Who made the Ark of the Covenant?

Answer 1

God directed Moses to build the Ark to store and protect the 10 Commandments (Exodus ch.25). Moses did not actually build it himself; it was done under his direction by Bezalel (Exodus ch.37).

Answer 2

Very carefully in accordance with God's instructions to Moses. Exodus 37 1And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: 2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about. 3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it. 4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; 8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. Exodus chapters 25 to 27 provide the instructions that God gave the Israelites for construction of the Ark of the Covenant, so that he could dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). Thus it appears that the principal purpose of the Ark was to provide a mercy seat on which God could be carried, as the Israelites moved about in the desert. It also held the tablets on which were carved the ten commandments. The Ark was to be an elaborate structure, made of the finest materials, including gems, gold, silver and rare woods and cloths. Chapter 35 explains how Moses received from the wandering Israelites everything that was needed as it was brought to him. Exodus chapters 36 to 39 narrate how Moses made the Ark exactly to the specifications that God had provided. There were sumptuous curtains, made of fine twisted linen and the most expensive dyes, and of goats hair The Ark was made from shittim wood and was 2 1/2 cubits long, 1 cubit wide and 1 1/2 cubits high, with staves of shittim wood overlaid with gold. All the boards used in construction were made of shittim wood (an expensive wood apparently from Lebanon), held in place with silver sockets. Atop the Ark was a mercy seat, made of solid gold and 2 1/2 cubits long and 1 1/2 cubits wide, framed by two cherubim of solid gold. There was a table of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold and with a crown of gold for the border. On the table were placed his dishes, spoons and bowls and a candlestick, all of pure gold. There was also a tent of ram and badger skins, with fifty brass taches to couple them and the curtains. A lavish incense altar, one cubit by one cubit, must have been carried separately and placed in the tent when they were camped, rather than on the Ark itself.

The Bible records that the Egyptians were favorably disposed to the Israelites and gave them gold, silver and clothing before they left Egypt. While the Israelites had given all their gold earrings for the construction of the golden calf which was then destroyed, the Israelites in turn donated many other articles of gold, silver, precious clothes, skins, oils and gems for the creation of the Ark and the portable Tabernacle. Exodus 32 2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 35 4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 7And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. Exodus 35 3And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

Answer 3

God commanded Moses to make the Ark, in which the 10 Commandments were to be kept (Exodus ch.25). The actual construction of the Ark was done by Bezalel (Exodus ch.37), under Moses' supervision. See also the Related Link.

Where is the Ark of the Covenant?

Answer 4

Exodus chapters 25 to 27 provide the instructions that God gave the Israelites for construction of the Ark of the Covenant, so that he could dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). Thus it appears that the principal purpose of the Ark was to provide a mercy seat on which God could be carried, as the Israelites moved about in the desert. It also held the tablets on which were carved the ten commandments.
The Ark was to be an elaborate structure, made of the finest materials, including gems, gold, silver and rare woods and cloths. Chapter 35 explains how Moses went about collecting from the wandering Israelites everything that was needed.

Exodus chapters 36 to 39 narrate how Moses made the Ark exactly to the specifications that God had provided. There were sumptuous curtains, made of fine twisted linen and the most expensive dyes, and of goats hair The Ark was made from shittim wood and was 2 1/2 cubits long, 1 cubit wide and 1 1/2 cubits high, with staves of shittim wood overlaid with gold. All the boards used in construction were made of shittim wood (an expensive wood apparently from Lebanon), held in place with silver sockets. Atop the Ark was a mercy seat, made of solid gold and 2 1/2 cubits long and 1 1/2 cubits wide, framed by two cherubim of solid gold. There was a table of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold and with a crown of gold for the border. On the table were placed his dishes, spoons and bowls and a candlestick, all of pure gold. There was also a tent of ram and badger skins, with fifty brass taches to couple them and the curtains. A lavish incense altar, one cubit by one cubit, must have been carried separately and placed in the tent when they were camped, rather than on the Ark itself.

The subsequent history of the Ark make it clear that God dwelt therein, seated on the mercy seat. Yet, according to Psalm 132, this most sacred artefact of the Israelites was found during the reign of King David abandoned in a field. Therefore, it is appropriate to finish by asking whether it ever really existed and whether the construction took place as described in Exodus. After all, the cost of constructing the Ark would have bankrupted a small nation, much less a band of refugees wandering in hostile, Egyptian-controlled territory. The Israelites seem to have already used all their gold for the construction of the golden calf, after which Moses ground the gold into powder and forced the Israelites to drink the gold mixed in water.

Answer 5

It was a large box made by Betzal'el, under Moses' supervision, from a type of cedar wood, inlaid and overlaid with beaten gold; and it had a gold cover (Exodus 37:1-9).See also:

Where is the Ark?

Answer 6

Moses was commanded by God to build the Ark of the Covenant on Mt. Sinai.

Answer 7

According to tradition it was made in 1312 BCE, about four months after the Giving of the Torah.

Answer 8

To protect the 10 commandments