Ark of the Covenant facts for kids
The Ark of the Covenant is a special holy box described in the Bible. It was believed to hold important items for the ancient Israelites, like the Ten Commandments.
According to the Bible, God told Moses how to build the Ark while Moses was on Mount Sinai. This story is found in the Book of Exodus. Some people think the Ark also held Aaron's Rod (a special staff), a jar of Manna (food from heaven), and the first Torah Scroll written by Moses. However, the first Book of Kings says that by the time of King Solomon, the Ark only contained the Ten Commandments.
What's in a Name?
The Hebrew word for "ark" is aron, which just means a box or chest. To show how special it was, the Bible calls it names like "Ark of God" or "Ark of the Covenant." "Covenant" means a special agreement or promise.
You might also hear about an "Ark" in a Jewish Synagogue. This is called an aron kodesh, meaning "holy cupboard." It's a special cabinet that holds the holy Torah scrolls. These scrolls are written by hand and can take many years to complete. The aron kodesh always faces towards Jerusalem. When the Ark is opened and the Torah scrolls are taken out for reading, everyone stands up to show respect for God.
How the Ark Looked
The Bible describes the Ark of the Covenant as being made from acacia wood, which is a strong type of wood. It was covered all over with pure gold.
The Ark was about 130 centimeters (about 4.3 feet) long and 78 centimeters (about 2.6 feet) wide and high. This size made it a significant and impressive object.
Images for kids
-
The Ark being carried into the Temple.
-
The covered ark and seven priests with rams' horns, at the Battle of Jericho, in an 18th-century artist's depiction.
-
Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant by Benjamin West, 1800.
-
1728 illustration of the Ark at the erection of the Tabernacle and the sacred vessels, as in Exodus 40:17-19.
-
Illustration from the 13th-century Morgan Bible of David bringing the Ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6).
-
The Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum allegedly houses the original Ark of the Covenant.
See also
In Spanish: Arca de la Alianza para niños
