<P> When the Israelites, led by Joshua toward the Promised Land, arrived at the banks of the Jordan river, the Ark was carried in the lead preceding the people and was the signal for their advance (Joshua 3: 3, 6). During the crossing, the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its waters, and remained so until the priests--with the Ark--left the river after the people had passed over (Josh . 3: 15 - 17; 4: 10, 11, 18). As memorials, twelve stones were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood (Josh . 4: 1 - 9). </P> <P> In the Battle of Jericho, the Ark was carried round the city once a day for seven days, preceded by the armed men and seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh . 6: 4 - 15). On the seventh day, the seven priests sounding the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark compassed the city seven times and, with a great shout, Jericho's wall fell down flat and the people took the city (Josh . 6: 16 - 20). After the defeat at Ai, Joshua lamented before the Ark (Josh . 7: 6 - 9). When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they stood on each side of the Ark . We next hear of the Ark in Bethel where it was being cared for by the priest Phineas the grandson of Aaron (Judges 20: 26f, where' Bethel' is translated' the House of God' in the King James Version). According to this verse it was consulted by the people of Israel when they were planning to attack the Benjaminites at the battle of Gibeah . Later, however, the Ark was kept at Shiloh, another religious centre some 10 miles north of Bethel, at the time of the prophet Samuel's apprenticeship (1 Samuel 3: 3), where it was cared for by Hophni and Phinehas, two sons of Eli (1 Samuel 4: 3f). </P> <P> A few years later the elders of Israel decided to take the Ark out onto the battlefield to assist them against the Philistines, after being defeated at the battle of Eben - Ezer (1 Sam . 4: 3 - 11). They were, however, heavily defeated with the loss of 30,000 men . The Ark was captured by the Philistines and Hophni and Phinehas were killed . The news of its capture was at once taken to Shiloh by a messenger "with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head ." The old priest, Eli, fell dead when he heard it; and his daughter - in - law, bearing a son at the time the news of the capture of the Ark was received, named him Ichabod--explained as "The glory has departed Israel" in reference to the loss of the Ark (1 Sam . 4: 12 - 22). The mother of the child Ichabod died at his birth . (1 Sam . 4: 20) </P> <P> The Philistines took the Ark to several places in their country, and at each place misfortune befell them (1 Sam . 5: 1 - 6). At Ashdod it was placed in the temple of Dagon . The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; and on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken . The people of Ashdod were smitten with tumors; a plague of mice was sent over the land (1 Sam . 6: 5). The affliction of boils was also visited upon the people of Gath and of Ekron, whither the Ark was successively removed (1 Sam . 5: 8 - 12). </P>

Where was the ark of the covenant kept in the temple