The Truth About The Ark Of The Covenant's Powers
Few Biblical objects have been held as sacred as the Ark of the Covenant. The hunt for this mysterious and supposedly powerful object has been taken up by many explorers throughout the centuries, but it's never been found. (Or has it?) Maybe it's hidden deep within the Vatican; maybe it never existed in the first place. It doesn't matter. The Judeo-Christian antiquity has managed to permeate western culture regardless of its verified existence. Indiana Jones tussled with Nazis in search of the artifact in 1981 in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Storybook heroes and biblical archaeologists alike have ventured to find this missing piece of religious history, but why? What's so special about the Ark?
According to Judeo-Christian lore, the Ark of the Covenant is an ornate box that houses the tablets of the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by God himself. They're the rules from the Old Testament by which humanity is supposed to live. But that's not all. It's believed by many that this gilded trove holds powers that could destroy entire nations.
That's one powerful box you got there
The Bible has some interesting things to say about the Ark of the Covenant. According to the Abide in Christ website, the Ark wasn't just a box holding the Ten Commandments; it was also the Mercy Seat, where God would meet and judge souls. That's two holy objects smashed into one. It's holy enough to grant men power if they ever get their hands on it. Terrifying power.
The Ark, as explained by the Old Testament's Book of Joshua, was the object which Moses's people used to split the Jordan River so he and the Israelites could pass through in safety. This wasn't the famed parting of the Red Sea, but rather a smaller, second, water-bending feat. The Israelites also carried the Ark around the walls of Jericho every day for six days. Like the song says, as a result, the walls "came a-tumblin' down."
We see in Raiders of the Lost Ark that the Ark is a dangerous object. In the film, the Nazi jerks get their faces melted off when they peer inside the mystical box. Biblically speaking, this portrayal is on point. In the Book of Samuel, the people of Beth-shemesh looked upon the Ark, like any curious person would, and met a strikingly similar fate. All 50,000-70,000 of them. So, like, don't touch.