| < Previous | Next > |
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant was Israel's most sacred treasure, and was transferred to the Temple when it was finished in 959 BC. It was a symbol of God's presence and authority and power; a symbol of God's holiness and forgiveness and covenant with His people. 
The Ark was a gold rectangular container (3 3/4 feet in length x 2 1/2 feet in width x 2 1/4 feet in height) with two cherubim (angels) facing each other on the lid. Inside the Ark were the tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna (the bread God miraculously sent from heaven to feed the people during the wilderness wanderings), and Aaron's staff (the symbol of the high priest's authority).
It disappeared during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC when the Temple was destroyed. (Babylon was an ancient city-state in modern day Iraq.)
Tradition says that the Ark was hidden from the invaders, but the secret location was lost in the several decades before the Israelites were allowed to return. While over the centuries expeditions and archaeologists have excavated for its location, it has never been found.
| < Previous | Next > |
