Ark of the Covenant

**The Ark of the Covenant** known more simply as **The Ark** or **the Lost Ark** is a biblical artifact featured in the film *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981).

## Description

The Ark of the Covenant is a gold-gilded wooden chest containing the Ten Commandments. Supposedly due to its connection to the Abrahamic God, the ark released the power of god when opened and destroyed those who attempted to view it.

## History

### Indiana Jones

The Ark of the Covenant is a Hebrew artifact said to have been created to carry the Ten Commandments. In 980 BC, the Ark was stolen by Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt who had it hidden in the Well of Souls within the city of Tanis. The only map to the ark was through a chamber containing a model replica of Tanis which would show the location of the Well of Souls if the Staff of Ra was placed within at the right time of day to shine a light on the model.

In the 1930s, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler became obsessed with acquiring paranormal artifacts to use as nazi super-weapons. In 1936, he contracted evil archaeologist René Emile Belloq to assist him in searching for the ark. The US government recruited their own archaeologist Indiana Jones to seek after the ark as his late mentor Abner Ravenwood was well versed on the subject. Jones reunited with Abner's daughter and his own past flame Marion Ravenwood who possessed the headpiece to the Staff of Ra in order to travel to Tanis and find the Ark.

Belloq and the nazis cheated Jones and his allies to steal the ark first and take it to their secret base of *Geheimhaven* near Crete. Jones stowed away aboard their submarine, however and reclaimed the ark after the nazis opened it and were destroyed by the power of the Hebrew God. While Jones believed the ark believed in a museum, the US government intercepted and stowed it away within Hangar 51, Nevada to be studied as a weapon.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

The ark is alluded to within the Temple of the Forbidden Eye by a crate labelled, "*9906753*". However, this crate likely does not contain the ark as the attraction takes place before the events of *Raiders of the Lost Ark*.

### Jungle Cruise

The crate containing the ark appeared in Disneyland's Jungle Cruise during Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries. The crate appeared in the Congo basin, nearby the Congo Base Camp and next to the Kejo the Silverback. In the backstory for this overlay, Jones accidentally left the crate in the jungle while on one of his adventures.

### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

There is a sack in Trader Sam's bar which reads, "IF LOST ARK CONTACT: 2989".

## Other appearances

### Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities

The ark makes a cameo within Dok-Ondar's shop in Black Spire Outpost, incidentally nearby the headdress of Mola Ram.

### Great Movie Ride

The Ark appeared in the Raiders of the Lost Ark segment of this attraction, being taken by Sallah and Indiana Jones. The ark also appeared within the queue as an artifact of the Chinese Theatre.

## Trivia

* The ark appearing in Galaxy's Edge mirrors how in Star Wars, the Twi'lek aliens of Ryloth had their own ark modelled after that from Indiana Jones.
* Ram's headdress and the lost ark appearing in Black Spire Outpost connects to a popular fan-theory that many of the magical artifacts in Indiana Jones are actually science-fiction technology and force-sensitive artifacts from the *Star Wars* galaxy.

## References

1. ↑ http://disneylanddiva.blogspot.com/2008/09/indiana-jones-and-summer-of-hidden.html
2. ↑ https://i2.wp.com/www.tikicalifornia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/trader-sams\_010.jpg?ssl=1
3. ↑ https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/star-wars-galaxys-edge-major-hidden-indiana-jones-easter-eggs/