Editing Ark of the Covenant (section)

===Capture by the Philistines===
{{Main|Philistine captivity of the Ark}}
[[File:Figures The erection of the Tabernacle and the Sacred vessels.jpg|thumb|1728 illustration of the Ark at the erection of the Tabernacle and the sacred vessels, as in Exodus 40:17–19]]
According to the biblical narrative, a few years later the elders of Israel decided to take the Ark onto the battlefield to assist them against the [[Philistines]], having recently been defeated at the battle of [[Eben-Ezer]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|4:3-11}}.</ref> They were again heavily defeated, with the loss of 30,000 men. The Ark was captured by the Philistines, and Hophni and Phinehas were killed. The news of its capture was at once taken to Shiloh by a messenger "with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head". The old priest, Eli, fell dead when he heard it, and his daughter-in-law, bearing a son at the time the news of the Ark's capture was received, named him [[Ichabod]]—explained as "The glory has departed Israel" in reference to the loss of the Ark.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|4:12-22}}.</ref> Ichabod's mother died at his birth.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|4:20}}.</ref>

The Philistines took the Ark to several places in their country, and at each place misfortune befell them.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|5:1-6}}.</ref> At [[Isdud|Ashdod]] it was placed in the temple of [[Dagon]]. The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; and on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken. The people of Ashdod were smitten with tumors; a plague of rodents was sent over the land. This may have been the [[bubonic plague]].<ref name="Asense">{{cite journal |last1=Asensi |first1=Victor |last2=Fierer |first2=Joshua |title=Of Rats and Men: Poussin's Plague at Ashdod |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |date=January 2018 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=186–187 |doi=10.3201/eid2401.AC2401 |pmc=5749463 |issn=1080-6040}}</ref><ref name="Freemon">{{cite journal |last1=Freemon |first1=Frank R. |date=September 2005 |title=Bubonic plague in the Book of Samuel |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |volume=98 |issue=9 |page=436 |doi=10.1177/014107680509800923 |issn=0141-0768 |pmc=1199652 |pmid=16140864}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|6:5}}.</ref> The affliction of tumours was also visited upon the people of [[Gath (city)|Gath]] and of [[Ekron]], whither the Ark was successively removed.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|5:8-12}}.</ref>