When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai in what scholars believe to be 1400 B.C., he also received instructions for building the Ark in which they were to be contained. In terms of modern measurement, a cubit was about 18 inches. These manifestations were said to take the form of a glowing cloud, sparking between the outstretched wings of the cherubim.
Priests kneel before the Ark.
The Hebrews left Sinai bearing the Holy Ark and began their desert wandering. It was believed that the Ark was literally God's presence on Earth and that it served as a focal point for their worship. The Old Testament describes the Israelites carrying the Ark before them during their desert wanderings. But the power of the Ark could not be taken for granted.