Ark of the Covenant

For another uses, see Ark of the Covenant (band).
Moses and Joshua bowing before the Ark (c. 1900) by James Tissot
Ark of the Covenant on the Anikova dish, c. 800

The Ark of the Covenant,[a] also known as the Ark of the Testimony[b] or the Ark of God,[c][1][2] is a purported religious storage and relic held to be the most sacred object by the Israelites.

Religious tradition describes it as a wooden storage chest decorated in solid gold accompanied by an ornamental lid known as the Seat of Mercy. According to the Book of Exodus[3] and First Book of Kings[4] in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, the Ark contained the Tablets of the Law, by which God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai. According to the Book of Exodus,[5] the Book of Numbers,[6] and the Epistle to the Hebrews[7] in the New Testament, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.[8]

The biblical account relates that approximately one year after the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, the Ark was created according to the pattern that God gave to Moses when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Thereafter, the gold-plated acacia chest's staves were lifted and carried by the Levites approximately 2,000 cubits (800 meters or 2,600 feet) in advance of the people while they marched.[9] God spoke with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover.[10]

Contemporary archeologists disagree about the history of the Ark's movements around the Ancient Near East and the history and dating of the Ark narratives in the Bible.[11][12][13] There is additional scholarly debate over possible historical influences that led to the creation of the Ark. Thomas Romer, for example, sees possible Bedouin influence, while Scott Noegel regards Egyptian influence as more likely.[14][15]


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  1. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: 1 Chronicles 16–18 – New Living Translation". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  2. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: 1 Samuel 3:3 – New International Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  3. ^ Exodus 40:20.
  4. ^ 1 Kings 8:9.
  5. ^ Exodus 16:33.
  6. ^ Numbers 17:6–11.
  7. ^ Hebrews 9:4.
  8. ^ Ackerman, Susan (2000). "Ark of the Covenant". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. p. 102. ISBN 978-90-5356-503-2.
  9. ^ Joshua 3:4.
  10. ^ Exodus 25:22.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference David was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sparks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Levin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rö92 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Noegel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).