Re: Some questions about the Ark...IMPORTANT!

Posted by Nick Kismet from ppp-16-pm1-beaverton.spiretech.com on June 17, 1999 at 22:00:34:

In Reply to: Some questions about the Ark...IMPORTANT! posted by ROB T. on June 17, 1999 at 04:02:03:

Sounds like most of the information given has already answered the questions (and even raised a little controversy) Here's my two cents...
The depiction of the Ark, cherubs and all, is more or less accurate, though the scripture suggests the angels wings spread so as to cover the ark, and I thought the wings in the movie were a little small for this.
The rings into which the carrying poles were inserted suggest that they were removable, though, as was pointed out, the poles were not to be removed. When the Ark was in the tabernacle, its poles were actually too long for the Most Holy compartment in which it was kept.
Shishak did invade the temple of Solomon in the time of Rhehoboam, Solomon's son, and the Bible, as well as a temple wall in Karnak attests to his victory. The theft of the Ark is not mentioned, though the Ark is mentioned again in the time of King Josiah, suggesting that, whatever did happen to it, was at a later date than that suggested in the movie.
One posible explanation though is that archaeologists recently discovered other Arks...in this case chests of ivory, which were used for the same purpose in Solomon's temple, and perhaps replaced the missing, original Ark of Gold.
The Ark was present in the seige of Jericho, which culminated in the collapse of that cities impregnable walls, and this may be the mountain levelling event referred to by Indy early in the movie. At one point, a Philistine army captured the Ark, but they were plagued with Boils (possibly the Bubonic plague, although the literal translation of the term "Piles" seems to be hemmerhoids...NK)
I too have heard the gold/giant battery theory, but since there was only one recorded instance of someone touching the Ark and dying, and most of the other phenomena associated with it seem to have little to do with electricity (and since I am true believer) I think it merely the theory of a skeptic.
As far as the fact that the articles of the covenant not being in the Ark, I do believe (and I will have to research this) that the Staff of Aaron (which was not necessarily the same rod used to deliver the plague) and the jar of Manna placed in the Ark during the wilderness journey of the Hebrews, were removed when they entered the promised land. The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments would have remained in it however.
We can only speculate what might have happened to them during the long years in the Well of Souls.
As is often the case, much of what I have said here may be disputed, but then we are dealing with interpretation of scripture (always of hot topic) and the guesswork about an artifact which has not been seen in centuries, unless of course you believe the claims of that Ethiopian church
: I was reading the Ark theories on this site and I have some questions. Someone in this forum (I don't remember who) said that "Raiders" depiction of the Ark was inaccurate. Is this so?
: I know that the Bible gives very detailed descriptions of how the Ark was to be built; measurements, the angels on top, etc. How closely did Spielberg follow these.
: Does the Bible really speak of the Ark levelling mountains and laying waste to entire regions? Is an army which carries the Ark before it really invincible? And what about Shishak? I know he's in the Bible but could he really have stolen the Ark? Did Tannis ever exist and was it consumed by the desert?

: Lastly, does anyone have a theory about why Belloq found only sand (and death) inside the Ark? Where were the Ten Commandments and Aaron's rod?

: I REALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF!!!

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: Sounds like most of the information given has already answered the questions (and even raised a little controversy)  Here's my two cents...
: The depiction of the Ark, cherubs and all, is more or less accurate, though the scripture suggests the angels wings spread so as to cover the ark, and I thought the wings in the movie were a little small for this.
: The rings into which the carrying poles were inserted suggest that they were removable, though, as was pointed out, the poles were not to be removed. When the Ark was in the tabernacle, its poles were actually too long for the Most Holy compartment in which it was kept.
: Shishak did invade the temple of Solomon in the time of Rhehoboam, Solomon's son, and the Bible, as well as a temple wall in Karnak attests to his victory.  The theft of the Ark is not mentioned, though the Ark is mentioned again in the time of King Josiah, suggesting that, whatever did happen to it, was at a later date than that suggested in the movie.
: One posible explanation though is that archaeologists recently discovered other Arks...in this case chests of ivory, which were used for the same purpose in Solomon's temple, and perhaps replaced the missing, original Ark of Gold.
: The Ark was present in the seige of Jericho, which culminated in the collapse of that cities impregnable walls, and this may be the mountain levelling event referred to by Indy early in the movie.  At one point, a Philistine army captured the Ark, but they were plagued with Boils (possibly the Bubonic plague, although the literal translation of the term "Piles" seems to be hemmerhoids...NK)
: I too have heard the gold/giant battery theory, but since there was only one recorded instance of someone touching the Ark and dying, and most of the other phenomena associated with it seem to have little to do with electricity (and since I am true believer) I think it merely the theory of a skeptic.
: As far as the fact that the articles of the covenant not being in the Ark, I do believe (and I will have to research this) that the Staff of Aaron (which was not necessarily the same rod used to deliver the plague) and the jar of Manna placed in the Ark during the wilderness journey of the Hebrews, were removed when they entered the promised land.  The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments would have remained in it however.
: We can only speculate what might have happened to them during the long years in the Well of Souls.
: As is often the case, much of what I have said here may be disputed, but then we are dealing with interpretation of scripture (always of hot topic) and the guesswork about an artifact which has not been seen in centuries, unless of course you believe the claims of that Ethiopian church
: : I was reading the Ark theories on this site and I have some questions. Someone in this forum (I don't remember who) said that "Raiders" depiction of the Ark was inaccurate. Is this so?
: : I know that the Bible gives very detailed descriptions of how the Ark was to be built; measurements, the angels on top, etc. How closely did Spielberg follow these.
: : Does the Bible really speak of the Ark levelling mountains and laying waste to entire regions? Is an army which carries the Ark before it really invincible? And what about Shishak? I know he's in the Bible but could he really have stolen the Ark? Did Tannis ever exist and was it consumed by the desert?

: : Lastly, does anyone have a theory about why Belloq found only sand (and death) inside the Ark? Where were the Ten Commandments and Aaron's rod?

: : I REALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF!!!

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