<P> The biblical account relates that , approximately one year after the Israelites ' exodus from Egypt , the Ark was created according to the pattern given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of biblical Mount Sinai . Thereafter , the gold - plated acacia chest was carried by its staves while en route by the Levites approximately 2,000 cubits ( approximately 800 meters or 2,600 feet ) in advance of the people when on the march or before the Israelite army , the host of fighting men . When carried , the Ark was always hidden under a large veil made of skins and blue cloth , always carefully concealed , even from the eyes of the priests and the Levites who carried it . God was said to have spoken with Moses `` from between the two cherubim '' on the Ark 's cover . When at rest the tabernacle was set up and the holy Ark was placed under the veil of the covering , the staves of it crossing the middle side bars to hold it up off the ground . </P>
where was the ark of the covenant built
at the foot of biblical Mount Sinai