The Ark Of The Covenant

The Ark Of The Covenant
Copyright all rights reserved to Monica Pereira 2013
Smashwords Edition

When a person thinks of magic and mystery they think about The Ark Of The Covenant.  It is a box that has been described as withholding the ten commandants.  As we all know these items were written by Moses who was a key figure in Religious History.  He led the Israelites to good fortune, and after a quick escape he wrote the ten commandments.    The Ark has been said to contain other mysterious items which include Aaron's Rod, a jar of manna, the Book Of Kings, two Tablets of the Law, and other ancient things.  

Hollywood has romanced what could be in the Ark.  They think it should contain some magic wind which gives a person a quick and painful death.  They associate the Ark as containing evil magic, and it is evil because no one is supposed to open it.  However many disagree with Hollywood's idea of the Ark, and they throw the magic away in order to exclaim that it should hold scrolls and items of wisdom.  This most certainly makes the Ark less scary, however the Ark is still not supposed to be opened.

Many agree that the Ark has never been found -  however they do find it exciting that it could be found.  There are many Ancient mysteries that evolve around the ark, and most people find it intriguing. 


So with that said let us find out more about the Ark.  According to a book of Exodus, a person named Yahweh told Moses to use the Ark as a storage shed for his stone tablets.  Moses looked to Yahweh as he was shown what the Ark should look like.  It was to be made of shittim wood, and have particular furnishings that show off a particular pattern.  Moses came down from that mountain after 40 days and ordered for the Ark to be made.  That is how the Ark came into being.

Apparently that Ark was 2 ½ cubits in length, 1 ½ in breadth, and 1 ½ in height.  It was plated with pure gold, and it had a crown mould/statue.  Four rings of gold were used as legs, and through the rings shittim wood was laid to allow for carrying. A golden cover with a golden cherubim was then placed over the Ark and covered in a veil. Exodus 25 gave a detailed description of the Ark, and it is there to be read by any researcher.

After the Ark had been made it was carried by the Israelites for forty years.  They wandered through the desert, and whenever the group made camp it was kept in a sacred tent.  When the Israelites carried the Ark to the Promised Land they met the River Jordan; the Ark was then carried across the water.  According to tradition the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests touch the water.  The priest took the Ark across the dried up river, and after they had crossed the water returned.

However just because the Ark was special doesn't mean it didn't meet any danger.  In the Battle of Jerico the Ark was carried around the city for seven days.  On the seventh day the priests sounded horn trumpets and the walls fell down.  The people were able to then take back the city.  However during the battle against Benjamin at Gibeah the Israelites finally lost the Ark as they proclaimed defeat.
 
For a while the Ark was lost -  however it showed up later.  The Ark was kept in storage at the Tabernacle at Gilgal.  It was kept there for one season before it was moved on to Shiloh.  During the time of Eli the Ark was carried into battle against the Hebrews.  The Ark was then stolen by the Philistines before they returned the Ark because of what happened after it had been stolen (misery).
The Israelites brought the Ark with money from Shiloh.  Happy again they faced another battle where the Philistines captured the Ark.  The Philistines took the Ark around their country, and every time they showed an awful event happened and the people were ailed with haemorrhoids and boils, and a plague of mice broke out.  The Philistines then moved the Ark back to Israelites.
The Ark did not stop moving.  It was sent to be cleansed, and when cleansing failed it was kept in storage with Eleazar in the house of Abinadab.  It remained here for twenty years before new war broke out with Saul.

During the reign of King David the Ark was removed from Kirjath-jearim.  On the way to Zion, Uzzah one of the drivers were asked to put their hands on the Ark to keep it steady.  He did and he was smitten by God.  David then carried the Ark into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, and there it stayed for three months.
According to accounts the Ark gave the Obed-edom good fortune so David had it carried to Zion while he danced in linen garments before God.  After this the Ark was to be moved as David fled from Jerusalem due to Absalom's conspiracy, however David turned around and ordered the Ark to be returned to Jerusalem.
The temple of Solomon was then made and the Ark was housed in a special inner-room.  When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter he told her to live in a house outside Zion because Zion had lost fame for housing the Ark.  King Josiah then had the Ark put in a temple where it was then removed by bandits.

The Ark has been mentioned in stories and biblical texts ever since 300BC.  It has even been said to have been found in Tutankhamun's tomb with a jackal on its body.  In 2011 it was claimed that the Ark had been found in Greece in King Alexander's Tomb, however this and the Tutankhamun claim has been left in the dark as hoax claims. Many try to search for the lost Ark which seems to have disappeared, but none have been successful so far.