The Cast: Moses, The Technician

A power source

The theory that “the Ark of the Covenant” was a large condenser, to store electricity, has become an interesting debate with its various forms of contention. 

Mr Von Daniken in Chariots of the Gods, suggests that the Ark of the Covenant was an electronic condenser, which, if charged up, was capable of producing several hundred volts of electricity.  He points out that the wooden part of the ark was the dielectric.  

The golden plate covering the inside was one pole (the positive) of the condenser and the golden plate on the outside was the other pole (the negative).   In that way, an electrical charge could be set up in the Ark of the Covenant.  He also suggested that the Lord could induce the electric charge into the Ark of the Covenant from the spaceship.

Mr Wilson, rejecting this theory, says, The conditions of the condenser were not fulfilled and could at most lead to a short circuit. There is no insulating dielectric-such as a piece of wood- that could have made this one piece of metal into two. 

Gods in Chariot and other fantasies, Wilson.
Did Dr Wilson not read in the Bible, They shall make an ark of acacia wood; ...and you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it. Ex. 25:11.   A simple reading of Exodus 25 tells us that the Ark was made of wood with a plate of gold inside and a plate of gold on the outside.  It seems clear that the wood could have served as the all-important dielectric.

Dr Wilson continues, Even if Von Daniken’s hypothetical condenser were possible, it would still need to be charged. There is certainly no indication that Moses or the priests plugged it into any nearby source of electrical power! 
Gods in Chariot and other fantasies, Wilson. 

What a superfluous line of reasoning!  If they would have had any place to plug the ark into, they would not have needed the ark.  According to Von Daniken's theory, the ark itself was to be the source of power for the high priest to commune with God.

Dr Wilson, talking to an electronics technician received the following information.  The amount of voltage produced by such a condenser would register at something like 10 to the minus 6 - only one-millionth part of a volt.  It would be quite impossible to use it to send out the volume of noise required to communicate with a spaceship...The voltage level would be much to low.  
Gods in Chariot and other fantasies, Wilson.

It seems unfortunate that Dr Wilson’s friend, the electronics technician, does not know how little energy is required to send messages through space.  The distances that we are speaking of here would probably not be more than a few miles (perhaps much less).  Yet, when...the first photos were radioed back to earth from Mars the strength was 0.000,000,000,000,000,01 watt.  

This seems to be infinitely less than the number Dr Wilson was speaking of (0.000,000,1) and the distance that the photos travelled was 35 million miles, rather than just a few miles.  It seems obvious, if the Ark of the Covenant were a condenser, capable of producing 0.000,000,1 volts, it would have been more than adequate for the purpose.

Bringing the Ark Home

Many years after the Ark of the Covenant had been built, King David had it moved on an ox cart to its new location.  On the way, it seemed as if it was going to topple off the cart, and Uzzah, trying to make sure it would not fall, grabbed it, and died, as a reward, for his concern.    

The death of Uzzah was a historical fact.  To the scribes of Jewish history, who knew nothing of the characteristics of electrical power, it seemed right to say, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah.  The historians put it this way, and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God. 2 Sam. 6:7.  How is it logical the God would kill the one person who exerted the effort to protect the ark?  We remind ourselves that the writers of the Old Testament recorded the history of the Jew’s as it appeared to them. 

Looking at this incident in the light of modern scientific wonders it is easy to believe that the ark was a charged condenser and that Uzzah carelessly, in his haste, touched the inside plate.  In doing this, he shorted the condenser to the ground, where he was standing, and so he was electrocuted.

So, the debaters press their opinions using ‘facts’ that suit their arguments, but they are not necessarily pursuing the truth.  This statement is borne out by several important distinctions. 

Mr Von Daniken says that the ark could produce up to several hundred volts of electricity, whereas Dr Wilson says that at best it could only produce one-millionth part of a volt.  There is a staggering difference in those two numbers.  

Moreover, how can we follow Dr Wilson’s line of reasoning?  First, he says that it could at most lead to a short circuit, then he admits that it might produce up to .000,000,1 volt.  His two facts are incongruous!