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 Recently,
while learning to Google, I stumbled
upon the Ark of the Covenant when I typed in treasures
of the world.
I knew that this was to be my
next project.
Before I lifted up a tool, I had some research to do —everything including what a cubit is in centimetres. If you Google conversion tables, you can find
all kinds of interesting facts. I now know one fathom is 1.83 metres.
How was gold refined thirty-four hundred years ago? While researching ancient mining and refining techniques, I learned that Egyptian gold, during
Pharaonic times, would have been pure to a degree of between seventeen to twenty-three karats. I decided to work with 22 karats as it is as pure as
in ancient times, yet hardened with the addition of 1.099% silver as alloy.
 What symbols would have been engraved in the stone tablets to represent the ten laws given to mankind by the hand of God? Judaica is rife with
symbolism, the letters of The Bible all have numeric values and the words themselves often represent other knowledge to those who know how to
interpret them. Whoever’s hand cut the tablets would likely have used ten symbols to represent God’s Commandments.
What type of stone would be found on Mount Sinai? The stone used for the tablets was most likely basalt. This volcanic rock comprises approximately
ninety percent of the mountains in that part of the world. Moses, would have been no stranger to quarrying stone or engraving it with God’s words.
My colleague, Edward, the Lapidary, knew how to cut and engrave the tablets to make them appear very old.
  Once I had a plan, I took out a block of blue wax, that is a wax with sufficient plastic content to allow sculpting and engraving. Two weeks of work
later, I had one cherub blocked out. Like the love of your life, it all begins when you see an angel.
 According to the writers of The Bible, one of the materials in the Ark of the Covenant is shittim wood. I had never heard of it. Research would show
the modern translation is the hard, close-grained acacia wood. While rare, it is available on eBay. My friend, Rodney, a talented woodsmith, sliced and
turned the wood on his miniature lathe.
As I wish to cast it in pure gold after completion, the Ark had to be disassembled for moulding. The frame had to be sawn in two, as it was larger than
the mould frames available. There are seven moulds in total.
 The
completed sterling silver Ark of the Covenant weighs approximately 239.35 grams.
When converted into 22 karat gold it will weigh approximately
406.90 grams. The price of pure gold as of May 4, 2007 was approximately $690US per ounce (722.06CDN / 513.23EUR). This means an outlay of approximately
$10,087.34CDN (9,639.54US / 7,020.02EUR). Labour and related work (wood-work,
lapidary, moulding, casting and stripping) would mean a total cost of
approximately $19,670.30CDN (18,799.31US / 13,689.03EUR). The purchaser will
receive the Ark in 22 karat gold, the sterling silver original, all moulds related
to
this project, and my word that I will never make another Ark of the Covenant
just like this one. It will truly be a one-of-a-kind.
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