Tales of the Ark of the Covenant Quiz

Answer: God

In Exodus 19, it is said that the LORD instructed Moses to build the Ark during the forty days he stayed on Mt. Sinai. During that time Moses was told what the Ark should look like, as well as what should be placed inside. It was to be 2½ cubits in length, 1½ in breadth, and 1½ in height (approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in) and plated with gold. Two rings of gold were to be placed on each foot of the Ark to help with carrying the sacred box. Two poles, also adored with gold, were to be placed for carrying the Ark; they were not to be removed.

Although Deuteronomy states that Moses made the Ark by himself, in Exodus two artisans named Bezalel and Oholiab were the builders.

Answer: Acacia

The Ark was to be made with acacia wood, which is also called shittah. The plant grows wild in the Jordan River Valley and Sinai Desert.

Answer: Mercy Seat

The Mercy Seat, or kapporet, was a gold cover that was the same length and width as the Ark. Because the Ark and Mercy Seat were associated with Yahweh, they were to be kept inside the Holy of Holies, which could only be entered on the Day of Atonement by the Jewish High Priest. On the seat he would sprinkle blood from a sacrificial bull in order to atone for the sins of himself, his family, the priests, and all the people of Israel.

Answer: Tabernacle

According to the Bible, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during the forty years of wandering in the desert. During this time it was placed in a sacred tent whenever they made camp, which was called the Tabernacle. Inside the Tabernacle was an inner room, the Holiest of Holies, but there was also an outer chamber where, according to Exodus 25, knobs, flowers, bowls, and a sheet of gold was kept. Parts of the Tabernacle were also made of shittah wood, as was the Ark.

Answer: He used the cherubim on the cover.

Two cherubim, placed on each end, decorated the Mercy Seat. When their wings were spread, they were said to form a seat for God. Representing Z'er Anpin and Malkut, voice and speech, God used the cherubim to speak to Moses, who could hear the voice speaking to him according to Exodus 25.

Answer: The Ten Commandments

In Exodus 25 and 1 Kings 8, it is written that the Tablets of the Law on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments was the only item placed in the Ark. According to Hebrews 9, in the New Testament, however, the Ark also contained Aaron's rod, a jar of manna, and the first Torah scroll written by Moses.

Included in the holy books of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Ten Commandments is believed to give commandments for a righteous life.

Answer: Jordan River

Moses died near the close of the forty years of wandering that took place after the Exodus from Egypt. Joshua became the leader of the Israelites at that time. It is written in Joshua 3, that as the Hebrews were returning to Canaan, the carriers of the Ark led the way; when crossing the Jordan River the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its water and stayed that way until all the people had passed.

Answer: Jericho

In Joshua 6, God commanded Joshua to march his army around the city once each day for six days. The procession was to include the entire army, seven priests blowing ram's horns, and the Ark of the Covenant. "And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout". (Joshua 6:10 ). On day seven, the trumpets and great shouts were enough to bring down the walls of Jericho!

Answer: Philistines

In 1 Samuel 4, the Ark was carried to the battlefield in hopes of securing a Hebrew victory against the Philistines. Instead, it was taken by them; after holding the Ark for seven months, however, the Philistines sent it back! It is written that everywhere the Philistines took the Ark, they were met with some type of misfortune.

The people of Ashdod developed hemorrhoids; a plague of mice infested the land. After the people of Gath and Ekron experienced boils, the Ark was sent back, along with golden images of the tumors and mice that had afflicted them.

Answer: Babylonian Exile

In 587 BC, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Chaldeans under King Nebuchadnezzar, and the Hebrews were marched to Babylon to work on his building projects. During the period of exile, Jews were given a surprising amount of freedom to worship and record their scriptures.

However, they lost their sacred Ark. There is no definitive record of what happened to it; some say it was taken to Babylon, but others say it was safely hidden to protect it from such a fate. Although there are many theories as to the whereabouts of the Ark, none have yielded a discovery.