Ark of the Covenant
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The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is believed to have been the most sacred religious relic of the Israelites. It is described as a wooden chest coated in pure gold and topped off by an elaborate golden lid known as the mercy seat. According to the Book of Exodus and First Book of Kings in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, the Ark contained the Tablets of the Law, by which God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai. According to the Book of Exodus, the Book of Numbers, and the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.
Moses and Joshua bowing before the Ark (c. 1900) by James Tissot
Ark of the Covenant in the Anikova dish, c. 800
Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant by Benjamin West, 1800
Illustration from the 13th-century Morgan Bible of David bringing the Ark into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6)
Israelites
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The Israelites were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
Mid-20th century mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel, from the Etz Yosef synagogue wall in Givat Mordechai, Jerusalem
Model of the Tabernacle constructed under the auspices of Moses, in Timna Park, Israel
The Mount Ebal structure, seen by many archeologists as an early Israelite cultic site
Part of the gift-bearing Israelite delegation of King Jehu, Black Obelisk, 841–840 BCE.