Ark of Covenant Enters Finished Temple

King Solomon finishes a massive seven-year construction project around 957 b.c. He immediately transfers vast quantities of silver and gold into the permanent treasury. He summons national leaders to Jerusalem for the annual autumn harvest festival. The men prepare to move their most important cultural artifact into its permanent home.

The Levites carefully carry the wooden chest from the lower city up to Mount Moriah. They sacrifice thousands of sheep and cattle along the paved stone route. Priests transport the chest into the innermost sanctuary of the massive stone complex. This dark interior room measures exactly 30 feet long and 30 feet wide. Two large wooden statues stand directly above the newly placed historical artifact. Their carved wings span 15 feet across the width of the unlit chamber.

The carrying poles of the chest remain clearly visible from the main hall. Workers leave these long wooden shafts permanently resting in their exact place. The chest contains nothing except two ancient stone tablets from Mount Sinai. Moses placed those heavy stone slabs inside the box several centuries earlier. The attending priests eventually exit the sacred room after securing the heavy artifact.

Praise the God of Israel, because he is good and his loyal love continues forever.

A large choir of musicians stands at the east side of the bronze altar. One hundred and twenty priests blow loud metal trumpets in perfect unison. They sing a unified song of gratitude to the God of Israel. A thick physical cloud suddenly fills the interior of the entire stone building. The priests cannot continue their work because the glory of the Almighty overwhelms the space.