Ark Was Hidden Right Before Temple Destruction

Different sources provide radically different theories of what happened to the Ark after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 587 BC. And destroyed they did – following the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonian general Nebuzaradan was specifically tasked with completing its destruction.

The city and Solomon’s Temple were plundered and destroyed, and most of the Judeans were taken by Nebuzaradan into captivity in Babylon, with only a few people permitted to remain to tend to the land.

Archaeological evidence confirms that the city was systematically destroyed by fire. It also indicates that towns close to the kingdom’s western border and small villages in Jerusalem’s near vicinity were destroyed as well.

An ancient Greek version of the biblical third Book of Ezra suggests that Babylonians took away the vessels of the ark of God, but does not mention taking away the Ark. Some rabbis concur that it must have been carried off to Babylon.

I find it totally inconceivable: the Ark of the Covenant and the whole “Jewish channel” of Divine Grace were of such existential importance to the Jewish people that the measures to save them from being captured by the enemy had been taken during the construction of the First Temple.

Solomon, being very, very wise individual undoubtedly foresaw the possibility of Jerusalem falling to its enemies – and constructed essentially an underground “replacement Temple” where the Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Altar of Incense would be relocated in case of an imminent fall of Jerusalem.

The Book of 2 Maccabees 2:4–10, written around 100 B.C. practically confirms that. It states that the prophet Jeremiah, following “being warned by God” before the Babylonian invasion, took the Ark, the Tabernacle, and the Altar of Incense, and buried them in a cave (“replacement Temple” looked like one), saying:

“The place shall remain unknown until God finally gathers his people together and shows mercy to them. The Lord will bring these things to light again, and the glory of the Lord will appear with the cloud, as it was seen both in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the shrine might be worthily consecrated”

Religious rituals were conducted there until the erection of the Second Temple in 516 BC. However, by that time priests got so used to this “replacement temple” that they decided to keep using it instead of the Second Temple. So, the Ark stayed underground (under Holy of Holies of the First Temple) right until Jerusalem was hopelessly besieged again. By the Romans in 70 AD.