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Ark of the Covenant

 

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Ark of the Covenant



 
 
The Ark of the Covenant ( Aron Hab’rit [modern pron. Aron Habrit]; Tabut fihi Sakinihi) is described in the Bible
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
 as a sacred container, where in rested the Tablets of stone
Tablets of stone

The Tablets of Stone, Stone Tablets, Tablets of Law, or Tablets of Testimony in the Bible, were the two pieces of special stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments when Moses ascended Mount Sinai as recorded in the Book of Exodus....
 containing the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, were authored by God and given to Moses on the mountain referred to as "Biblical Mount Sinai" or "Mount Horeb" in the form of two stone tablets....
 as well as Aaron
Aaron

In the Hebrew Bible, Aaron , or Aaron the Levite , was the brother of Moses. He was the great-grandson of Levi and represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first Kohen Gadol of the Hebrews....
's rod and manna
Manna

Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert....
. According to the Biblical account, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses
Moses

Moses is a Hebrew Bible Hebrews religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, to whom the Mosaic authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew , he is the most important prophet in Judaism, and also an important prophet of Christianity, Islam, the Bah?'? Faith, Rastafari movement, Chrislam and many ot...
' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai
Biblical Mount Sinai

The Biblical Mount Sinai is an ambiguously located mountain at which the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Tetragrammaton....
 . God communicated with Moses "from between the two cherub
Cherub

A cherub is a form of angel mentioned several times in the Bible.Cherubs are described as winged beings. The biblical prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim as a tetrad of living creatures, each having four faces: of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man....
im" on the Ark's cover .






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The Ark of the Covenant ( Aron Hab’rit [modern pron. Aron Habrit]; Tabut fihi Sakinihi) is described in the Bible
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
 as a sacred container, where in rested the Tablets of stone
Tablets of stone

The Tablets of Stone, Stone Tablets, Tablets of Law, or Tablets of Testimony in the Bible, were the two pieces of special stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments when Moses ascended Mount Sinai as recorded in the Book of Exodus....
 containing the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, were authored by God and given to Moses on the mountain referred to as "Biblical Mount Sinai" or "Mount Horeb" in the form of two stone tablets....
 as well as Aaron
Aaron

In the Hebrew Bible, Aaron , or Aaron the Levite , was the brother of Moses. He was the great-grandson of Levi and represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first Kohen Gadol of the Hebrews....
's rod and manna
Manna

Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert....
. According to the Biblical account, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses
Moses

Moses is a Hebrew Bible Hebrews religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, to whom the Mosaic authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew , he is the most important prophet in Judaism, and also an important prophet of Christianity, Islam, the Bah?'? Faith, Rastafari movement, Chrislam and many ot...
' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai
Biblical Mount Sinai

The Biblical Mount Sinai is an ambiguously located mountain at which the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Tetragrammaton....
 . God communicated with Moses "from between the two cherub
Cherub

A cherub is a form of angel mentioned several times in the Bible.Cherubs are described as winged beings. The biblical prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim as a tetrad of living creatures, each having four faces: of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man....
im" on the Ark's cover . The Ark and its sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel" . Rashi
Rashi

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, , better known by the acronym Rashi , , was a rabbi from France, famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, and Jewish commentaries on the Bible....
 and some Midrash
Midrash

Midrash is a Hebrew language term referring to the not exact, but comparative method of exegesis of Biblical texts, which is one of four methods cumulatively called Pardes ....
im suggest that there were two arks - a temporary one made by Moses, and a later one made by Bezalel
Bezalel

In Exodus 31:1-6, Bezalel , is the chief architect of the Tabernacle. Elsewhere in the Bible the name occurs only in the genealogical lists of the Book of Chronicles, but according to cuneiform script inscriptions a variant form of the same, "?il-B?l," was borne by a king of Gaza who was a contemporary of Hezekiah and Manasseh....
.

The Biblical account relates that during the trip of the Israelites, the Ark was carried by the priests ~2,000 cubit
Cubit

File:Cubit rule Egyptian NK from Liverpool museum.jpgA cubit is the first recorded unit of length and was one of many different standards of measurement used through history....
s (Numbers
Book of Numbers

The Book of Numbers, , is the fourth book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. In the Greek language Septuagint it is called Arithmoi, or Numbers....
 35:5; Joshua
Book of Joshua

The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christianity Bible. This book stands as the first in the Former Prophets covering the history of Kingdom of Israel from the possession of the Promised Land to the Babylonian Captivity....
 4:5) in advance of the people and their army or host
Heavenly host

Heavenly host refers in the Bible to an 'army' of good angels in Heaven.It is comparable and directly contrasts with the legions of Hell.Most descriptions of angels in the Bible describe them in military terms....
 (Num. 4:5-6; 10:33-36; Psalms
Psalms

Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible , included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim....
 68:1; 132:8). When the Ark was borne by priests into the bed of the Jordan
Jordan River

The Jordan River is a river in Southwest Asia which flows into the Dead Sea. It is considered to be one of the world's most sacred rivers. It is 251 kilometers long....
, the river was separated, opening a pathway for the whole of the host to pass over (Josh. 3:15-16; 4:7-18). The Ark was borne in a seven-day procession around the wall of Jericho
Jericho

Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate, and has a population of over 20,000 Arabs....
 by seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns
Shofar

A shofar is a horn used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur....
, the city taken with a shout (Josh. 6:4-20). When carried, the Ark was always wrapped in a veil, in tachash
Tachash

Tachash is an animal referred to in the Bible , the skin of which was used in the Tabernacle , as the outer covering of the tent of the Tabernacle and to wrap sacred objects used within the Tabernacle for transport....
 skins (the identity of this animal is uncertain), and a blue cloth, and was carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the Levite
Levite

In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the tribes of Israel of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe who received cities but no tribal land "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their possession"....
s who carried it.

Terminology

The Hebrew word aron is used in the Bible to refer to any type of ark, chest or coffer, for any purpose (Book of Genesis 50:26; 2 Kings
Books of Kings

The Books of Kings are a part of Judaism's Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. They were originally written in Hebrew language and were later included by Christianity as part of the Old Testament....
 12:9, 10).

