Quasar
Moderator
Posts: 2199
Registered: 08-00 |
Fredrik said:
Didn't you get it? The dust in the ark simply contained an extremely strong hallucinogen that spread in the air when the ark was opened. That's why it had to be locked up in a government warehouse.
Well that's an interesting interpretation. It doesn't explain the Angel of Death circling around Indy while his eyes were closed, however. And it doesn't explain the head explosion and melting flesh which conveniently dismantled his enemies either.
The Ark of the Covenant was supposedly unable to even be touched, and thus had to be carried by poles attached to it via rings. If you touched it, you would supposedly drop dead instantly, regardless of your intentions (the Bible contains a story of a man who reached out to steady the Ark when he thought it was going to fall during transport, and died as a result).
Only the High Priest was allowed to look upon the unveiled Ark in the Holiest of Holies, the inner sanctum of the temple. It was said to contain the presence of Jehova, which is elsewhere said to be capable of smiting a man by sight alone. So to actually open the Ark and look into it would have presumably caused quite a reaction, and this is what the movie is portraying, like it or not.
The dust inside the Ark I interpreted as the remnants of the artifacts which were supposed to be contained within it, including the original tablets bearing the Ten Commandments amongst others. It is also there in the plot to be a disappointment to the Nazis, who apparently think there will be some kind of weapon or other power they can harness within. Opening it and finding simple dust is like an anti-climax for them (swiftly followed by gory death).
These reported properties, along with the legend that the Israelites carried the Ark with them into their battles, have lead some (possibly crackpot) experts to suggest that the Ark could have been some sort of weapon. This is probably where the writers got the idea for the Nazi interest in it.
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05-22-08 05:00 
