Biblical Hebrew Forum

[MarianneLuban AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/16/2004 2:04:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
peterkirk AT qaya.org writes:


> >... the type of ark described in the Torah made by 
> >Bezalel et al, conforms exactly to the type of portable shrine seen during 
> the 
> >New Kingdom, (beginning with the 18th Dynasty) in which effigies of the 
> gods 
> >were transported. ...
> >
> 
> David Rohl ("From Eden to Exile" p.201) states that "It was designed in 
> the form of an Egyptian robing box, countless numbers of which Bezalel 
> had made during his time as a slave in the royal workshops of Avaris. 
> The one difference was that this box was portable..." Are such boxes in 
> fact attested from the 13th dynasty or earlier?
> 

Hmmm...maybe the ark was really built to hold the "coat of many colors" 
(after a thorough dry-cleaning) and then put into service as a shrine.  Maybe 
Rohl 
found a statue of Bezalel at Avaris, too, and that's why he knows so much 
about him--when nobody else knows a blessed thing about the man except that 
he was 
apparently a master-craftsman.  Sure--the Egyptians always had boxes, but you 
can believe me when I tell you the ark, as described in the Torah is no 
clothes chest--but a shrine.  Or, don't believe me.  As you choose.  I have 
seen a 
great many pictures of AE clothes chest--but not a single one that comes even 
close to the description of the ark.  Walter Mattfield--where are you?  Don't 
you have a picture of a typical portable shrine somewhere online?