The Ark of the Covenant is distinguished from all others by such titles as:
  • Ark of God's Knife (lit. 'ark in which his knife is ), (Qur'an
    Qur'an

    The Qur?an is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur?an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God....
     2:248)
  • Holy Ark
  • Ark of God, (1 Samuel
    Books of Samuel

    The Books of Samuel are part of the Tanakh and also of the Christianity Old Testament. The work was originally written in Hebrew language, and the Book of Samuel originally formed a single text, as they are often considered today in Hebrew bibles....
     3:3)
  • Ark of thy God's strength
  • Ark of the Covenant, (Josh. 3:6; Hebrews
    Epistle to the Hebrews

    The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Though traditionally credited to the Apostle Paul, the letter is anonymous....
     9:4)
  • Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the Earth
  • Ark of the Testimony
    Testimony

    In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter....
    , (Ex. 25:22)


Description

The Bible describes the Ark as made of shittah-tree
Shittah-tree

Shittah-tree is Hebrew language for acacia. Acacia albida, Acacia tortilis and Acacia iraqensis can be found growing wild in the Sinai peninsula desert and the Jordan River valley....
 wood (acacia
Acacia

Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Sweden botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773....
), known to the Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
ians as the Tree of Life
Tree of life

The concept of a many-branched tree illustrating the idea that all life on earth is related has been used in tree of life , religion, philosophy, mythology and other areas....
 and an important plant in traditional medicine containing in many cases psychoactive
Psychoactive drug

A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood , consciousness and behaviour....
 alkaloid
Alkaloid

Alkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing base nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base....
s. It was 1.5 cubit
Cubit

File:Cubit rule Egyptian NK from Liverpool museum.jpgA cubit is the first recorded unit of length and was one of many different standards of measurement used through history....
s broad and high, and 2.5 cubits long, conforming to the golden ratio
Golden ratio

In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller....
. (~130 x 78 x 78 cm or 4.27 x 2.56 x 2.56 ft, using the Egyptian royal cubit). The Ark was covered all over with the purest gold
Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal, having been used as money, as a store of value, in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history....
. Its upper surface or lid, the mercy seat
Mercy seat

According to the Bible, the mercy seat was an object which rested upon the Ark of the Covenant, and was connected with the rituals of Yom Kippur; the term also appears in the Pauline Epistles, and has a significance in Christian theology....
 , was surrounded with a rim of gold.

On each of the two long sides were two gold rings, wherein were placed two wooden poles
Staff (stick)

A staff is a large, thick stick or stick-shaped object used to help with walking, as a status symbol, as a component of traditional cooper , or as a weapon....
 (with a decorative sheathing of gold), to allow the Ark to be carried (Num. 7:9; 10:21; 4:5,19, 20; 1 Kings 8:3, 6). Over the Ark, at the two extremities, were two cherubim, with their faces turned toward one another (Leviticus
Leviticus

Leviticus is third book of the Torah , the name given in Judaism to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible .Leviticus contains laws and priestly rituals, but in a wider sense is about the working out of Covenant set out in Genesis and Exodus - what is seen in the Torah as the consequences of entering into a special relationship with God...
 16:2; Num. 7:89). Their outspread wings over the top of the Ark formed the throne
Throne

A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many terms such as "power behind the throne"....
 of God
God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
, while the Ark itself was his footstool (Ex. 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The Ark was placed in the "Holy of Holies
Kodesh Hakodashim

Kodesh Hakodashim, in Hebrew language: , "Holy of Holies", the Most Holy Place in traditional Judaism, is the inner sanctuary within the Tabernacle and Temple in Jerusalem when Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple were standing - the Jewish sanctum sanctorum....
," so that one end of the carrying poles touched the veil separating the two compartments of the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:8). The Book of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. In form it is a set of three sermons delivered by Moses reviewing the previous forty years of wandering in the wilderness; its central element is a detailed law-code by which the Children of Israel are to live in the Promised Land....
 describes the Ark as a simple wooden container with no mention of ornaments or gold. Similarly, the Quran makes a reference to the Ark as a wooden box with holy relics inside it.

Contents

According to the Bible, the two tablets of stone
Rock (geology)

In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock....
 constituting the "testimony" or evidence of God's covenant
Covenant

A covenant, in its most general sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action.More specifically, a covenant, in contrast to a contract, is a one-way agreement whereby the covenanter is the only party bound by the promise....
 with the people (i.e. The Ten Commandments) were kept within the Ark itself. A golden jar containing some of the
manna
Manna

Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert....
from the Israelites' trek in the wilderness, and the rod of Aaron that budded, were added to the contents of the Ark (Ex. 16:32-34; Heb. 9:4), but apparently were later removed at some point prior to the building of Solomon's temple, as I Kings 8:9 that there "was nothing in the Ark save the two tablets of stone." While Heb. 9:4 states these items were placed "inside" the Ark, Ex. 16:33-34 and Num. 17:10 use the expression "before" the Ark; some see a contradiction here, as the correct meaning of these phrases is open to interpretation. A Rabbinic tradition states that Moses also put the broken fragments of the first tablets of the Law into the Ark. Some scholars have argued that the plans to the Tabernacle were contained in the Ark.

Sanctity and consecration

Even Aaron
Aaron

In the Hebrew Bible, Aaron , or Aaron the Levite , was the brother of Moses. He was the great-grandson of Levi and represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first Kohen Gadol of the Hebrews....
, brother of Moses and the High Priest
Kohen Gadol

Kohen Gadol or Kohen ha-Gadol is the title of wiktionary:High Priest of early Israelite religion and of Classical Age Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem....
, was forbidden to enter the place of the Ark, except once a year
Year

A year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, a "Martian year" is the time in which Mars completes its own orbit....
 on a designated day, called The Day of Atonement, when he was to perform certain ceremonies there (Lev. 16). Moses was directed to consecrate the Ark, when completed, with the oil of holy ointment (Ex. 30:23-26); he was also directed to have the Ark made by Bezalel
Bezalel

In Exodus 31:1-6, Bezalel , is the chief architect of the Tabernacle. Elsewhere in the Bible the name occurs only in the genealogical lists of the Book of Chronicles, but according to cuneiform script inscriptions a variant form of the same, "?il-B?l," was borne by a king of Gaza who was a contemporary of Hezekiah and Manasseh....
, son of Uri
Uri (Bible)

