Statement
Israelites relied on objects to stand for the divine presence or carry it. The best known is the Ark of the Covenant, a chest of wood that held the covenant tablets of Sinai and acted as God's throne or footstool, with the figures of two cherubs at its sides. Approaching or even gazing at it was so perilous that it stayed concealed inside a tent, the Tabernacle. David brought it to Jerusalem, and soon afterward it was installed in Solomon's Temple.
Tradition or narrativeHigh certainty✓ Verified
References
p. 55
supports · main text · ch. 2
Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.
Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text
p. 55
supports · main text · ch. 2
Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.
Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text
Scholarly debate
What happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
3 positions · no single answer · take a seat →
- A
Hidden under the Temple or in a cave
Some sources
The ark would have been concealed beneath the Temple site or in a cave.
- B
Carried off by the Romans
Other sources
The Romans would have carried it off after the destruction of the Second Temple.
- C
Taken to Ethiopia
Ethiopian tradition
It would have been smuggled to Ethiopia, where it would be to this day.