ARK OF THE COVENANT, ARE OF TEE TESTIMONY, or ARK OF JETIOITAIE, one of the most important parts of the furniture of the tabernacle. which, by divine direction, the Israelites constructed in the wilderness, and afterwards of the temple built by Solo mon at Jerusalem. A description of it is to be found in Exodus xxv., in the command given to Moses for its construction; and also in Exodus xxxvii., from which it appears that it was a chest. of shittim-wood (very generally supposed to be the wood of a species of acacia, but by some regarded as more probably that of the wild-olive), overlaid with gold within and without, two cubits and a half in length, one cubit and a half in breadth and in height—that is, according to the common estimate of the length of the cubit, 3 ft. 9 in. in length, and 2 ft. 3 in. in breadth and height—the lid being formed entirely of pure gold, with a crown or raised border of gold round about. Within the ark was deposited the " testimony," consisting of " the two tables of the law," i.e., the stone tablets upon which the ten commandments were inscribed. The golden lid of the ark was called the Mercy seat or propitiatory, and above it were the cherubints (q.v.). made of the same piece of gold with it, and between them was the place of the Shedzinah or manifestation of the divine presence. The ark had also golden rings, through which passed staves of shittim-wood, overlaid with gold, for carrying it. in the journeyings of the Israelites, concerning which very particular rules were laid down (see Nmhbers iv.). Whilst being carried from one place to another, it was covered first with a "covering of badgers' skins," and above this with "a cloth wholly of blue;" and in the tabernacle and temple it was put into the "most holy place," into which the high-priest alone was to enter upon the " day of atonement." The ark was called the A. of the C., because it was the appointed symbol
of the presence of God as the God of Israel, and of his covenant with his people. The things of the Jewish dispensation being regarded as typical, and the Jewish religion as essentially one with the Christian, the ark is commonly regarded as a type of Christ; the excellency and unchangeableness of the moral law, as indicated by the place assigned to it within the ark, which, however, sprinkled with the blood of typical sacrifice, was interposed between it and men, who, having transgressed it, were exposed to its curse; add the mercy-seat, in like manner sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice, was interposed, as it were, between the law and God, who is represented in the Old Testament as " dwelling between the cherubims," and thence shining forth as the God of mercy, favor able to his worshipers. A complete harmony is thus made out between these Old Testa ment types and Christian theology—It is worthy also of notice that sacred arksnr chests have been connected with the worship of various heathen nations, and have been placed as the most sacred things in the innermost parts of the temple, which only the priests Were permitted to enter. The relation of these to the ark of the Jews has been the sub ject of much learned inquiry, but has not yet received thorough and satisfactory elucida tion.—The ark appears not to have been brought hack from Babylon, and so never to have been in the second temple. No figure of it appears among the sacred vessels of the temple represented on the arch of Titus.