Anthony North: No ancient relic causes so much controversy as the Ark of the Covenant. The subject of Spielberg’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, featuring the intrepid Indiana Jones, the film does not exaggerate the passions the mystery of its location and power entails.Believed to have been constructed from acacia wood by Moses on Mount Sinai about 1250BC, the wooden chest is overlain with solid gold on both the inside and outside. 3ft 9in long and 2ft 3in wide and high, it has a lid of solid gold with a pair of cherubim. Gold rings attached to the Ark’s sides allow poles to pass through to be carried. Why an Ark ? Built according to Divine instructions, the Ark carried the two tablets upon which God scribed the Ten Commandments. Symbolic of the covenant God made between Himself and the people of Israel, it was said to be the focus of God’s presence.Carried by Levites, members of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, it always went ahead of the Israelites as they wandered through the desert, even going ahead of their armies as they waged war.When camped, the Ark was placed at the centre of a temporary sanctuary known as the Tabernacle. This centre became known as the Holy of Holies. Once the Promised Land was conquered and the Temple constructed at Jerusalem, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies of the temple.In this respect we can see the Ark as the central symbol of faith. Some mystical Jews have even drawn an analogy of the Ark, with its two tablets inside, with the brain and its two cerebral hemispheres. The Ark remained the centre of their religion until after the Exile to Babylon in the 6th century BC.

Object of mystery: Today there are two central mysteries concerning the Ark of the Covenant - namely, where is it, and what strange powers did it have? The former enigma comes from its remarkable history. According to the Old Testament, some time around 1000BC the Ark was captured by the Philistines. For reasons we will narrate later, they eventually let it go, sending it away strapped to a cart pulled by two cows. Reclaimed by the Israelites, they took it to Kiriath¬ Jearim, with King David eventually taking it to Jerusalem. Here, in 955BC, King Solomon placed it in the Holy of Holies of the first Temple.At one stage one tradition speaks of it being stolen by Menelik, son of Solomon and Sheba and taken to Axum in Ethiopia. Another tradition speaks of it being taken by the prophet Jeremiah to an unknown cave prior to the Babylonian destruction of the Temple in 587BC.What exactly happened is not known - it could have been simply destroyed - but the Ark was never seen again.

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Regarding what the Ark and what it may have been used for....I had this idea....what if it was some kind of 'direct voice' apparatus?

Many people are investigating voice recording of ghosts and the such like...using modern technology.

What if the Ark was something like this. A direct line from an intelligent being....not of this earth (the surface, anyway).

This 'being' could have communicated directly through the Ark....and was called God or the Lord God. The powers that were needed for this communicaion may

have been what made it dangerous to humans, in some way....and why it had to be treated very carefully.

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I've just flicked through the old testiment...and found this...Exodus Chapter 34...verses 28...35.

" And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and the rulers of the congregation returned unto him; and Moses spake to them.

And afterwards all the children of Israel came nigh; and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.

And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and he came out and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded

And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone; and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him."

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Just an idea...speculation....but even as I write this....I'm getting more and more into the idea.

I see this as like any other existing religious artifact, which they say have "powers."

(Now where did I put my magical karaoke...)

Unfortunately, the ark is just another biblical fairy tale, as was Moses, the escape out of Egypt, King David, Solomon, Jesus Christ etc. etc.

Isreal and Judah were indigenous tribes in Canaan who invented a history for themselves, as did most other tribes in the area. If King David existed at all he was a local chieftain...much like King Arthur in England.

The Bible is not history....well it is, but its a history of the mythology of a people, not a factual history.

There is no archeological evidence for jews in Egypt, for a great kingdom of David, for the first temple. If David's kingdom was as powerful as told in the bible, why does Egypt, assyria and babylon have no record of it?

The ark is just another myth, borrowed from Egyptian sources - Egypt was the regional power and semetic tribes in Canaan adapted their histories accordingly. Moses being found in a river etc. just repeats more ancient Egyptian myths.

Sorry folks....the hunt for the ark is a wild goose chase.

I've read Hancock's book...very well done and a good read but the premise is wrong.

Same with the debate over whether Jesus was man or god....he was neither..he was a literary construct of Alexandrian jews who wanted to incorporate Greek mystery religion into jewish history...combininb the ancient jewish idea of a messiah with the god-man of the greek mystery religions.

The truth will set you free.

Truth is. Your 'truth' is just speculation with no substance.

I'm extending my 'speculation' that the Ark of the Covenant may have been 'direct voice apparatus' to possibly being a chanel for physical manifestations

of an itelligent being, not of this earth/dimemsion.....as well!


These are quotes from...Old Testament...Numbers... chapter 12 verses1-15.

Miriam and Aaron have been bad-mouthing Moses because of his marriage to "a Cush**e woman"....they are also cheesed off with the fact that the 'Lord'

only speaks to Moses and not to them.

The 'Lord' heard them...and "suddenly" speaks to the 3 of them (Moses, Miriam, Aaron)...Saying " Come out ye three unto the tent of meeting."

They came out and..." the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forth.

And he said, Hear now my words; if there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a

dream.

My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all mine house: with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches, and the

form of the Lord shall he behold.................................

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

And the cloud removed from over the tent."

This face to face meeting with the Lord had a dramatic physical effect on Miriam. (damage from the energy needed for the speaking and manifestation?

Perhaps a kind of radiation-type thing, because...."...behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow.."

Then...Aaron admits to Moses that they (Miriam and him) are in the wrong. He begs Moses not to let Miriam die. Moses appeals to the Lord to heal her.

The journey has to halt. (of the whole people). Miriam has to go out of the camp for 7 days. Then she is brought back, presumably healed, and they

can continue on the journey.

Makes me wanna go play Halo 3.

the ark is a myth so is the loch ness monster but it doesn't stop people believing in it
just think if they find it wouldn't you like to know whats inside?

Well, depends if it's similar to Pandora's Box. Curiosity does kill cats.

I think it was a television. It showed all the old stuff, though, because (of course) the new stuff is new. Things like I Love Lucy, the Milton Berle Show, Howdy Doody, The Honeymooners.

Of course, that was the SciFi channel to the ancient Isrealites.

Harte