Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Electric Ark of the Covenant?

I learned about this by watching obscure google videos as I packed. In Exodus 25:10-28 God tells Moses how to build the Ark: make a wooden box and cover it on the inside and outside by separate sheets of gold. Gold is an excellent electrical conductor. Dry wood is an insulator. This setup would create a capacitor that could be charged by surrounding static electricity.












Static electricity is common to a desert environment, and the tabernacle that housed the Ark would create even more of it. God told the Israelites to build the tabernacle out of goat's hair (i.e. wool), linen, and leather (all flapping around in the wind).

This idea explains why the Ark killed so many people who touched it. They were electrocuted! (2 Sameul 6: 6-7) (Leviticus 10:1&2). Ben Franklin was knocked unconscious by a handheld jar of similar construction. Imagine the shock from something as big as the Ark (about the size of a casket).

But here's the most interesting part: each of the two cherubim (angels) on the lid could be attached to a different gold panel. What would this do? The wings of the angels were built to sweep over the the ark and point towards each other. Whenever a large enough charge built up, a corona discharge would take place in the gap between the two wings. This discharge would look like a glowing cloud. Which is exactly how Exodus describes God's presence. Where does it say the presence dwelt? Between the outstretched wings of the cherubim.











I don't believe that this could be the source of the enduring Judeo-Christian religion, but wow! What fertile ground for imagination.

2 comments:

Amanda, Ben and Harper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amanda, Ben and Harper said...

I'm impressed. Clearly God is not, though. Now board up your windows, before Edouard makes landfall.

-Amanda