The Ark and the Philistines

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The Ark and the Philistines
North Porch
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
Cloître Notre Dame
Chartres, July 2002

“The Ark of the Covenant was returned by the Philistines to the Israelites. It was carried on a cart drawn by two kine. In the background stands an angel. On the side of the cart are the golden mice and emerods (hemorrhoids) made by the Philistines to appease God, since he had punished them with plagues of mice and hemorrhoids after they had captured the Ark. Note the cloud above the cart. Below is the inscription :ARCHA:CEDERIS Right- Ark in the Temple of Dagon (I Samuel 5) The Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines and placed in the temple of the idol Dagon (see figures below). The idol fell (at top of composition). Below is the inscription HIC.AMIC(?)ITVR.ARCHA:CEDERIS” (The Ark and the Philistines, University of Pittsburgh)