Ark of the Covenant

The sacred ark is designated by a different Hebrew word, aron, which is the common name for a chest or coffer used for any purpose.¹ It is distinguished from all others by such titles as the "ark of God,"² "ark of the covenant,"³ "ark of the testimony."⁴

It was made of acacia or shittim wood, a cubit and a half broad and high and two cubits long, and covered all over with the purest gold. Its upper surface or lid, the mercy seat, was surrounded with a rim of gold; and on each of the two sides were two gold rings, in which were placed two gold-covered poles by which the ark could be carried.⁵ Over the ark, at the two extremities, were two Cherubim, with their faces turned toward each other.⁶ Their outspread wings over the top of the ark formed the throne of God, while the ark itself was his footstool.⁷

The ark was deposited in the "holy of holies," and was so placed that one end of the poles by which it was carried touched the veil which separated the two apartments of the tabernacle.⁸ The two Tablets of Stone which constituted the "testimony" or evidence of God's covenant with the people,⁹ the "pot of manna,"¹⁰ and "Aaron's rod that budded,"¹¹ were laid up in the ark.¹² The ark and the sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel."¹³ During the journeys of the Israelites the ark was carried by the priests in advance of the host.¹⁴ It was borne by the priests into the bed of the Jordan, which separated, opening a pathway for the whole of the host to pass over.¹⁵ It was borne in the procession round Jericho.¹⁶ When carried it was always wrapped in the veil, the badgers' skins, and blue cloth, and carefully concealed even from the eyes of the Levites who carried it.

After the settlement of Israel in Palestine the ark remained in the tabernacle at Gilgal for a season, and was then removed to Shiloh till the time of Eli, between 300 and 400 years,¹⁷ when it was carried into the field of battle so as to secure, as they supposed, victory to the Hebrews, and was taken by the Philistines,¹⁸ who sent it back after retaining it seven month.¹⁹ It remained then at Kirjath-jearim²⁰ till the time of David (twenty years), who wished to remove it to Jerusalem; but the proper mode of removing it having been neglected, Uzzah was smitten with death for putting "forth his hand to the ark of God," and in consequence of this it was left in the house of Obed-Edom in Gath-rimmon for three months,²¹ at the end of which time David removed it in a grand procession to Jerusalem, where it was kept till a place was prepared for it.²² It was afterwards deposited by Solomon in the temple.²³ When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and plundered the temple, the ark was probably taken away by Nebuchadnezzar and destroyed, as no trace of it is afterwards to be found. The absence of the ark from the second temple was one of the points in which it was inferior to the first temple.

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