The Ark of the Covenant has long captivated the human imagination, from ancient Jewish worship to modern pop culture, famously through Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet, beyond its legendary status, the Ark serves as a significant biblical and theological cornerstone. In Chapter 3 of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Brant Pitre explores how the Ark prefigures Mary, the mother of Jesus, and how this connection illuminates her unique role in salvation history. This expanded summary will delve deeper into the insights offered in the chapter.
The Ark of the Covenant: A Sacred Chest
The Ark of the Covenant first appears in the book of Exodus as part of God’s instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary where God would dwell among His people. Made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold, the Ark was not merely a chest but a tangible meeting place for God and His people. It housed the Ten Commandments, a golden bowl of manna, and Aaron’s staff that had budded—symbols of God’s covenant and provision (Exodus 25:10–221, Hebrews 9:42).
The Ark was considered so holy that it could not be touched directly. It was carried with golden poles, veiled in a cloth of blue, and overshadowed by the mercy seat, flanked by golden cherubim. The glory cloud, representing God’s presence, would descend upon the Tabernacle, marking the Ark as the focal point of divine interaction (Exodus 40:34–353).
Throughout Israel’s history, the Ark played a central role. It led the Israelites through the wilderness, accompanied them into battle, and brought blessings to those in its presence, such as the household of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6:114). When King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, it became a symbol of God’s dwelling among His people (Psalm 132:85). However, by the time of Jesus, the Ark was missing, leaving the Holy of Holies empty—a stark reminder of its absence and the people’s longing for restoration.
Jesus as the New Moses
Pitre draws attention to the parallels between Moses and Jesus, highlighting Jesus as the inaugurator of a new exodus. Just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Jesus came to lead humanity to a new destination—not the earthly promised land but the heavenly one (Luke 9:316).
Both Moses and Jesus fasted for forty days (Exodus 34:287, Luke 4:1–28), provided miraculous bread for their followers (Exodus 16:1–319, Luke 9:10–1710), and established covenants. Moses forged a covenant with the twelve tribes of Israel, while Jesus established a new covenant with His twelve apostles at the Last Supper (Luke 22:2011). Yet, while Moses’ journey began in Egypt and ended in Canaan, Jesus’ journey began in Jerusalem and culminated in His ascension to heaven, redefining the true promised land as the eternal dwelling with God (Luke 24:50–5112).
If Jesus is the new Moses, Pitre argues, a critical question arises: where is the new Ark of the Covenant, the sacred vessel that accompanied Moses during the first exodus?
Mary as the New Ark
The New Testament offers rich imagery that reveals Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant. Pitre identifies several key parallels between Mary and the Ark, particularly in Luke’s Gospel and the book of Revelation.
The Annunciation: The Return of the Glory Cloud
In Luke’s account of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will “come upon” her and that the “power of the Most High” will “overshadow” her (Luke 1:3513). Pitre links this language to the glory cloud that overshadowed the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, signifying God’s presence descending upon His dwelling place (Exodus 40:34–3514).
The Greek word episkiazō, used in both accounts, underlines the connection. As the glory cloud marked the Ark as the dwelling of God’s presence, so the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing of Mary signifies her as the new Ark, the dwelling place of God in the new exodus. Pitre notes that scholars across traditions—Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic—acknowledge this striking parallel.
The Visitation: A New Davidic Procession
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth further reveals her identity as the new Ark. The narrative in Luke’s Gospel mirrors King David’s procession of the Ark to Jerusalem:
- David “arose and went” to the hill country of Judah to bring the Ark (2 Samuel 6:2), just as Mary “arose and went” to the hill country to visit Elizabeth (Luke 1:3915).
- David danced before the Ark, while John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb upon hearing Mary’s voice (2 Samuel 6:16, Luke 1:44).
- The Ark stayed in the house of Obed-edom for three months, as did Mary in Elizabeth’s house (2 Samuel 6:1116, Luke 1:5617).
These parallels are unlikely to be coincidental. Instead, they reveal Mary as the Ark of the new covenant, carrying within her the presence of God in the person of Jesus.
The Ark and the Woman in Revelation
The book of Revelation further cements the connection between Mary and the Ark. In John’s vision, the Ark appears in the heavenly Temple, followed immediately by the vision of a “woman clothed with the sun” who gives birth to the Messiah (Revelation 11:19–12:218).
While modern chapter divisions separate these verses, Pitre notes that they are closely linked in the original text. The imagery suggests that the woman, identified as the mother of the Messiah, and the Ark are symbols of the same reality: Mary. This interpretation aligns with ancient Christian writings, such as those of Paschasius Radbertus, who recognised the woman in Revelation as the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Theological Implications
Pitre draws out several theological implications from Mary’s identity as the new Ark:
1. Mary’s Body as God’s Dwelling Place
The Ark was revered as the dwelling of God on Earth, holding sacred items that prefigured Christ: the Ten Commandments (the Word of God), the manna (the Bread of Life), and Aaron’s staff (the sign of priestly authority). In Mary, these symbols find their fulfilment as she bears Jesus—the Word made flesh, the Bread of Life, and the eternal High Priest.
2. The Assumption of Mary
If King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, Jesus, the new David, brings Mary to heaven. Her Assumption reflects her role as the new Ark, preserved from corruption and taken into the heavenly Temple. Early Christian writings frequently connected Mary’s Assumption with her identity as the Ark, such as John Damascene’s declaration: “The living Ark of the living God…comes to her rest in the temple of the Lord not made by hands.”
3. A Sign of Resurrection
Mary’s Assumption prefigures the resurrection promised to all believers. Her body, made holy as the Ark of the new covenant, reflects the destiny of those united with Christ. As Pope Benedict XVI stated, “Mary…already lives in God’s Heaven with her whole being, body and soul.”
The Lost Ark Found
While many search for the lost Ark of the Covenant, the New Testament points to its true fulfilment: Mary, the mother of Jesus. As the new Ark, Mary becomes the dwelling place of God on Earth, the sign of the new exodus, and a model of the heavenly destiny awaiting all who follow Christ.
- “They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. 12 And you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. 17 Then you shall make a mercy seat[a]of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark; and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. ↩︎
- having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ↩︎
- Then the cloud[a] covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lordfilled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ↩︎
- And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of O′bed-e′dom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed O′bed-e′dom and all his household. ↩︎
- Arise, O Lord, and go to thy resting place,
thou and the ark of thy might. ↩︎ - who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. ↩︎
- And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. ↩︎
- And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. ↩︎
- They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings against the Lord. For what are we, that you murmur against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him—what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.”
9 And Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your murmurings.’” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground.[a] 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”[b] For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of the persons whom each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so; they gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; each gathered according to what he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece; and when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay by to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it by till the morning, as Moses bade them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a sabbath, there will be none.” 27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28 And the Lordsaid to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days; remain every man of you in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. ↩︎ - On their return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a city called Beth-sa′ida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces. ↩︎
- And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ↩︎
- Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ↩︎
- And the angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born[a] will be called holy,
the Son of God. ↩︎ - Then the cloud[a] covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lordfilled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ↩︎
- In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, ↩︎
- And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of O′bed-e′dom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed O′bed-e′dom and all his household. ↩︎
- And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. ↩︎
- Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
The Woman and the Dragon
12 And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery. ↩︎
