The Ark Itself

Posted by DGD from bkcppp200-116.eoni.com on December 18, 1999 at 19:34:02:

In Reply to: Re: Would the world have been better off without Indy? posted by Ultraman Tiga on December 18, 1999 at 03:34:03:

I think to really answer this question, we have to look at the ark in its historical context. It wasn't supposed to be some magical box that would do certain things depending on how it was invoked. It represented God's throne in Israel (by being in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and, later, the tempe) and contained TWO copies (count them) of the Law. Whether the Law in the ark was the entire Law of Moses or just the Ten Commandments is debatable. It contained two copies for a legal reason: one copy belonged to God, the other to Israel, and they signified a vassal agreement between God and Israel: that Israel would act according to the Law, and God would protect them with the Blessings of the Covenant, etc. For practicality, both copies were kept in the Ark.

The Ark does not respond to any invocation, as there is no records of any such invocation in the Bible, or, most likely, in other Hebrew texts. Therefore, Belloq was simply doing his best to be a Hebrew Priest (by wearing the ephod) and open the Ark properly, even though there was no proper way to open the Ark!

In the Bible, the Philistines capture the Ark, and the result is sores and boils on the inhabitants of every town the Ark resides in, until it is sent back to Israel. Some Israelites, when the Ark is returned, look inside and are killed for it (faces melted off? Well... that's just Hollywood).

Therefore, we can assume that the destruction of the Nazis was because they were evil, and did not regard God with full reverence, and, of course, looked in the Ark--just like everyone else who did the same. Therefore, whatever "incantation" Belloq may have tried to utter...would have had the same effect. When the Ark burned out the swastika on the crate, it was already evident that God was not pleased with the Nazis (not surprising....).

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: I think to really answer this question, we have to look at the ark in its historical context.  It wasn't supposed to be some magical box that would do certain things depending on how it was invoked.  It represented God's throne in Israel (by being in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and, later, the tempe) and contained TWO copies (count them) of the Law.  Whether the Law in the ark was the entire Law of Moses or just the Ten Commandments is debatable.  It contained two copies for a legal reason: one copy belonged to God, the other to Israel, and they signified a vassal agreement between God and Israel: that Israel would act according to the Law, and God would protect them with the Blessings of the Covenant, etc.  For practicality, both copies were kept in the Ark.

: The Ark does not respond to any invocation, as there is no records of any such invocation in the Bible, or, most likely, in other Hebrew texts.  Therefore, Belloq was simply doing his best to be a Hebrew Priest (by wearing the ephod) and open the Ark properly, even though there was no proper way to open the Ark!

: In the Bible, the Philistines capture the Ark, and the result is sores and boils on the inhabitants of every town the Ark resides in, until it is sent back to Israel.  Some Israelites, when the Ark is returned, look inside and are killed for it (faces melted off?  Well... that's just Hollywood).

: Therefore, we can assume that the destruction of the Nazis was because they were evil, and did not regard God with full reverence, and, of course, looked in the Ark--just like everyone else who did the same.  Therefore, whatever "incantation" Belloq may have tried to utter...would have had the same effect.  When the Ark burned out the swastika on the crate, it was already evident that God was not pleased with the Nazis (not surprising....).

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