The idea
'If Jesus is the new Moses, then where is the new Ark?' First-century Jews knew what their Temple lacked. The glory cloud had left before the Babylonian destruction (Ezekiel 10–11), and the Ark itself was gone. Two independent witnesses confirm the emptiness: Josephus says of the inmost sanctuary, 'In this there was nothing at all… it was called the Holy of Holies,' and Tacitus reports that when Pompey entered it 'the place was empty and the secret shrine contained nothing.' Jews were waiting 'for the revelation of the location of the Ark and the return of the glory cloud' — and the premise of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pitre notes, is deeply Jewish.
Key verses
- Ezekiel 10:18 — the glory departs the temple.
- 2 Kings 25:13 — Babylon's inventory — no Ark.
- 2 Maccabees 2:4 — Jeremiah hides the Ark until God gathers his people.
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| The lost Ark and the departed glory | → | The Ark's return and the glory's return in Mary |
Luke's Annunciation and Visitation answer a real expectation. Without the empty Holy of Holies in view, the ark allusions in Luke 1 look like curiosities; with it in view, they announce that what Israel was waiting for has come back.