At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.
What is the Ark of the Covenant?
Niki Foster
Niki Foster
The Ark of the Covenant is a vessel mentioned in the Old Testament that was used to carry the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. According to the Bible, the Ark was made by Moses at God's command after the Ten Commandments were revealed to him on Mount Sinai. Some biblical scholars believe that there were two such vessels, a temporary one built by Moses, followed by one made by Bezalel, who also built the Tabernacle that housed the Ark. The vessel disappeared after Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the Temple, in 587 BCE, and speculation about its fate has persisted into the present day.
According to records, the Ark of the Covenant was a very impressive structure, covered in gold and topped with elaborate cherubim flanking the mercy seat, which was sprinkled with the blood of a sacrificial bull once a year, on Yom Kippur. It was also steeped in ritual. It was kept in the Holy of Holies, an area of the Temple that only the High Priest was allowed to enter, and only on Yom Kippur. The Ark had gold rings on each side through which a rod was passed when it had to be transported.
The ancient Hebrews carried the vessel with them into battle and consulted it, much like an oracle. The Bible describes the Ark as immensely powerful, able for example to clear obstacles in the path of the traveling Hebrews, burning thorns away from the road and drying up rivers. The Book of Samuel describes a period of seven months during which the Philistines, who had defeated the Israelites in battle, were in possession of the Ark of the Covenant. During this time, the Philistines suffered plagues including boils and mice, which ceased when they returned the Ark.
After the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and plundered in 587 BCE, the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant are no longer mentioned in the Bible. Many historians assume it was destroyed, but some traditions hold that it was removed or hidden before the Babylonians invaded, either by Jews; by Ethiopian Emperor Menelik I, the alleged son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; or through divine intervention. Though various entities have claimed to know the whereabouts of the Ark or to have it in their possession over the centuries, none of these accounts has been definitive. Its fate will likely remain a mystery for the foreseeable future.
Niki Foster
In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.
Learn more...
Niki Foster
In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![The Old Testament states that the Ark of the Covenant was used to carry the tablets containing the Ten Commandments.]()
By: nickolaeThe Old Testament states that the Ark of the Covenant was used to carry the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. -
![The Ark was sprinkled with the blood of a sacrificial bull once a year.]()
By: Steve OehlenschlagerThe Ark was sprinkled with the blood of a sacrificial bull once a year. -
![The story of the Ark of the Covenant can be found in the Bible.]()
By: Magdalena KucovaThe story of the Ark of the Covenant can be found in the Bible.
Discussion Comments
It speaks of purity, I strongly believe.
The Ark was also so important because it saw many trials through the years, it was passed to different peoples and different cultures, and was used to conquer Jericho.
The Ark of the Covenant was found in Ethiopia. Some 3,000 years ago, the son of King Solomon of Israel and queen Sheba of Ethiopia took the the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. Before it (the Ark of the Covenant) finally settled in Axum Tsion church, it stayed for about 800 years on the island of Lake Tana, in Ethiopia. Later on, the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Axum.
By this time, the Ark of the Covenant rested in a special place with a lifelong keeper. The keeper of the Ark is a virgin and a monk also. When one keeper dies, he will be replaced by another through a long prayer in the church. At this time, you can observe a replica of the Ark of the Covenant in every Orthodox church.
The Ark of the Covenant did have the Ten Commandments in them, and it did make it significant. However, one must understand the theological history behind the Ark. It served as a guide for the Israelites in the desert, it allowed the Israelites to use it as a weapon of defeat their enemies, and it was also a way for the Israelites to communicate with God.
No, it was also where the Priest went into the holy of holies and offered up sacrifice that our sin would be taken away.
Was the Ark of the Covenant so important only because it had the Ten Commandments in it or was there also another reason?
Post your comments