It is guarded day and night by a priest whose only duty is its care. Each new priest is chosen by his predecessor; and henever leaves the chapel precinct.
One of the priests when queried, described as does the Bible. "He cites it as a thing of power"
bttt
Here’s one story I saw on a documentary I saw years ago...
The ark was actually found by Israeli agents during a skirmish with Hamas many years ago. According to “legend”, the ark of the covenant MUST never be touching the ground, and was found hanging near a wall. Mossad SF then carried the ark unto a plane, and the entire trip was carried by the agents STANDING UP with the ark never touching the floor of the plane.
I forgot about the name of the series of this show but I saw it on the Sci Fi channel. Just another story to throw in..
The Lost Ark of the Covenant:
Solving the 2,500 Year Old
Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark
by Tudor Parfitt