Uri is mentioned in Exodus 31 and 1 Books of Chronicles 2 as a member of the Tribe of Judah. He is the son of Hur and the father of Bezaleel....
 of the tribe of Judah
Tribe of Judah

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the twelve Israelites.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
, and by Aholiab
Aholiab

In the Hebrew Bible, Aholiab son of Ahisamakh, of the tribe of Tribe of Dan, worked under Bezalel as the deputy architect of the Tabernacle and the implements which it housed....
, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan
Tribe of Dan

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Dan was one of the twelve Israelites.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
 (Ex. 31:2-7). These instructions Moses carried out, calling upon every "wisehearted" one among the people to assist in the work (Ex. 35:10-12). Bezalel the artist made the Ark (Ex. 37:1); and Moses approved the work, put the testimony in the Ark, and installed it.

According to the Haggadah
Haggadah of Pesach

The Haggadah is a Jewish religious text that sets out the order of the Passover Seder. Haggadah, meaning "telling," is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each Jew to "tell your son" about the Jewish liberation from slavery in Ancient Egypt, as described in the book of Exodus in the Torah....
 written in the Mishnaic
Mishnah

The Mishnah or Mishna is a major work of Rabbinic literature, and the first major redaction into written form of Jewish oral traditions, called the Oral Torah....
 and Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
ic periods (
circa 200-500 AD), after installment in the second Temple, the Ark and the operation of the Temple was supervised by the angel Metatron
Metatron

Metatron is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christianity and Islam. There are no references to him in the Jewish Tanakh , Christian Scriptures , or the Quran....
. There are numerous possible etymologies for the name Metatron, one being from two Greek words
after and throne. There are no references to Metatron in the Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament
Old Testament

In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christianity Bible Biblical canon. These works correspond to the Hebrew Bible , with some variations and additions....
), the Christian Scriptures (New Testament
New Testament

The New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christianity Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
) or any Islamic source.

In Deut. 10:1-5, a different account of the making of the Ark is given. Moses is made to say that he constructed the Ark before going upon Mount Horeb
Mount Horeb

Mount Horeb, Hebrew language , Koine Greek in the Septuagint , Latin in the Vulgate , is the place at which the book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God....
 to receive the second set of tablets. The charge of carrying the Ark and the rest of the holy implements was given to the family of Kohath
Kohath

According to the Torah, Kohath was one of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Kohathites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Hebrew Bible times; in some apocryphal texts such as the Testament of Levi, and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, Kohath's mother, is named as Milkah, a daughter of Aram....
 (of the tribe of Levi). They, though, were not to touch any of the holy things that were still uncovered by Aaron (Num. 4:2-15).

Other references to the Ark in Scripture

The Ark of the Covenant is mentioned in both the Bible
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
 and the Qur'an
Qur'an

The Qur?an is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur?an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God....
.

In the Bible

Folio 29r   the Ark of God Carried Into the Temple
The Ark is mentioned in the books Joshua, Exodus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, Hebrews and Jeremiah. It is referenced by Jeremiah, who, speaking in the days of Josiah
Josiah

Josiah or Yoshiyahu was a king of Judah who instituted major reforms. Josiah is credited by some historians with having established or discovered important Jewish scriptures during the Deuteronomic reform that occurred during his rule....
 (Jer. 3:16), prophesies a future time when the Ark will no longer be used. In the Psalms
Psalms

Psalms is a book of the Hebrew Bible , included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim....
, the Ark is twice referred to. In Ps. 78:61 its capture by the Philistines is spoken of, and the Ark is called "the strength and glory of God"; and in Ps. 132:8, it is spoken of as "You and the ark of Your strength." The Ark is also mentioned in several passages in Exodus and 1 Samuel, including Exodus 25:10-22 and 1 Samuel 4:3-22 and 5:7-8. The Ark is mentioned in one passage in the deuterocanonical
Deuterocanonical books

"Deuterocanonical books" is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Jewish Bible....
 2 Maccabees 2:4-10, which contains a reference to a document saying that the prophet Jeremiah, "being warned of God," took the Ark, and the tabernacle, and the altar of incense, and buried them in a cave on Mount Nebo (Deut. 34:1), 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." Hebrews 9:4 states that the Ark contained "the golden pot that had
manna
Manna

Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert....
, and Aaron's rod
Aaron's rod

Aaron's rod refers to any of the staffs carried by Moses' brother, Aaron, in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Bible tells how, along with Nehushtan, Aaron's rod was endowed with miraculous power during the Plagues of Egypt which preceded the Exodus....
 that budded, and the tables of the covenant." Finally, in the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John , and Revelation of Jesus Christ is the last Biblical canon of the New Testament in the Christian Bible....
 the Ark is described as being in the 'temple' of God in heaven (Rev. 11:19). The Ark is last seen in God's 'temple' just before a woman gives birth to the man child (Rev. 12:1-2), both stalked by a dragon
Dragon

File:Ukiyo-e dragon 2.jpgThe dragon is a legendary creature with serpentine shape or otherwise reptilian traits that features in the mythology of many cultures....
 and his angels cast to earth (Rev. 12:3-17).

