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The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Hebrew Bible as a gold-plated wooden chest that contained the Ten Commandments, for which God provided clear instructions as to who could handle the Ark, and in what manner. The Ark of the Covenant cannot be touched by anyone, and can only be transported by the Levites, the priestly class of the Israelites. Touching the Ark results in instant death from God, who provided specific instructions on how to transport the Ark, which involved poles place through rings on the sides of the Ark. On one occasion, a Levite priest was instantly killed when he touched the Ark for a moment. Today the whereabout of the Ark is unknown, although some believe it is stored in a church in Ethiopia, where many of the priests go mysteriously blind, perhaps due to exposure to an ancient radioactive technology. The Ark of the Covenant was made of wood and gold-plated God Provided Moses Specific Instructions for the Ark of the Covenant in the Bible, in Exodus, after escaping slavery in Egypt, Moses and the Israelites were camped out at the base of Mount Sinai. The earth shook and the voice of God appeared, commanding Moses to go to the top of the mountain for forty days and forty nights. When he returned, he carried two stone tablets, inscribed on them the ten commandments. God commanded that Moses construct an ark to house the two tablets. He provided exact details as to how it would be constructed, including being covered on the inside and out with gold. The Ark had two gold rings on either side, so that it could be carried by placing poles through the rings. The two tablets were placed in the ark, as well as a jar of manna, the miraculous food that had appeared in the dessert earlier in the journey of the Israelites, and a wooden staff. The Ark was then stored in a tent, called the Tabernacle. Only Moses and his brother Aaron were allowed to enter the tent. It was believed that while in the tent, they could communicate directly within God. Touching the Ark will result in Death by God Jewish and Christian holy scriptures dictate that anyone who touches the Covenant will be instantly killed, and that only the Levites can carry it, in the specific manner described. The Levites were the ancient Jewish priest class, and the descendants of Levi. They were responsible for transporting the Tabernacle whenever the Israelite’s moved to a new camp. Prior to the exodus from Egypt, the Levites were exempt from labor, and were allowed to devote themselves to spiritual pursuits by the Egyptians. The Levites provided religious guidance to their fellow Israelites during this time. In the Second Book of Samuel, a Levite named Uzzah touched the Ark with his hand for a moment while carrying it, and was instantly killed by God. They were transporting the Ark when the oxen pulling the cart stumbled. Uzzah placed his hand on the Ark in order to steady it, and God instantly killed him. Transporting the Ark by cart was also in violation of God’s commands, as he had instructed them to only transport the Ark on the shoulders of men who were Levites. The Levites were tasked with transporting the Ark The Levites were Devoted to Spiritual Matters When the Israelites were allocated land amongst the twelve tribes, the Levites did not receive land. Instead, they lived scattered throughout Israel, and were regarded as being examples of how to live devoutly. Because the Levites did not have land they could not farm, and were supported by the other Israelites who would give ten percent of their produce to the Levites in a system of tithing. Today pride is taken in being descendent of the Levites. Levy, Levine, Horowitz, and Segal are some of the names that descend from Levi. Today about 4% of Jews are of Levite heritage. The Lid of the Ark of the Covenant is called the Mercy Seat The Ark has an elaborate gold lid, featuring two cherubims, which are angelic beings who serve God. The lid is called the Mercy Seat, and considered the most sacred part of the Ark. Many scholars believe that the Ark of the Covenant did exist historically, and creating similar ceremonial arks was a common practice at the time. The process had been compared to the Procession Barques of ancient Egypt. The Procession Barques of Ancient Egypt Scholars have noted the similarities between the Ark of the Covenant and certain practices that existed in ancient Egypt. Statues of gods would be placed in similar structures in order to be transported in ancient Egypt. At times they would even be placed on small boats and floated down the Nile River. The Ark was Kept in the Holy of Holies The Ark of the Covenant moved around a lot, according to the Bible, but eventually was taken to Jerusalem by King David. Then it was placed in the Holy of Holies by King Solomon, who was King David’s son. The Holy of Holies was the inner sanctuary of the Temple of Jerusalem, although it can also refer to the Tabernacle, the tent in which the Ark was stored in, prior to being moved to Jerusalem. While stored there, the Only seen by the high priest of the Israelite on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Many believe the Ark of the Covenant was destroyed in 587 BC when a Babylon army besieged Jerusalem. The city surrendered and the top officials were replaced by members of the invading forces. The Babylonians took artifacts from Jerusalem to Babylon, before continuing on with their war campaign in Egypt, where they were unsuccessful. Others believe that the Ark is still in Jerusalem, hidden in a cave or underground vault. Others believe its kept in a church in Ethiopia. The Ark of the Covenant and the Church of Ethiopia The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has a following of around 36 million people, most of whom live in Ethiopia, claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant, storing it in a church in a town called Axum. One of the mysterious aspects of this claim is that many of the Ethiopian priests who are allegedly in close proximity to the Ark suffer from blindness. Rumours have persisted since ancient times that the Ark can be used as a terrible weapon, and that the Israelites used it to destroy entire cities of their enemies. From a modern perspective it sounds like a nuclear weapon. Could it be that the Ark of the Covenant is an ancient nuclear weapon, and that the priests who store it in Ethiopia are going blind due to exposure to the nuclear radiation? Recommended Reading If you want to continue exploring this subject more deeply, you can see which books I recommend by clicking here.