According to the Tanakh, the Ark of the Covenant was built by Moses and the Isrealites while they were at Mount Sinai. The Ark stored the tablets of the Ten Commandments that G-d had given to Moses, The Ark was a box with the dimensions of two-and-a-half cubits in length, by one-and-a-half cubits in height, by one-and-a-half cubits in width (a cubit is about 18 inches). It was made out of wood with gold plating inside and out. Rings were attached onto it so poles could be put in it and people could carry it. On top of the Ark were two gold cherubs facing each other. It was the duty of four Priests from the tribe of Levite to carry the Ark.
Soon after the Jews returned to the promised land, the Ark was placed in the Temple of Solomon. There it stayed untill the Babylonians later attacked Jerusalem, stole its treasures and exiled the people to Babylonia. However the Babylonians did not take the Ark, it had vanished. Some say that priests had taken the Ark and hidden it in Ethiopia. The Ark may have been hidden under the Temple Mount in one of the many tunnels and caves, although no one is sure what happened to the Ark.
- A Midrash says that the cherubs on top of the ark would face each other when there was peace between the Jews. However, if there was fighting, the cherubs would face away from each other.