In the Quran

In chapter 2 (Verse 248) children of Israel, at the time of Samuel
Samuel

Samuel is a leader of History of ancient Israel and Judah in the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible.His status, as viewed by rabbinical literature, is that he was the last of the Biblical judges and the first of the major Prophet#Judaism who began to prophesy inside the Land of Israel....
 and Saul
Saul

Saul or Shaul may also refer to:...
, are given back 'Tabut E Sakina' (the box) which contains remnants of household of Musa
Musa

Musa may refer to:In botany:*Musa , one of three genera in the family Musaceae that includes bananas and plantainsPlaces:*Mu?a, a river in Lithuania and Latvia...
 and Harun
Harun

Haroon , was a prophet biblical times mentioned in the Qur'an. In the Bible he is known as Aaron . It is believed that Haroon lived for 122 years....
 carried by angels which confirms peace and reassurance for them from their Lord. It is mentioned in the middle of the narrative of the choice of Saul
Saul the King

Saul is identified in the Books of Samuel, Books of Chronicles and Qur'an as the first king of the ancient united United Monarchy. Saul was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah during the closing decades of the 2nd millennium BC....
 to be king. The Qur'an
Qur'an

The Qur?an is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur?an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God....
 states:

Islamic scholar Al Baidawi
Baidawi

Baidawi , was a Muslim scholar, was born in Fars, where his father was chief judge, in the time of the Atabek ruler Abu Bakr ibn Sa'd . He himself became judge in Shiraz, Iran, and died in Tabriz about 1286....
 mentions that the
Sakina
Sakina

Sakina is an Arabic word derived from "Sakoon", meaning "peace" or "tranquility". It appears in the Qur'an....
could be Tawrat
Tawrat

Tawrat is the Arabic transliteration of the Hebrew language word Torah which Muslims believe was a Islamic holy books given by Allah to Islamic view of Moses ....
, Books of Moses or idol of emeralds and rubies . According to Al-Jalalan, the relics in the Ark were the fragments of the two tables, rods, robes, shoes, mitres of Moses
Moses

Moses is a Hebrew Bible Hebrews religious leader, lawgiver, prophet, to whom the Mosaic authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew , he is the most important prophet in Judaism, and also an important prophet of Christianity, Islam, the Bah?'? Faith, Rastafari movement, Chrislam and many ot...
 and the vase of Manna . Al-Tha'alibi, in Qisas Al-Anbiya (The Stories of the Prophets)
Qisas Al-Anbiya

The "Qisas Al-Anbiya" or Stories of the Prophets refers to various collections of tales adapted from the Quran. One of the best-known is that composed by al-Kisai in either the 6th or the 13th century; others include the Ara'is al-majalis by al-Tha'alabi and the Qisas an-anbiya by Ibn Kathir ....
, 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. Muslims believe that it will be found by Mahdi
Mahdi

According to the Shia and Sunni versions of the Islamic eschatology the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth seven, nine, or nineteen years before the coming of the day, Qiyamah ....
 near the end of times
Qiyamah

In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyamah "the Day of Resurrection" or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Judgement" is God's final assessment of humanity. Al-Qiyama is also the name of the 75th surah of the Qur'an....
 from Lake Tiberias .

Biblical account


Mobile vanguard

In the march from Sinai, and at the crossing of the Jordan, the Ark preceded the people, and was the signal for their advance ( Josh. 3:3, 6). During the crossing of the Jordan, 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
Twelve Stones

Twelve Stones was a common form of marking a spectacular religious event in the times of Kingdom of Israel before the time of King Josiah. The stones were specifically placed in a circle in the place where the heads of each tribe stood at the meeting that the 12 tribes had with Joshua as their leader immediately following the crossing of the...
 were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood (Josh. 4:1-9).

The Ark was carried into battle, such as in the Midian war
Midian war

The Midian War documented in the Hebrew Bible, Book of Numbers 31, was the final military action that Moses personally led. According to the Bible, the Midian War was intended to exterminate the Midianites, who had "led the people of Israel to sin against God"....
 (Num. 31). In the capture of Jericho the Ark was carried round the city once a day for six 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
Ai (Bible)

Ai refers to one or two places in ancient Israel:*A city mentioned along with Heshbon by Jeremiah 49:3, whose location is currently unknown, and which may or may not be the same as:...
, Joshua lamented before the Ark (Josh. 7:6-9). When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim
Mount Gerizim

Mount Gerizim is one of the two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the West Bank city of Nablus , and forms the southern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the northern side being formed by Mount Ebal....
 and Mount Ebal
Mount Ebal

Mount Ebal is one of the two mountains in the immediate vicinity of the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank, and forms the northern side of the valley in which Nablus is situated, the southern side being formed by Mount Gerizim....
, they stood on each side of the Ark. The Ark was again set up by Joshua at Shiloh
Shiloh (Biblical)

Shiloh is a city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
; but when the Israelites fought against Benjamin at Gibeah
Gibeah

Gibeah ? could be a variation of the Hebrew word meaning ?hill,? other names include Gibeah of Benjamin and Gibeah of Saul. The site is believed to be identical to Tell el-Ful meaning ?mound of horse beans? in Arabic, a hill next to the modern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Pisgat Ze'ev....
, they had the Ark with them, and consulted it after their defeat.

Captured by the Philistines


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
Canaan

Canaan is an ancient term for a region encompassing modern-day Israel and Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, plus adjoining coastal lands and parts of Jordan, Syria and northeastern Egypt....
, the Ark remained in the tabernacle at Gilgal
Gilgal

Gilgal is a place name mentioned by the Hebrew Bible. It is a matter of debate how many of the places named Gilgal are identical....
 for a season, then was removed to Shiloh until the time of Eli, between 300 and 400 years (Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah

The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah , is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaism's Tanakh, and later became a part of Christianity's Old Testament....
 7:12), when it was carried into the field of battle, so as to secure, as they supposed, victory to the Hebrews; and it was taken by the Philistines
Philistines

The Philistines were a ethnic group who occupied the southern coast of Canaan, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts....
 (1 Sam. 4:3-11), who sent it back after retaining it seven months (1 Sam. 5:7, 8) because of the events said to have transpired. After their first defeat at Eben-ezer
Eben-Ezer

Eben-Ezer , is the name of a location that is mentioned by the Books of Samuel as the scene of battles between the Israelites and Philistines. It is specified as having been less than a day's journey by foot from Shiloh , near Aphek , in the neighbourhood of Mizpah in Benjamin, near the western entrance of the pass of Beth-horon....
, 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
Ichabod

Ichabod is named by the Books of Samuel as the brother of Ahitub. Ichabod is also identified by the Books of Samuel as having been the son of Hophni and Phinehas, and as having been born on the day that the Philistine captivity of the Ark....
—explained as "Where is glory?" 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 resulted to them (1 Sam. 5:1-6). At Ashdod
Ashdod

Ashdod , is the List of Israeli cities in Israel, located in the South District of the country, on the Mediterranean Sea Israeli Coastal Plain, with a population of 207,000....
 it was placed in the temple of Dagon
Dagon

Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain and agriculture. He was worshipped by the early Amorites and by the inhabitants of the cities of Ebla and Ugarit ....
. 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 mice was sent over the land (1 Sam. 6:5). The affliction of boils was also visited upon the people of Gath and of Ekron
Ekron

The city of Ekron was one of the five cities of the famed Philistine 'pentapolis,' located in southwestern Canaan.During the Iron Age, Ekron was a border city on the frontier contested between Philistia and the kingdom of Judah....
, whither the Ark was successively removed (1 Sam. 5:8-12).

