The Israelite Ark of the Covenant was a sacred object constructed by Moses based on a design revealed by God.  The Book of Exodus explains its dimensions were about 4 1/2 feet in length by 2 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet high.  It was made of Shittim wood and overlaid with gold.  It had a metal ring on each corner through which two long wooden poles, also covered with gold, were placed, to carry the Ark.

The Ark had representations of two Cherubim (angels) on the lid or cover.  In the tabernacle, a portable temple, God is said to have stood on the Ark between the two angels (cherubim) when he spoke to Moses.

The Ark was instrumental in the overthrow of Jericho, when the walls of that city were leveled by miraculous means.  The Ark was instrumental in other military conquests.  When it was captured by the Philistines, after seven months of plagues, tumors and other misfortune, the Philistines returned the Ark to Israel. The Ark was known and described during the reigns of King David and King Solomon.  In our next episode, how the Ark was lost and what may have become of it.