimony, of the Lord)

Ark of the Covenant

Biblical account

Construction and description

Mobile vanguard

Capture by the Philistines

In the days of King David

In Solomon's Temple

The Babylonian Conquest and aftermath

Book of Revelation

References to the Ark in Scripture

Jewish Tanakh

Second Book of Maccabees

Christian New Testament

Quran

Rumoured current locations

Mount Nebo

Ethiopia

Southern Africa

Europe

Chartres Cathedral, France

Rennes-le-Château, then to America

Vatican City

United Kingdom

Ireland

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Ark of the Covenant