After the Ark had been among them six 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 hemorrhoids and mice 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
Abinadab

Abinadab may refer to:# A man of Kirjath-jearim widely identified as a Levite , in whose house the Ark of the Covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines ....
, whose son Eleazar
Eleazar

Eleazar , was a son of Aaron, a Levite Kohen and Kohen Gadol. His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, he was appointed to the charge of the sanctuary....
 was sanctified to keep it. Kirjath-jearim was 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
Books of Chronicles

LocationIn the masoretic text, Chronicles is part of the third part of the Tanakh, namely Ketuvim . In most printed versions it is the last book in Ketuvim ....
 13:3 it is stated that the people were not accustomed to consult the Ark in the days of Saul
Saul

Saul or Shaul may also refer to:...
.

In the days of King David

At the beginning of his reign, David removed the Ark from Kirjath-jearim amid great rejoicing. On the way to Zion
Zion

Zion is a term that most often designates the Land of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem. The word is found in texts dating back almost three millennia....
, Uzzah
Uzzah

According to the Tanakh, Uzzah was an Israelite whose death is associated with touching the Ark of the Covenant. He was the son of Abinadab, in whose house the men of Kirjath-jearim placed the Ark when it was brought back from the land of the Philistines....
, one of the drivers of the cart whereon the Ark was carried, put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was smitten by the Lord for touching it. David, in fear, carried the Ark aside into the house of Obed-edom
Obed-Edom

Obed-Edom - servant of Edom.# "The Gittite" , a Levite of the family of the Korhites, to whom was specially entrusted the custody of the ark of the covenant....
 the Gittite, instead of carrying it on to Zion, and here it stayed three months (2 Sam. 6:1-11; 1 Chron. 13:1-13).

On hearing that the Lord 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
Ephod

An ephod was a type of object in ancient Israelite culture, and was closely connected with oracle practices. In the Books of Samuel, David is described as wearing one when dancing in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant, and one is described as standing in the sanctuary at Nob, with a sword behind it; in the book of Exodus and in Leviti...
," "danced before the Lord with all his might" — a performance that caused him to be despised and scornfully rebuked by Saul's daughter Michal
Michal

Michal was a daughter of Saul, Kingdom of Israel , who loved and became the wife of David, who later became king of Judah, and later still of the united Kingdom of Israel....
 (2 Sam. 6:12-16, 20-22; 1 Chron. 15). This derision of David on her part prompted God to take away her fertility. 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).

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
Rabbah

Rabbah - "Rabbath of the children of Ammon," thechief city of the Ammonites, among the eastern hills, some 20miles east of the Jordan, on the southern of the two streams...
 (2 Sam. 11:11); and when David fled from Jerusalem at the time of Absalom
Absalom

Absalom or Avshalom was the third son of David , king of Israel with Maachah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. He had no sons. describes him as the most handsome man in the kingdom....
's conspiracy, the Ark was carried along with him until he ordered Zadok
Zadok (High Priest)

Zadok or Zadoq was an Israelite Kohen in the tenth century BC....
 the priest to return it to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29).

In Solomon's temple

When Abiathar
Abiathar

Abiathar , in the Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli. The only one of the priests to escape from Saul's massacre, he fled to David at Keilah, taking with him the ephod ....
 was dismissed from the priesthood by Solomon
Solomon

Solomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David. He is also called Jedidiah in the Tanakh , and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah split; following th...
 for having taken part in Adonijah
Adonijah

Adonijah was the fourth son of King David according to the book of Samuel , which is contained in the Bible....
's conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)

In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'?tat or through assassination....
 against David, his life was spared because he had formerly borne the Ark (1 Kings 2:26). It was afterwards placed by Solomon in the temple
Temple in Jerusalem

The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a The Third Temple features in Jewish eschatology....
 (1 Kings 8:6-9). Solomon worshiped before the Ark after his dream in which the Lord promised him wisdom (1 Kings 3:15). In Solomon's Temple, a Holy of Holies was prepared to receive the Ark (1 Kings 6:19); and when the Temple was dedicated, the Ark—containing nothing but the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, were authored by God and given to Moses on the mountain referred to as "Biblical Mount Sinai" or "Mount Horeb" in the form of two stone tablets....
—was placed therein. 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 into the Temple (2 Chron. 35:3), whence it appears to have again been removed by one of his successors.

The Babylonians and afterwards


When the Babylonia
Babylonia

Babylonia was a state in Lower Mesopotamia , Babylon as its franklin. Babylonia emerged when Hammurabi created an empire out of the territories of the former kingdoms of Sumer and Akkad....
ns destroyed Jerusalem and plundered the temple, the Ark entered the domain of legend. Many historians suppose that the ark was probably taken away by Nebuchadnezzar and destroyed. The absence of the ark from the Second Temple
Second Temple

The Second Temple was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE. During this time, it was the center of Judaism worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the korbanot....
 was acknowledged. The Ark is finally re-established to the Temple in vision: "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark of his Covenant" (Rev. 11:19 NIV).

