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The Divine Blueprint of the Ark

TANAKH

The Ark of the Covenant, with its intricate design and divine specifications, symbolizes the profound connection between the Israelites and God. The Torah provides detailed instructions for constructing the Ark, including its dimensions, materials, and decorative elements, emphasizing its sacred significance.

They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold—overlay it inside and out—and make upon it a gold molding round about.

Exodus 25:10-11

The Hidden Ark

MISHNAH

The divine intervention that prevented the priest from revealing the location of the Ark indicates that its concealment was under God's protection. The Mishnah, a foundational text of Jewish oral tradition, discusses the sanctity and mystery surrounding the Ark of the Covenant.

The mishna relates that there was an incident involving a certain priest who was going about his duties and saw a certain flagstone that was different from the others. He noticed that one of the stones was slightly raised above the others, indicating that it had been removed and returned to its place. The priest understood that this was the opening to an underground tunnel where the Ark was concealed. He came and said to his fellow that he had noticed this deviation in the floor…

Mishnah Shekalim 6:2

The Concealment and Future Restoration of the Holy Ark

MIDRASH

King Josiah concealed the Holy Ark and other sacred objects in anticipation of the Temple's destruction, with the belief that they will be restored by the prophet Elijah in the Messianic era. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, weaves together a vast array of Jewish folklore and biblical stories into a continuous narrative.

When the imminent destruction of the Temple was announced to King Josiah, he concealed the Holy Ark, and with it also the vessel with manna, as well as the jug filled with sacred oil, which was used by Moses for anointing the sacred implements, and other sacred objects. In the Messianic time the prophet Elijah will restore all these concealed objects.

Legends of the Jews 3:1:102

Divine Retribution for Capturing the Sacred Object

SECOND TEMPLE

The Philistines faced severe divine punishment after capturing the sacred Ark, enduring physical afflictions and calamities until they were compelled to return it. Josephus, in his first-century historical account, narrates the biblical story of the Ark's capture and the ensuing divine retribution detailed in 1 Samuel 5-6.

The Destruction That Came Upon The Philistines, And Upon Their Land, By The Wrath Of God On Account Of Their Having Carried The Ark Away Captive; And After What Manner They Sent It Back To The Hebrews.
1. When the Philistines had taken the ark of the Hebrews captive, as I said a little before, they carried it to the city of Ashdod, and put it by their own god, who was called Dagon, (1) as one of their spoils; but when they went into his temple the next morning to worship their god, they found him paying the same worship to the ark, for he lay along…

The Antiquities of the Jews 6:1:1

The Perils of Capturing the Ark

COMMENTARY

The Philistines' victory and subsequent suffering were orchestrated by God, highlighting the divine power and the dangers of possessing the Ark outside of Israel. The Book of Samuel, part of the Nevi'im (Prophets) in the Hebrew Bible, recounts the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines and the divine retribution that followed.

As if to stress that the Philistines’ victory in the previous chapter was the doing of God and not strictly the result of their own military prowess, the text follows the Coffer to the Philistine town of Ashdod, where it becomes clear that possessing it brings danger. In passages that express the Bible’s usual contempt for pagan culture, the very statue of the Philistine god Dagon is mysteriously destroyed by the Coffer’s presence, and the inhabitants, first, of Ashdod, and then of Gat, are stricken with hemorrhoids to the point that their “cry-for-help went up to the heavens” (v.12)…

The Early Prophets, by Everett Fox, Samuel, Part I; The Last Judges; Eli and Shemuel, The Philistines and the Coffer 2

The Exile of the Sacred Chest

TALMUD

The fate of the sacred chest has been a subject of intrigue and mystery for centuries. In the Gemara, Rabbi Eliezer supports the opinion that the chest was exiled to Babylonia, using scriptural evidence to back his claim.

The Gemara comments: And this opinion that the Ark was exiled to Babylonia disagrees with that of Ulla, as Ulla said: Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash asked Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai in Rome: And since Rabbi Eliezer taught us once and twice, i.e., from two separate verses, that the Ark was exiled to Babylonia. The Gemara interrupts its citation of Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash’s question to identify these two verses. The first verse is that which we said: “And brought him to Babylonia, along with the precious vessels of the House of the Lord…

Yoma 53b:17

The Ark in the Temple of Dagon

TANAKH

The Philistines captured the Ark of God and placed it in the temple of their god, Dagon, in Ashdod. The book of Samuel I recounts the dramatic events surrounding the Ark of God, including its capture by the Philistines and the subsequent consequences.

When the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod. The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon and they set it up beside Dagon.

I Samuel 5:1-2

The Hidden Sacred Artifact

JEWISH THOUGHT

The sacred ark was hidden before the First Temple's destruction and was absent in the Second Temple to prevent it from being exiled again. Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller, in his commentary, explores the prophetic vision of King Yoshiyahu and the spiritual significance of the artifact's fate.

The Ark was entombed prior to the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash, because King Yoshiyahu had a prophetic vision that the Beis HaMikdash would be destroyed. The Ark was not present in the Second Beis HaMikdash, because it too was destined to be destroyed because of our sins. There are other Sages who maintain that the Ark was not entombed, but taken in captivity to Babylon. This opinion is based on the prophecy, “Nothing shall remain,” i.e., not even the Tablets, as stated in Tractate Yoma…

The Third Beit HaMikdash 60:2

The Reverence Due to the Ark

TALMUD

The men of Beit Shemesh were punished for their lack of reverence and disrespectful words towards the Ark. The Talmudic tractate Sotah discusses the return of the Ark by the Philistines and the subsequent punishment of the men of Beit Shemesh.

