Although the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been built at enormous expense, to support the mercy seat on which God sat while he travelled with the Israelites and to keep the sacred tablets of the ten commandments, Psalm 132 says this most sacred artefact of the Hebrews was found abandoned in a field. 2 Samuel chapter 6 describes how David recovered the Ark and moved it to its place in the tabernacle. The author had no doubt that God was still seated 'between the cherubim', with frequent references such as David dancing 'before the Lord', and God blessing a household for hosting the ark. So, the Ark had been lost once, but found and recovered. If it really did exist, it would have been lost yet again, but there is no record of such an event.
Nobody really knows
It was stolen by the Philistines when the Ark was taken from the tabernacle in Shiloh to a battle against the Philistines. The Israelites lost the battle and the Ark was taken into captivity, later to be returned after the Philistines suffered with it in their midst. The full story can be found in the book of Samuel, Chapters 4 - 7
When being transported the Ark was kept (when camped) in a tented area called "The Tent of Meeting" or the "Tabernacle". Inside the Tabernacle the Ark was kept in an inner shrine named 'Kodesh Hakodashim' (Holy of Holies).
During the construction of Solomon's Temple, a special inner room, named Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies), was prepared to receive and house the Ark.
According to the last historical reference of the Ark of the Covenant; it was in the Temple of Jerusalem when the city was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. There are many claims about what happen to it therafre but none are considered historically reliable.
Scripture has placed the Ark of the Covenant in heaven. This is found in Revelation 11:19
The God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark
of the Covenant.
Apparently God brought it up to heaven. Had it been still here on earth, I am sure
mankind would have bowed down to it and worshiped it.
The Ark used to be housed in the Holy-of-holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. Shortly before it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, the Ark was hidden.
It is claimed that the Ark is currently found in Ethiopia, in a Church in Aksum; the trail leads from the Babylonian destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, to a possible 'more temporary' temple in the Nile Island of Elephantine for many years, to its current location under the stewardship of the Aksum empire, an empire that stood from Roman times until the Communist takeover in the 1970s
Jewish answer:
No one knows for sure where the Ark is, despite sensational claims to the contrary. Even 1800 years ago, the Talmud-sages discussed this question (Yoma 53b). The Talmud (ibid.) states two opinions in this matter.
In 1 Samuel chapter 4, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, who killed the two sons of Eli, the priest. In verse 4:4, this was clearly identified as the ark of the Exodus legend, with the mercy seat on which the Lord of hosts sat between the two cherubim.
Although the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been built at enormous expense, to support the mercy seat on which God sat while he travelled with the Israelites and to keep the sacred tablets of the ten commandments, Psalm 132 says this most sacred artefact of the Hebrews was found abandoned in a field.
Second Samuel chapter 6 describes how David recovered the Ark and moved it to its place in the tabernacle. The author had no doubt that God was still seated 'between the cherubim', with frequent references such as David dancing 'before the Lord', and God blessing a household for hosting the ark. After allowing this treasure to be captured and later allowing it to be lost, God must have had a renewed interest in it: for example he killed Uzzah just for touching the ark in order to steady it while it was being transported on a cart.
So, the Ark had been captured and returned, then abandoned, but found and recovered. If it really did exist, it must have been lost yet again, but there is no record of such an event.
No one knows for sure, despite questionable claims to the contrary. Even 1800 years ago, the Talmud-sages discussed this question (Yoma 53b). The Talmud (ibid.) states two opinions in this matter. According to one opinion, the Ark of the Covenant was carried off by the Babylonians when they destroyed the First Temple.
According to the second opinion, around 35 years before the First Destruction, King Josiah (Yoshiah) hid the Ark in a secret chamber constructed for this purpose, since it was already apparent that the Temple wouldn't last much longer. The Prophets had been foretelling the destruction of the Temple for some time.
Tradition states that when he built the Temple, King Solomon prepared a hidden shaft and room deep underneath the Temple Mount for just such an eventuality (Maimonides, in the Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 4:1).
The second opinion is the accepted one (Maimonides, ibid, 4:1-2). However, it is possible to account for both opinions, since all of the Temple vessels had duplicates which were made in order to be used in case the original vessel got lost or defiled (Talmud, Hagigah 26b). In addition, there was a second ark which had been used before the Tabernacle was built (see Rashi commentary on Deuteronomy 10:1, based on midrash Tanchuma). We may therefore postulate that the Babylonians carried into captivity an empty duplicate Ark which had been placed in the Holy of Holies after King Josiah concealed the original.See also:
Since around 460 BCE, until the present time. See also this link:
http://Judaism.answers.com/jewish-history/where-are-the-ten-tribes-where-is-the-ark-of-the-covenant
sometime in the 6th century bc
The ark of the covenant was used for the ten commandments!!!
The concept of the Ark of the Covenant is a Jewish concept.
The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Holy of Holies.
Kentucky and the ark of the covenant
The holy ark was the Ark of the Covenant in which the two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments were held. It was a heavy wooden box covered with gold, with a gold lid. Exodus ch.25.See also the Related Link.Where is the ark of the Covenant?
The cloth draped over the Ark of the Covenant was blue.
There were two arks , Noahs ark and the ark of the covenant.The ark of the covenant was to carry the ten commandments. Today, the ark is a cabinet in synagogues, normally at the front of the sanctuary, where the Torahs are kept.
Ark of the Covenant (Aron Habrit in Hebrew).
He danced with joy when the Ark of the covenant was brought to the tabernacle.
For someone looking for an explanation of why the Ark of the Covenant does not now exist, it would be far easier to accept that the Ark was a myth and did not really exist, than to create imaginative explanations around aliens. We can be sure that aliens did not take the Ark of the Covenant.
The holy ark was the Ark of the Covenant in which the two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments were held. It was a heavy wooden box covered with gold, with a gold lid. Exodus ch.25.See also:Where is the ark of the Covenant?
yes