Fate of the Ark

Guesses as to the ultimate fate of the Ark include:
  • Capture by the Pharaoh Shishak when he sacked Jerusalem (Pharaoh Shoshenq I, founder of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt, reigned from 944-924 BC. It has also been speculated that he may have been Ramses III). Reportedly, he took it back to Tanis, Egypt (15 miles outside present day Cairo). This is the theory followed by the Steven Spielberg
    Steven Spielberg

    Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. Forbes magazine places Spielberg's net worth at $3.1 billion....
     film
    Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Raiders of the Lost Ark is a action film-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford....
    .
  • Intentional concealment by the priests under the Temple Mount
    Temple Mount

    The Temple Mount , also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary , is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem of Jerusalem....
    ;
  • Intentional removal from Jerusalem in advance of the Babylonians (this variant usually ends up with the Ark in Ethiopia
    Ethiopia

    Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
    );
  • the removal of the Ark by the Ethiopian prince Menelik I
    Menelik I

    Menelik I , first Jewish Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba and ruled around 950 BC, according to traditional sources....
     (purported son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
    Queen of Sheba

    The Queen of Sheba , was the woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan history, the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur'an....
    );
  • removal by Jewish priests during the reign of Manasseh of Judah
    Manasseh of Judah

    Manasseh of Judah was the king of Kingdom of Judah and only son and successor of Hezekiah. He was 12 years old when he began to reign. William F....
    , possibly taken to the Jewish Temple at Elephantine
    Elephantine

    Elephantine is an island in the Nile, located just downstream of the Cataracts of the Nile at at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the ancient Egyptians oriented themselves toward the direction from which the river flowed....
     in Egypt;
  • the miraculous removal of the Ark by divine intervention (Cf. 2 Chronicles); and even
  • the destruction of the original ornate Ark under King Josiah's reforms (when it may have been seen as violating the commandment against graven images) and replacement with a simple wooden box, easily lost when the Temple fell.


Rumoured present locations

Some have claimed to have discovered or have possession of the Ark.

The Temple Mount of Jerusalem
Modern excavations near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem have found tunnels, but digging beneath the Temple Mount is somewhat restricted. One of the most important Islamic shrines, the Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and a major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in the world....
, sits in the location where the First Temple of Solomon once stood. King Solomon, when building the temple, is rumored to have put the Ark of the Covenant on a platform which could be lowered down into a tunnel system if the Temple were ever overrun. In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar's troops destroyed the temple and carried off the temple treasures but did not find the Ark of the Covenant, which had been lowered into the cave system below and secreted away by Levite priests.

Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Ark of the Covenant Church in Axum Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant or
tabot in Axum. The object is now kept under guard in a treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion
Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the most important church of Ethiopia. The original church is believed to have been built during the reign of Ezana, the first Christian emperor of Ethiopia, during the fourth century AD, and has been rebuilt several times since then....
, and used occasionally in ritual processions. But versions of the Aksum
tabot are kept in every Ethiopian church, each with its own dedication to a particular saint, most popularly Mary, George and Michael.

The
Kebra Nagast
Kebra Nagast

The Kebra Nagast , or the Book of the Glory of Kings, is an account written in Ge'ez of the origins of the Solomonic dynasty of the Emperor of Ethiopia of Ethiopia....
is Ethiopia’s greatest national document, composed to legitimise the new royal line established in 1270 by claiming its descent from Menelik I
Menelik I

Menelik I , first Jewish Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba and ruled around 950 BC, according to traditional sources....
, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba , was the woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan history, the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur'an....
, and contains a reference to the Ark of the Covenant being brought to Ethiopia by Menelik. However, recent scholarship suggests that that reference is a later interpolation: many important manuscripts later than the thirteenth century make no reference to it, and it only became a core element of Ethiopian beliefs in the seventeenth century. It has been plausibly suggested that the claim that the Aksum
tabot is the real Ark of the Covenant results from misunderstandings between the Ethiopians and their Portuguese allies following the defeat of Arab invasions in the sixteenth century – misunderstandings which were gratefully exploited and developed by the Ethiopian church.

Southern Africa

The Lemba
Lemba

The Lemba or Lembaa are an ethnic group numbering 70,000 in southern Africa who claim a common descent and belonging to the Jew.Although they are speakers of Bantu languages related to those spoken by their geographic neighbours - in itself the practice of most Jews in the diaspora - they have specific religious practices and beliefs...
 people of South Africa and Zimbabwe, who believe they are of Jewish descent, 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.

In a Channel 4
Channel 4

Channel 4 is a UK Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television broadcaster which began transmissions on 2 November 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the #Channel Four Television...
 documentary broadcast in UK on April 14, 2008, Tudor Parfitt
Tudor Parfitt

Tudor Parfitt is a United Kingdom Professor of Modern Jewish Studies at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies , where he was the founding director of the Centre for Jewish Studies....
, 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.

In his book
The Lost Ark of the Covenant (2008) Parfitt also suggests that the Ark was taken to Arabia following the Second Book of Maccabees, and cites Arabic sources which maintain it was brought in distant times to Yemen
Yemen

Yemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east....
. One Lemba clan, the Buba, which was supposed to have brought the Ark to Africa, have a genetic signature called the Cohen Modal Haplotype which connects them with the ancient Jewish priesthood. The Lemba also came to Africa from Yemen. Lemba tradition maintains that the Ark spent some time in Sena
Sena, Yemen

Sena is an abandoned ancient town in Yemen located in the eastern Hadramaut valley. This village should not be confused with the capital of Yemen, San'a, or the town of Sanaw in Oman....
 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
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 missionary named Harald von Sicard in the 1940s and eventually found its way to the Museum of Human Science in Harare
Harare

Harare is the Capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province....
.

Parfitt had this artifact radio-carbon dated to about 1350 AD, which coincided with the sudden end of the Great Zimbabwe civilization. Jewish sources in the Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
, as well as the Jewish exegete Rashi (Rashi's commentary of Deuteronomy), suggest that there were two Arks: one was the original simple wooden Ark of Moses described in the Book of Deuteronomy, the other was the later golden Ark made by Bezalel as described in the Book of Exodus. Rabbinic opinion maintains that the first of these Arks was the Ark of War and the second was a ceremonial object which stayed in the Temple. Parfitt suggests that the Ark he found was the descendant of the Ark of War and that a wooden chest being used as a weapon was replicated at least once, and possibly many times. Parfitt offers the suggestion that the wooden ark may always have been a drum as well as a weapon of some sort, like the ngoma. It was often found in musical processions, David danced in front of it and it was covered over with a piece of leather. Parfitt, however, offers no explanation of the original principal contents of the Ark, the stone tablets.

