2. The writer of Hebrews mentions the ark of the covenant (ttjv Ki^dirbv r^s dcaOriKrjs) as the inner- most and most sacred piece of furniture contained in the Tabernacle. His description of it as ' com- pletely overlaid with gold ' (irfpiKeKaXv/xfievTiv iravTodev Xpvclqi) corresponds with the directions given in Ex 25^^ (iaujOev /cat e^wdev ;)^/)i;cra)(7ets avTTjv). The desig- nation ' the ark of the covenant,' which was pro- bably coined by the writer of Deut. , was historically later than ' the ark of Jahweh,' and ' the ark of God ' ( JE), and earlier than ' the ark of the testimony ' (P). It was a contraction for ' the ark containing the tables of the covenant,' the Decalogue being a summary of the terms which Israel accepted on entering into covenant with God. In Kautzsch's Heilige Schrift it is rendered die Lade mit dem Gesetz, ' the ark with the law.' When the Deca- logue came to be known as ' the testimony,' the new name ij Ki^orrbs rod /jLaprvpiov was introduced, but it did not displace the older phrases. The golden pot of manna (the adj. is an embellishment upon Ex 16^^) and Aaron's rod that budded, which in the original narratives were laid up before the Lord {ivavrlov tov deov. Ex 16^^ ; ivwiriov tQv napTvpiuv, Nu 17^") are supposed by the writer of Hebrews to have been within the ark.
The ultimate fate of the Ki^wrd^ is involved in obscurity. The popular imagination could not entertain the idea that the inviolable ark was irre- coverably lost, and there arose a tradition that before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the Tabernacle with all its sacred furniture was hidden by Jeremiah (or, according to the Talmud, by Josiah) in a cave of Mt. Nebo (2 Es 10=^ ; cf. 2 Mac 2*), whence it was to be miraculously restored to its place at the coming of the Messiah. In the second and third Temple the Holy of Holies contained no ark. ' In this was nothing at all,' is Josephus' emphatic testimony {BJ V. v. 5). Pompey, on entering, found ' vacuam sedem et inania arcana ' (Tac. Hist. V. 9). The thought of that emptiness oppressed the minds both of devout Jews and of Jewish Christians, and in Rev IP*, when the seventh angel has sounded, and the temple of God in heaven is opened, the ark of the covenant is there. 'AH we have willed or hoped or dreamed of good shall exist ; not the semblance but itself.'
Literature. — Besides the artt. in E DD (J. Macpherson and A. R. S. Kennedy), SOU (A. R. S. Kennedy), and especially ERE(R. H. Kennett), see R. Kraetzschmar, Die Bundesmr- stellvng, Marburg, 1896; H. Couard, 'Die relifriose nationale Bedeutungder Lade,' inZATWxii. [1S92] ; Volck, art. 'Bun- deslade.'inPiJ£3. JaMES StEAHAN.
ARMAGEDDON.— See Hak-Magedon.
ARMOUR. — As Jews, the disciples of our Lord — not to speak of Himself — were exempt from mili-
tary service. They had the privilege of da-Tpareia, which Lentulus conceded to the Jews of Asia (Jos. Ant. XIV. x. 13 f.), and Julius Ctesar to those of Palestine {ib. x. 6). The Roman auxiliaries who garrisoned Judaea were recruited wholly from the Greek cities of Palestine, such as Sebaste and Csesarea. Probably, therefore, none of the dis- ciples ever wore armour, or, with the possible exception of Simon the Zealot, became skilled in the use of weapons. St. Peter once caiTied a sword, but made a very blundering use of it (Mk 14*'^, Jn 18^"). The only sword of which Christianity approves is that which is the symbol of the puni- tive ministry of the magistrate (Ro 13'*). Never- theless, it was impossible for Christians not to be profoundly interested in the brave men who were taught that it was didce et decorum pro patria mori, and Christ Himself sanctioned the use of illustra- tions drawn from the warfare of kings (Lk 14^'). It is not surprising, therefore, to find that St. Paul regards the valour and endurance of the world's conquerors and the Empire's defenders as worthy of emulation, and that he transfigures the armour of the Roman legionary into the panoply of the Christian soldier (Eph ei'^-).
Descriptions of the equipment of soldiers are frequent in Greek authors. (1) Homer lets us see his TTpdfiaxoi arming before they go forth to battle. Paris (//. iii. 328 tt".) cases his limbs in greaves {KVTjfildes) ; a splendid cuirass (6upa^) covers his breast ; a baldrick sustains the sword {^i^os) that glitters at his side ; his great round shield {adKos) is then displayed ; over his brows he places his helmet (kw^t]) with nodding plume ; and last of all he grasps his .spear (^yxos) in his hand (cf. //. iv. 132 «:, xi. 15 fi., xvi. 130 ff., xix. 364 tt'.). 'The six pieces of armour are always mentioned in the same order, in which they would naturally be put on, except that we should expect the helmet to be donned before the shield was taken on the arm' (Leaf's Homer, i. 106).— (2) Poly bins (vi. 23) de- scribes the armour of Roman soldiers in the time of the Punic wars. The heavy-armed carried an oblong shield {dvpeos, scutum), 4 feet by 2 J, incurved into the shape of a half-cylinder ; the helmet (Trepi- Ke<pa\ala) of bronze had a crest of three feathers; and a greave protected the right leg. The wealthier soldiers wore a cuirass of chain-armour (lorica), the poorer a bronze plate 9 inches square. For de- fence they all carried a Spanish sword (ix6.xa.ipa), straight, double-edged, and pointed, which was used for both thrust and cut ; and two long javelins (va-croL, pila), which were either hurled at a distance or used at close quarters like modem bayonets. — (3) Josephus (BJ ill. v, 5) describes the equipment of Roman soldiers under the Empire. The heavy-armed had a helmet (Kpdvo^), a cuirass, a long sword worn on the left side and a dagger on the right, & pilum (^v(tt6v), and a. scutum (6vpe6s). The detachment which attended the commander had a round shield {dairls, clipeus) and a long spear (Xdyxv)- The cavalry wore armour like that of the infantry, with a broadsv/ord (fj.dxaipa), a buckler slung from the horse's side, a lance, and several javelins (dKovres), almost as large as spears, in a sheath or quiver.