<P> According to the Tanakh, Uzzah or Uzza, meaning strength, was an Israelite whose death is associated with touching the Ark of the Covenant . </P> <P> Uzzah was the son of Abinadab, in whose house the men of Kirjath - jearim placed the Ark when it was brought back from the land of the Philistines . With his brother Ahio, he drove the cart on which the ark was placed when David sought to bring it up to Jerusalem . When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah steadied the ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law, and he was immediately killed for his error . David, displeased because the Lord had killed Uzzah, called the place where this occurred Perez - uzzah, which means "to burst out against Uzzah". David was afraid to bring the ark any further, and placed it in the house of Obed - edom the Gittite for three months . The Lord then blessed Obed - edom and David went and brought up the ark of God into the city of David . </P> <P> Uzzah, son of Shimei, a Merarite . </P>

Who was allowed to touch the ark of the covenant