Other Middle Eastern Sites

Mt. Nebo Some people believe that the Ark is hidden somewhere in or around Mt. Nebo on the Jordan River's east bank. In Second Maccabees, chapter 2, verses 1-8, we read how the prophet Jeremiah "following a divine revelation, ordered that the tent [i.e. the tabernacle of meeting] and the ark [i.e. the ark of the covenant] should accompany him and how he went off to the mountain which Moses climbed to see God's inheritance [i.e. Mt. Nebo; see Deuteronomy 31:1-4]. When Jeremiah arrived there, he found a room in a cave in which he put the tent, the ark, and the altar of incense; then he blocked up the entrance." (vv. 4-5) There is some debate as to whether or not this second-hand account (see v. 1) is trustworthy.

Calvary Escarpment In 1989, Ron Wyatt
Ron Wyatt

Ronald Eldon Wyatt was a self-described archaeologist and author who claimed to have discovered many significant biblical sites and Artifact s....
 claimed to have broken into a chamber while digging underground beneath the Calvary Escarpment. He claimed to have seen the Ark and taken photographs. All photos came out blurry (leading to skepticism of the claim). According to Wyatt the excavations were closed off (because of private property concerns) and, to the extent of knowledge, no one has seen the Ark since. Ron Wyatt was widely seen in the Biblical archaeology community as an attention seeker, often announcing he had found Biblically important objects with little or no hard evidence to back up his claims.

Qumran Vendyl Jones
Vendyl Jones

Vendyl Jones is an United States Noahide scholar who has directed archaeological searches for Bible Artifact s such as the Ark of the Covenant....
 claimed to have found the entrance to the chamber in the Cave of the Column near Qumran
Qumran

Qumran is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank, just next to the Israeli kibbutz of Kalia, West Bank....
. Here, he stated, is where the Ark was hidden prior to the destruction of the First Temple. Arutz Sheva
Arutz Sheva

Arutz Sheva is an Israeli media network identifying with Religious Zionism. It offers online news in English language, Hebrew language, French language and Russian language in three formats: written, internet radio, and internet television....
 quoted Jones stating he would reveal the Ark on Tisha B'Av
Tisha B'Av

is an annual ta'anit in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of the Solomon's Temple and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred about 656 years apart, but on the same date....
 (August 14, 2005), the anniversary of the destruction of both the First and Second Temples; however, this did not occur. On Jones' website he states that he was misquoted and actually said it would be appropriate if he discovered the Ark on Tisha B'Av. Jones is waiting for funding to explore the cave.

Michael Sanders claims to have found the location of the Ark Of the Covenant's 'stones' in Djaharya near an ancient temple created by Ramses III (now an old tower in ruins).

Europe


Languedoc

Several legends hold that the Ark was carried home to Languedoc
Languedoc

Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day List of regions in France of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyr?n?es in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyr?n?es....
 by Templars returning from the Crusades.

England
In 2003, historical author Graham Phillips
Graham Phillips (author)

Graham Phillips is a British author and historical mysteries researcher. From a background working as a reporter for BBC radio and a magazine editor, Phillips investigates in a journalistic fashion by piecing together historical source material and archaeological discoveries in an attempt to unravel the origins of various myths and legends....
 traced the route of the Ark through research using Biblical texts as being taken to Mount Sinai
Biblical Mount Sinai

The Biblical Mount Sinai is an ambiguously located mountain at which the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by Tetragrammaton....
 in the Valley of Edom
Edom

Edom is a name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible, as well as to the nation descending from him. The nation's name in Assyrian language was Udumi; in Syriac language, ????; in Greek language, ?d???a?a ; in Latin, Idum?a or Idumea....
 by the Maccabees
Maccabees

The Maccabees were a Jewish national liberation movement that fought for and won independence from Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator....
, along with other religious treasures. Phillips claims it remained there until the 1180s, when Ralph de Sudeley, the leader of the Templars
Knights Templar

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple , were among the most famous of the History of Christianity#Sanctification of knighthood military orders....
 who apparently found the Maccabean treasure at Jebel al-Madhbah, returned home to his estate at Herdewyke in Warwickshire
Warwickshire

Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton in the far north of the county....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, taking the treasure with him.

Ireland
During the turn of the 20th century British Israelites
British Israelism

British Israelism is the claim that people of Western European descent are also the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, and it is often accompanied by the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David....
 carried out some excavations of the Hill of Tara
Hill of Tara

The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Republic of Ireland....
 looking for the Ark of the Covenant – the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland

The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a List of Irish learned societies based in Ireland, whose aims are 'to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquities, language, literature and history of Ireland'....
 campaigned successfully to have them stopped before they ruined the hill.

See also

  • List of artifacts significant to the Bible
    List of artifacts significant to the Bible

    The following is a list of Artifact , objects created or modified by a human culture, that are significant to the historicity of the Bible....
  • Ancient astronaut theory
    Ancient astronaut theory

    Ancient astronaut theories or paleocontact are various proposals that intelligent Extraterrestrial life have visited Earth and that this contact is linked to the origins or development of human cultures, technology and/or religions....
  • Baghdad Battery
    Baghdad Battery

    The Baghdad Battery, sometimes referred to as the Parthian Battery, is the common name for a number of artifacts created in Mesopotamia, possibly during the Parthian or Sassanid period ....
  • Rastafari movement
    Rastafari movement

    The Rastafari movement is a monotheism, Abrahamic religions, new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as the incarnation of God, called Jah or Jah Rastafari....
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Raiders of the Lost Ark is a action film-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford....
  • Shishaq
    Shishaq

    Shishak or Shishaq is the biblical Hebrew language form of the first ancient Egyptian name of a pharaoh mentioned in the Bible....
Ethopia
  • Axum
    Axum

    Axum, or Aksum, is a city in northern Ethiopia named after the Kingdom of Aksum, a naval and trading power that ruled from the region ca....
  • Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
    Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

    The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodoxy church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Christianity until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by List of Coptic Popes, Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria....
Hebrews
Hebrews

Hebrews are an ancient people defined as descendants of biblical Patriarch Abraham , a descendent of Noah.In the Bible, the patriarch Abraham is referred to a single time as the ivri, which is the singular form of the Hebrew-language word for Hebrew ....
  • Most Holy Place
    Most Holy Place

