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Raiders of the Lost Ark

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
So, I was looking over Amazon Prime Movies, and they currently have all the Indiana Jones movies on tap, part of Prime Videos.

And I thought-- why not? I've not seen the original in years. So I put it on, and yeah, it's silly. But it's well done silliness nonetheless.

As I was listening to Indiana Jones' character speaking as a skeptic-scientist (even though he's really a tomb raider) it hit me: Jones says he does not believe in magic in the least, yet he's certain a mythical, mystic power box is Historical, and exists.

And in the final scene, he warns his friend "Don't look Marian! Don't look!" as to look at the Magic, You'll Die.

So much for being a skeptic... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I really, really had not given the Ark of the Covenant all that much thought in the last decade or so since I lost the last dregs of my faith. As a theist? Of course the ark had to exist! It was central to both Christianity and Judaism. A Magic God-Box, that possessed Super Magic Powers...

... or as they say in the movie? "A direct telephone to God. Anyone possessing the Ark, if used in an Army, the Army would be unbeatable."

Magic.

Now that I'm comfortable in my unbelief, and I'm quite used to questioning all my old too-quick assumptions? I now discover that I'm quite skeptical there ever was an ark in the first place!

Seriously. I have strong doubts there ever was a Moses, and I doubt there ever was an Ark, either-- not even a non-magical version 100% without Super Powers-- no, not even one of those.

No Ark. No Exodus, no Moses either. (and certainly no Abraham-- not as written, at least, not even a tiny bit...)

But. It's a darn fun movie! The bad guys all Get Their Just Deserts. And the "good" guys survive to raid another day. :D

Bad Theology. Good Action Sequences. Even better: NO DIGITAL SPECIAL EFFECTS (in the original).


Edit: I'm just at the scene where Jones and his friend, have found the Real Ark© and have lifted it from it's stone coffin, just using a pair of long ornately carved wooden poles (that they just conveniently had on hand). Two men. Lifting a large **gold** box. Yes it was supposed to be hollow, but... it was solid gold, was it not? Two men would not be capable of such a feat.

Oh well. It's a lovely Reveal Scene, wherein Spielberg's version of the Ark is shown. I remember when I saw this in the theater, there was a gasp in the audience. As if it was not just a movie prop.... I was amused then, and I'm amused now, thinking back.
 
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Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
So, I was looking over Amazon Prime Movies, and they currently have all the Indiana Jones movies on tap, part of Prime Videos.

And I thought-- why not? I've not seen the original in years. So I put it on, and yeah, it's silly. But it's well done silliness nonetheless.

As I was listening to Indiana Jones' character speaking as a skeptic-scientist (even though he's really a tomb raider) it hit me: Jones says he does not believe in magic in the least, yet he's certain a mythical, mystic power box is Historical, and exists.

And in the final scene, he warns his friend "Don't look Marian! Don't look!" as to look at the Magic, You'll Die.

So much for being a skeptic... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I really, really had not given the Ark of the Covenant all that much thought in the last decade or so since I lost the last dregs of my faith. As a theist? Of course the ark had to exist! It was central to both Christianity and Judaism. A Magic God-Box, that possessed Super Magic Powers...

... or as they say in the movie? "A direct telephone to God. Anyone possessing the Ark, if used in an Army, the Army would be unbeatable."

Magic.

Now that I'm comfortable in my unbelief, and I'm quite used to questioning all my old too-quick assumptions? I now discover that I'm quite skeptical there ever was an ark in the first place!

Seriously. I have strong doubts there ever was a Moses, and I doubt there ever was an Ark, either-- not even a non-magical version 100% without Super Powers-- no, not even one of those.

No Ark. No Exodus, no Moses either. (and certainly no Abraham-- not as written, at least, not even a tiny bit...)

But. It's a darn fun movie! The bad guys all Get Their Just Deserts. And the "good" guys survive to raid another day. :D

Bad Theology. Good Action Sequences. Even better: NO DIGITAL SPECIAL EFFECTS (in the original).


Edit: I'm just at the scene where Jones and his friend, have found the Real Ark© and have lifted it from it's stone coffin, just using a pair of long ornately carved wooden poles (that they just conveniently had on hand). Two men. Lifting a large **gold** box. Yes it was supposed to be hollow, but... it was solid gold, was it not? Two men would not be capable of such a feat.

Oh well. It's a lovely Reveal Scene, wherein Spielberg's version of the Ark is shown. I remember when I saw this in the theater, there was a gasp in the audience. As if it was not just a movie prop.... I was amused then, and I'm amused now, thinking back.
Even back then gold leaf existed. At least I am pretty sure that the Egyptians had it. Pretty low tech. Take a piece of gold an repeatedly hit it with a hammer.
 

Yokefellow

Active Member
For what it's worth...

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a scale model of a Biological Cell...

mhp-0707.png


mhp-0709.png


The Ark of the Covenant represented the Nucleolus.

Anyhow, the whole point was for the Israelites to eventually figure it out. Once that event occurred, the next step could take place.

Unfortunately, they were too blind to figure it out. Worse than that, most of the world is STILL blind to it.

Sadly, the 'next' step' in what would have been a glorious discovery may never happen.

:(
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
So, I was looking over Amazon Prime Movies, and they currently have all the Indiana Jones movies on tap, part of Prime Videos.

And I thought-- why not? I've not seen the original in years. So I put it on, and yeah, it's silly. But it's well done silliness nonetheless.

Fair enough.

But you also thought: So, golly gee, I guess I'll post a meandering thread in the RF's General Religious Debates Forum so that we can all ... what?

