ark of the covenant

ark of the covenant
ark (def. 2).

* * *

In Judaism and Christianity, the ornate, gold-plated wooden chest that in biblical times housed the two tablets of the Law given to Moses by God.

The Levites carried the Ark during the Hebrews' wandering in the wilderness. Following the conquest of Canaan, it was kept at Shiloh but was sometimes carried into battle by the Israelites. David took it to Jerusalem, and Solomon placed it in the Temple of Jerusalem, where it rested in the Holy of Holies and was seen only by the high priest on Yom Kippur. It is believed to have been captured when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, and its subsequent fate is unknown.

* * *

Hebrew  Aron Ha-berit,  

      in Judaism and Christianity, the ornate, gold-plated wooden chest that in biblical times housed the two tablets of the Law given to Moses by God. The Ark rested in the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem and was seen only by the high priest of the Israelites on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

      The Levites (priestly functionaries) carried the Ark with them during the Hebrews' wanderings in the wilderness. Following the conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Ark resided at Shiloh, but from time to time it was carried into battle by the Israelites. Taken to Jerusalem by King David, it was eventually placed in the Temple by King Solomon. The final fate of the Ark is unknown.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ark of the Covenant — The Ark of the Covenant (). Rashi and some Midrashim suggest that there were two arks a temporary one made by Moses, and a later one made by Bezalel.Hertz 1936] The Biblical account relates that during the trip of the Israelites, the Ark was… …   Wikipedia

  • Ark of the Covenant — • A kind of chest, measuring two cubits and a half in length, a cubit and a half in breadth, and a cubit and a half in height Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Ark of the Covenant     Ark of the Covenant …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • ARK OF THE COVENANT — (Heb. אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית, אֲרוֹן הָעֲדוּת (aron ha berit, aron ha [i]ʿedut[/i]), the chest which stood in the Holy of Holies, and in which the tables of the covenant were kept. Designations The modifying phrases qualifying the word ark are numerous …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Ark of the Covenant —    The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony (Testament) and the Ark of the Lord (God), was considered the dwelling place of God by the Israelites. The Ark was a chest (approximately 28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 46… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Ark of the Covenant — Ark Ark ([aum]rk), n. [OE. ark, arke, arche, AS. arc, earc, earce, fr. L. arca, fr. arcere to inclose, keep off; akin to Gr. arkei^n to keep off.] 1. A chest, or coffer. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Bearing that precious relic in an ark. Spenser. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ark of the covenant — n. the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, kept in the holiest part of the ancient Jewish Tabernacle: Ex. 25:10 …   English World dictionary

  • Ark of the Covenant, the — a chest in the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem containing the stones on which the Ten Commandments were written. The Temple and the Ark of the Covenant were destroyed in the 6th century b.c …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • (the) Ark of the Covenant — the Ark of the Covenant UK US a chest in the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem containing the stones on which the Ten Commandments were written. The Temple and the Ark of the Covenant were destroyed in the 6th century bc . Thesaurus:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ark of the covenant — ark′ of the cov′enant n. jud ark 2) …   From formal English to slang

  • Ark of the Covenant — Ark of the Cov|e|nant n [singular] a box containing the laws of the Jewish religion that represented to the Jews the ↑presence of God …   Dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”