    Many religious traditions have a most sacred site, a physical location which is considered especially holy. These sites include among others a location within the inner Tabernacle of Moses, the Kaaba, the city of Varanasi, India, the Shrine of Bah?'u'll?h, and Harimandir Sahib....
  • Solomon's Temple
  • Sanctuary
    Sanctuary

    Sanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its church tabernacle or altar. An animal sanctuary is a place where animals live and are protected....
  • Shittah-tree
    Shittah-tree

    Shittah-tree is Hebrew language for acacia. Acacia albida, Acacia tortilis and Acacia iraqensis can be found growing wild in the Sinai peninsula desert and the Jordan River valley....
  • Cherub
    Cherub

    A cherub is a form of angel mentioned several times in the Bible.Cherubs are described as winged beings. The biblical prophet Ezekiel describes the cherubim as a tetrad of living creatures, each having four faces: of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man....
  • History of ancient Israel and Judah
    History of ancient Israel and Judah

    The history of ancient Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah is known to us essentially from the Hebrew Bible . Certain aspects of that history may also be derived from, elaborated and confirmed by other ancient sources and later classical writings such as the Talmud, the writings of Nicolaus of Damascus, Artapanus of Alexandria, Philo of A...
  • Tabernacle
  • Jewish symbolism
    Jewish symbolism

    The Hebrew language word for symbol is ot which in early Judaism denoted not only a sign, but also a visible religious token of the relation between God and man....
  • Book of Judges
    Book of Judges

    The Book of Judges is a Books of the Bible originally written in Hebrew language. It appears in the Tanakh and in the Christian Old Testament. Its title refers to its contents; it contains the history of Biblical judges , who helped rule and guide the ancient Israelites, and of their times....
  • Books of Chronicles
    Books of Chronicles

    LocationIn the masoretic text, Chronicles is part of the third part of the Tanakh, namely Ketuvim . In most printed versions it is the last book in Ketuvim ....
Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
ern
  • Ashdod
    Ashdod

    Ashdod , is the List of Israeli cities in Israel, located in the South District of the country, on the Mediterranean Sea Israeli Coastal Plain, with a population of 207,000....
  • Israel
    Israel

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"Manna
Manna

Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert....
"
  • Shittah-tree
    Shittah-tree

    Shittah-tree is Hebrew language for acacia. Acacia albida, Acacia tortilis and Acacia iraqensis can be found growing wild in the Sinai peninsula desert and the Jordan River valley....
  • Ley line
    Ley line

    Ley lines are hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geography interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, in his book The Old Straight Track....
People
  • Joshua
    Joshua

    Joshua, Jehoshuah or Yehoshua , born in Egypt, was a biblical Israelite leader who succeeded Moses. His story is told in the Hebrew Bible, chiefly in the books Book of Exodus, Book of Numbers and Book of Joshua....
  • Samuel
  • Solomon
    Solomon

    Solomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David. He is also called Jedidiah in the Tanakh , and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah split; following th...
  • Menelik I
    Menelik I

    Menelik I , first Jewish Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba and ruled around 950 BC, according to traditional sources....
  • Theodulf
Other
  • Science and the Bible
    Science and the Bible

    The various books of the Hebrew Bible contain descriptions of the physical world, and can be considered a source of information of the History of science in early cultures in the Iron Age Levant....
  • Acacia
    Acacia

    Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Sweden botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773....
  • Foucault's Pendulum (book)
  • Lost History
    Lost History

    Many significant things throughout history have been lost, inspiring archaeologists and treasure-hunters around the world to try and find them. The existence of some of these places or items, particularly those from ancient history, is legendary and remains in doubt....
  • Mikoshi
    Mikoshi

    A is a portable Shinto shrine. Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle of a divine spirit in Japan at the time of a parade of deities....
  • The Exodus Decoded (television documentary)


Further reading

  • Carew, Mairead, Tara and the Ark of the Covenant: A Search for the Ark of the Covenant by British Israelites on the Hill of Tara, 1899-1902]. Royal Irish Academy, 2003. ISBN 0954385527
  • Cline, Eric H.
    Eric H. Cline

    Eric H. Cline is an author, historian, archaeologist, and anthropology professor at George Washington University, where he is the Chair of the Department of Classical and Semitic Languages and Literatures....
     (2007),
    From Eden to Exile: Unravelling Mysteries of the Bible, National Geographic Society, ISBN 978-1426200847
  • Fisher, Milton C., The Ark of the Covenant: Alive and Well in Ethiopia?. Bible and Spade 8/3, pp. 65-72, 1995.
  • Grierson, Roderick & Munro-Hay, Stuart, The Ark of the Covenant. Orion Books Ltd, 2000. ISBN 0-7538-1010-7
  • Hancock, Graham
    Graham Hancock

    Graham Hancock is a United Kingdom writer and journalist. His books include Lords of Poverty, The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis , The Mars Mystery, Heaven's Mirror , Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization, and Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith ....
    ,
    The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant
    The Sign and the Seal

    The Sign and The Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant is a List of controversial non-fiction books by Graham Hancock. It was published in 1992....
    . Touchstone Books, 1993. ISBN 0-671-86541-2
  • Hertz, J.H., The Pentateuch and Haftoras. Deuteronomy. Oxford University Press, 1936.
  • Leeman, Bernard, Queen of Sheba and Biblical Scholarship. Queensland Academic Press, 2005. ISBN 0-9758022-0-8
  • Ritmeyer, L., The Ark of the Covenant: Where it Stood in Solomon's Temple. Biblical Archaeology Review 22/1: 46-55, 70-73, 1996.


External links

Classic Texts
  • "". Tanach - Torah, Judaica Press.


Descriptions
  • "". The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I.
  • Pendleton, Philip Y., "". 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.)
  • Barrow, Martyn, " (Exodus 25:10-22)". 1995.
  • Kaulins, Andis, "".
  • Shyovitz, David, "". Jewish Virtual Library.


Location
  • Israel National News ": Now's the Time to Find Holy Lost Ark". Iyar 5765, May, 2005.


General
  • "". Old Testament - Exodus, The Brick Testament.


Original article text
  • Initial text from , 1897 listing of the
  • Portions of this article have been taken from the of 1906 listing