Spoiler alert: Indiana Jones eventually changes his name, meets a Wookiee, and goes on to pilot his Millennium in support of the Rebel Alliance.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
So, I was looking over Amazon Prime Movies, and they currently have all the Indiana Jones movies on tap, part of Prime Videos.

And I thought-- why not? I've not seen the original in years. So I put it on, and yeah, it's silly. But it's well done silliness nonetheless.

As I was listening to Indiana Jones' character speaking as a skeptic-scientist (even though he's really a tomb raider) it hit me: Jones says he does not believe in magic in the least, yet he's certain a mythical, mystic power box is Historical, and exists.

And in the final scene, he warns his friend "Don't look Marian! Don't look!" as to look at the Magic, You'll Die.

So much for being a skeptic... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I really, really had not given the Ark of the Covenant all that much thought in the last decade or so since I lost the last dregs of my faith. As a theist? Of course the ark had to exist! It was central to both Christianity and Judaism. A Magic God-Box, that possessed Super Magic Powers...

... or as they say in the movie? "A direct telephone to God. Anyone possessing the Ark, if used in an Army, the Army would be unbeatable."

Magic.

Now that I'm comfortable in my unbelief, and I'm quite used to questioning all my old too-quick assumptions? I now discover that I'm quite skeptical there ever was an ark in the first place!

Seriously. I have strong doubts there ever was a Moses, and I doubt there ever was an Ark, either-- not even a non-magical version 100% without Super Powers-- no, not even one of those.

No Ark. No Exodus, no Moses either. (and certainly no Abraham-- not as written, at least, not even a tiny bit...)

But. It's a darn fun movie! The bad guys all Get Their Just Deserts. And the "good" guys survive to raid another day. :D

Bad Theology. Good Action Sequences. Even better: NO DIGITAL SPECIAL EFFECTS (in the original).


Edit: I'm just at the scene where Jones and his friend, have found the Real Ark© and have lifted it from it's stone coffin, just using a pair of long ornately carved wooden poles (that they just conveniently had on hand). Two men. Lifting a large **gold** box. Yes it was supposed to be hollow, but... it was solid gold, was it not? Two men would not be capable of such a feat.

Oh well. It's a lovely Reveal Scene, wherein Spielberg's version of the Ark is shown. I remember when I saw this in the theater, there was a gasp in the audience. As if it was not just a movie prop.... I was amused then, and I'm amused now, thinking back.

I recall when I first heard of this movie, I thought "Ark" was referring to Noah's Ark. It seems I had gotten a mistaken impression. But at least I knew that Joan of Arc was not Noah's wife.

But I also remember where they said the Ark of the Covenant was a direct telephone to God. It kind of makes one wonder what the purpose of prayer is if God can't be contacted without a "telephone." And if the Nazis did get hold of a "telephone to God," does that mean Hitler could just call up God like he's ordering room service? Besides, even one did call to God, one would probably get God's answering machine.

"Hello, this is God. I'm not available at this time, but your call is very important to me. If you wish to leave a message, press 1, or stay on the line for the next available operator, your estimated hold time is...166 years, 223 days, 9 hours, and 24 minutes." {caller presses 1} "Sorry, this mailbox is full. Please try your call again later. Good-bye."
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
Indiana Jones didn't have to try keeping the power-hungry Nazis away from harnessing the Ark of the Covenant's power , because the Ark of the Covenant's power ended up destroying the evil Nazis anyways when they opened it up.


tumblr_oung3at6tA1r1ult6o1_400.gif
 
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Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Even back then gold leaf existed. At least I am pretty sure that the Egyptians had it. Pretty low tech. Take a piece of gold an repeatedly hit it with a hammer.

I thought of that, of course-- but gold leaf isn't listed in the bible as covering the ark, and to a literalest, it should have been solid gold. ;) The bible is perfect, after all... right? :p
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Fair enough.

But you also thought: So, golly gee, I guess I'll post a meandering thread in the RF's General Religious Debates Forum so that we can all ... what?

Spoiler alert: Indiana Jones eventually changes his name, meets a Wookiee, and goes on to pilot his Millennium in support of the Rebel Alliance.

The debate was kind of buried in there: I do not believe there ever was an historical ark.

Sorry about the meandering fluff part. The movie was rather Iconic in American culture for a time.
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Indiana Jones didn't have to try keeping the power-hungry Nazis away from harnessing the Ark of the Covenant's power , because the Ark of the Covenant's power ended up destroying the evil Nazis anyways when they opened it up.


tumblr_oung3at6tA1r1ult6o1_400.gif

Of course. If this thing really was the Original, Real, Official Ark©? Then, according to the bible, those NAZIs should have been struck dead simply for touching it in the first place.

But that wouldn't have made Dramatic Movie Special Effects, so perhaps that scene was deleted?
 

Yokefellow

Active Member
What is the ultimate lesson of the Ark of the Covenant?

It is the Word made flesh...

mhp-0708.png


The Word or Tables of the Testimony represents Nucleobases (A, C, G, T).

The Golden Pot of Manna represents Deoxyribose (Sugar)

Aaron's Rod represents the snakelike Phosphorus 'backbone' that gives DNA its shape.

Note that Aaron's Rod turned into a Serpent. This is what is meant by 'Seed of the Serpent' in Genesis.

The Two Cherubim represent two strands of DNA with the Chief Cornerstone being Hydrogen that holds everything together....

mhp-0710.png


Revelation 3:22
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches"
 
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