ARK, Noah’s, a floating vessel built by Noah, for the preservation of his family, and the several species of animals, during the deluge. The ark has afforded several points of curious inquiry relating to its form, capacity, materials, &c. The wood of which it was built is called in the Hebrew gopher wood, and in the Septuagint square timbers. Some translate the original cedar, others pine, others box, &c. Pelletier prefers cedar, on account of its incorruptibility and the great plenty of it in Asia. Fuller and Bochart contend that it was built of what the Greeks call w t ιrαp0Gοζ, or the cypress tree ; for, taking away the termination, hupar and gopher differ very little in sound. In what place Noah built and finished his ark is no less a matter of disputation; but the most general opinion is, that it was built in Chaldea, in the territories [7:3:568]of Babylon. Its dimensions, as given by Moses, are 300 cubits in length, 50 in breadth, and 30 in height; which 'some have thought too scanty, considering the number of things it was to contain; and hence an· argument has been drawn against the authority of the relation. But Buteo and Kircher have shown geometrically, that, taking the common cubit of a foot and a half, the ark was .sufficient for all the animals supposed to be lodged in it. Father Lamy contends that it was 110 feet longer than the church of St Mary at Paris, and 64 feet narrower; and Dr Arbuthnot computes it to have been 81,062 tons. It contained, besides eight persons of Noah’s family, one pair of every species of unclean animals, and seven pair of every species of clean animals, with provisions for them all during the whole year. By the description Moses gives of the ark, it appears to have been divided into three stories, each ten cubits or 15 feet high; and it is agreed on, as most probable, that the lowest story was for the beasts, the middle for the food, and the upper for the birds, with Noah and his family.

Ark of the Covenant, a small chest or coffer, three feet nine inches in length, two feet three inches in breadth, and two feet three inches in height, in which were contained the golden pot that held manna, and Aaron’s rod, and the tables of the covenant. This coffer was made of shittim-wood, and covered with a lid, which was made of solid gold. The ark was reposited in the holiest place of the tabernacle. It was taken by the Philistines, and detained 20, some say 40 years, at Kirjath-jearim; but the people being afflicted with emerods on account of it, returned it with divers presents. It was afterwards placed in the temple. The lid or covering of the ark was called the propitiatory or mercy-seat ; over which were two figures placed called cherubims, with expanded wings of a peculiar form. Here the Schechinah rested both in the tabernacle and temple in a visible cloud, hence were issued the Divine oracles by an audible voice; and the high priest appeared before this mercy-seat once every year, on the great day of expiation; and the Jews, where-ever they worshipped, turned their faces towards the place where the ark stood. In the second temple there was also an ark, made of the same shape and dimensions with the first, and put in the same place, but without any of its contents and peculiar honours. It was used as a representative of the former on the day of expiation, and as a repository of the original copy of the Holy Scriptures, collected by Ezra and the men of the great synagogue, after the captivity.