Journeys of the Ark and Tabernacle (A Timeline)

An Appendix to Beholding the Beauty of Yahweh (Psalm 27:4-6)

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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Locations of the ark and tabernacle from 1070 to 959 BC.

Locations of the ark and tabernacle from about 1070 BC when the ark is captured, until 959 BC when Solomon's Temple is dedicated. Pink dots indicate places the ark went after capture by the Philistines. Green dots indicate locations of the tabernacle. Larger map.

Dating from the time of the Conquest up through the ministry of Samuel and the reign of Saul is only approximate. Dates get much more accurate when we come to David's and Solomon's reigns.³² Here are some dates to help you understand what happens with the Tabernacle and the Ark in the period 1070 to 959 BC.

Ark and tabernacle are placed in Shiloh under Joshua after the Conquest, early date 1400 BC; late date 1220 BC.
Ark is taken by the Philistines at Battle of Aphek (1 Samuel 6:1) about 1080/1070 BC, kept in Philistia for 7 months.
Shiloh is destroyed (Jeremiah 7:12). The tabernacle and altar are moved to Nob, probably shortly after Battle of Aphek.
Ark is returned to Beth-Shemesh and remained in Beth-Shemesh for a few weeks.
Ark is moved to house of Abinadab at Kiriath-jearim.³³
Saul begins to reign, perhaps about 1050 BC.
Nob is destroyed by Saul (1 Samuel 21-22). The tabernacle and altar are moved from Nob to Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29; 1 Kings 3) perhaps 1015 BC.
David reigns over Judah in Hebron, 1010-1003 BC.
David reigns over both Judah and Israel (1003-970 BC). Then he takes Jerusalem from the Jebusites and makes it his capital city about 1000 BC (2 Samuel 5:6-10).
The ark is moved from Kiriath-jearim to the house of Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:11), which is located somewhere between Kiriath-jearim and Jerusalem), about 1000 BC.
The ark is moved to tent David pitches for it in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12-23) 3 months later, about 1000 BC.
Solomon reigns over the United Kingdom, 970-930 BC.
Solomon's Temple is dedicated; the ark and the place of sacrifice finally united. The place of sacrifice removed from Gibeon to the Temple (1 Kings 6:37-38) 959 BC.
The tabernacle is moved to Jerusalem, presumably with the bronze altar, etc. about 959 BC. "They brought up the ark of the Lord and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it." (1 Kings 8:4). After this there is no more word about their location or final disposition.
When Solomon's Temple is destroyed in 587 BC, many objects from the temple are taken as plunder to Babylon, but there is no mention of the ark in these lists (2 Kings 24:13; 25:13-17; Daniel 1:2; 5:1-3). Later, some items are returned and placed in the Second Temple (Ezra 5:14; 6:5). We have no Bible information or other factual knowledge of the ark's final disposition.

End Notes

References and Abbreviations

[32] The key date for establishing dates in this period is Pharoah Shishak's invasion in the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign (1 Kings 14:25), about 926 BC (John N. Oswalt, "Chronology of the Old Testament," ISBE 1:681; K. A. Kitchen, "Chronology," DOTHB, p. 183). If you take the length of Saul's and David's reigns as a literal 40 years each (Acts 13:21; 1 Samuel 13:1), then Saul's reign probably began about 1050 BC and David's reign over Judah began about 1010 BC.

[33] The ark stayed in Kiriath-Jearim for 20 years before the Mizpah revival under Samuel (1 Samuel 7:2). Then it remained for the rest of Saul's reign until a few years into David's reign in Jerusalem.

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