§ When the Philistines returned the Ark during the period of Samuel, it is stated: “And He smote of the men of Beit Shemesh because they had gazed upon the Ark of the Lord” (I Samuel 6:19). The Gemara asks: Because they gazed upon it, God smote them? Why did their action warrant this punishment? Rabbi Abbahu and Rabbi Elazar disagreed with regard to the interpretation of the verse. One says that they were punished because they were reaping their crops and prostrating themselves at the same time; they did not stop working in reverence for the Ark…

Sotah 35a:23-35b:1

A Plea for Divine Intervention

LITURGY

The historical rescue of the Ark from the Philistines serves as a powerful metaphor for seeking divine intervention and salvation in contemporary times. The Hosha'anot prayers, recited during Sukkot, are supplications for salvation, traditionally performed while circling the synagogue's bimah with the Four Species.

Like You saved the wonders of the ark when it was sullied, He distraught Philistia with burning anger and it was saved, so too please save!

Siddur Ashkenaz, Festivals, Sukkot, Hosha'anot, Fifth Day of Sukkot 36

The Levites and the Ark

MUSAR

The intense desire and competition among the Levites to carry the Ark highlights the great reward associated with this task and the resulting Divine retribution due to their lightheaded behavior. In his 18th-century ethical masterpiece, Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto delves into the spiritual and ethical lessons derived from the Levites' behavior regarding the Ark.

Likewise our sages, of blessed memory, said regarding the Levites: "because they knew that whoever carries the Ark merits great reward, they abandoned the Shulchan, Menorah and Altars, and all ran to the Ark to gain reward. Then, this person argued saying 'I will carry it from here' and that person argued saying 'I will carry it from here' until they came to lightheadedness and the Divine presence would hit them..." (Midrash Raba 5:1).

Mesillat Yesharim 20:16

The Torah in the Ark

HALAKHAH

Moses personally transcribed the entire Torah before his death and placed a Torah scroll in the Ark as a testimonial. In his 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides emphasizes the importance of the Torah's transmission and preservation.

Moses, our teacher, personally transcribed the entire Torah before he died. He gave a Torah scroll to each tribe and placed another scroll in the ark as a testimonial, as [Deuteronomy 31:26] states: "Take this Torah scroll and place it [beside the ark…] and it will be there as a testimonial."

Mishneh Torah, Transmission of the Oral Law 2

Crossing the Jordan with the Ark

TANAKH

The miraculous event of the Jordan River stopping its flow underscores the divine intervention and sanctity of the Ark of the Covenant. The Book of Joshua recounts the moment when the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant crossed the Jordan River, causing the waters to halt and allowing the Israelites to pass.

“Command the priests who bear the Ark of the Pact to come up out of the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” As soon as the priests who bore the Ark of GOD’s Covenant came up out of the Jordan, and the feet of the priests stepped onto the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over its entire bed as before.

Joshua 4:16-18

David's Faith and the Sacred Object

TANAKH

In the biblical narrative of Samuel II, King David's faith and submission to God's will are demonstrated through his instructions regarding the Ark of the Covenant. In II Samuel 15:25, David instructs Zadok to return the sacred Ark to Jerusalem, expressing his hope that if he finds favor with the LORD, he will be brought back to see it again.

But the king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor with the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see it and its abode.

II Samuel 15:25

Bezalel's Sacred Craft

KABBALAH

Bezalel's unique role in crafting the sacred Ark highlights his special status and the reverence shown to him by his companions. The Zohar, a central work of Jewish mysticism, delves into the esoteric aspects of the Torah, including the significance of Bezalel's craftsmanship.

It is written here: “And Bezalel made the ark.” Why did the wise men who made the Tabernacle not make the ark as well? The reason is that Bezalel represented the final part of the body, the symbol of the holy covenant which he kept pure, and hence it was his part to make the ark, which was, as it were, his own portion. ‘ All the Companions then came near and kissed R. Abba.

Zohar, Vayakhel 27:390

The High Priest's Sacred Duties

TOSEFTA

The High Priest's precise actions in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur were crucial for the atonement of the entire nation of Israel. The Tosefta Yoma provides a detailed account of the High Priest's rituals, including the placement of Temple furnishings and the handling of incense and the Ark.

He entered and walked inside the Heichal until he stood between the gold Altar and the candelabra, and the Altar was in front of him. The Table was placed in the northern third of the Temple. removed from the wall by two and a half amot. The gold Altar was in the middle between them, opposite two of the poles of the Ark, and removed [from the wall], facing the Altar, and everything was placed from the [inner] half of the Temple and inward. He walks to the Heichal before he arrives between the two Curtains which divide the Holy from the Holy of Holies, and between them was an amah…

Tosefta Yoma 2:11

The Evolution of the Temple

GUIDES

The Temple's evolution from the Tent of Meeting to its final form, especially the Holy of Holies, symbolizes the profound presence of God in Jewish worship. The Babylonian Talmud, in its introduction to Tractate Yoma, explores the Temple's structure and significance, particularly during the Yom Kippur service. Central to the Temple is the Holy of Holies ("Dvir"), where the Ark of the Covenant resides beneath the covering and cherubim, symbolizing God's presence in the world.

Practically speaking, the structure of the Temple was most complex, to enable it to fulfill its numerous roles. However, its general blueprint was already found in the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness. The two Temples, the First Temple and the Second Temple, were greater than the Tent of Meeting only in terms of their size and complexity. The epicenter of the Temple was the Holy of Holies, in which the Ark of the Covenant was located. On it were the Ark cover and the cherubs, symbolizing God's seat within mundane worldly existence…

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Yoma, Introduction to Yoma 6

Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle, James Tissot, 1896-1902

Relatedראו גם

The Ark Cover and the Cherubs

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