The Ark Among the Philistines

The Philistines, victorious in this successful battle, brought the ark of God, which had fallen into their hands, into the temple of Dagon in the town of Ashdod. But the image, which was dedicated to a demon, fell down when the ark was brought in there; and when they set the idol up again in its place, it was broken to pieces the following night. Then mice sprang up all over the country and caused the death of many thousands of people by their poisonous bites. The people of Ashdod, driven by this misery and wanting to escape the calamity, moved the ark to Gath. But the people there were struck with the same evils, and they carried the ark on to Ashkelon. The people of that place, however, called together the leading men of the nation and formed the plan of sending the ark back to the Hebrews. So, on the advice of the chiefs, the soothsayers, and the priests, it was put on a cart and sent back with many gifts. [a]

Then a remarkable thing happened. They had yoked heifers to the cart and kept their calves at home, yet the cattle set off on their own, with no one to guide them, toward Judea, and showed no wish to turn back out of love for the young they had left behind. The rulers of the Philistines, who had followed the ark into Hebrew territory, were so struck by the wonder of it that they performed an act of worship. But when the Jews saw the ark brought back, they rushed out of the town of Beth-shemesh to meet it, each trying to outdo the other in joy, hurrying, rejoicing, and giving thanks to God. Presently the Levites, whose task it was, made a sacrifice to God and offered up the heifers that had brought the ark. But the ark could not be kept in the town I named above, and so, by God’s appointment, a severe sickness fell on the whole city. The ark was then moved to the town of Kiriath-jearim, and there it remained twenty years.