Ark of the Covenant: Biblical Accounts, Babylonian Siege, and Archaeology at Kiriath-Jearim
The Ark of the Covenant, as mentioned in the Old Testament, housed the Ten Commandments, a jar of Manna, and Aaron's staff (Hebrews 9:4). Constructed by Bezalel (Exodus 37) under God's design (Exodus 25:10-22), it functioned as a mobile sanctuary and a divine guide (Numbers 10:33-34; Joshua 6:1-20). Following its capture by the Philistines, King David retrieved it and brought it to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-17), where it was placed in Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 8:1-11). The Ark disappeared after King Josiah's time (2 Chronicles 35:3) and was last known before Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Modern political issues complicate excavations, and while the Ethiopian Orthodox Church asserts it possesses the Ark, its whereabouts remain unverified.
Key facts
- The Ark of the Covenant was a gold-plated wooden chest holding the Ten Commandments tablets, a jar of Manna, and Aaron's flowering staff (Hebrews 9:4)
- It was designed by God (Exodus 25:10-22) and built by Bezalel (Exodus 37) with a mercy seat, two cherubim, gold-covered acacia poles, and carrying rings
- The Ark served as a portable desert shrine, divine guide, Tabernacle place of worship, and holy presence in war before being taken to Jerusalem by King David and installed in Solomon's Temple
- King Josiah had the Ark returned to its place (2 Chronicles 35:3), after which it disappeared; the Second Temple's innermost room contained no Ark
- The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC under Nebuchadnezzar II left the Ark's whereabouts unknown, and 2 Kings 25 and Jeremiah 52 list looted treasures without mentioning it
- Archaeologists led by Prof. Israel Finkelstein found a massive monumental platform at Kiriath-Jearim, modern Deir-el-Azar (Tel Qiryat Yearim), dating to the 8th century
- The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church traditionally believe they possess the true Ark, but it has not been independently studied
- Theories about the Ark's location include a copper treasure map among the Dead Sea Scrolls and 2 Maccabees 2:4-8, which says the prophet Jeremiah hid it in a cave on Mount Nebo
Entities
Artists
- Moses
- Bezalel
- King David
- King Josiah
- Nebuchadnezzar II
- Jeremiah
- Israel Finkelstein
- Benjamin West
- Salomon de Bray
Institutions
- Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion
- Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
- TheCollector
- Wikimedia Commons
Locations
- Mount Sinai
- Egypt
- Jerusalem
- Israel
- Kiriath-Jearim
- Deir-el-Azar
- Tel Qiryat Yearim
- Axum
- Ethiopia
- Mount Nebo
- Babylon
- Jordan River