wood and overlaid with pure gold, both within and without. Only the Levites, the tribe which had been set aside for service of the tabernacle, were supposed to carry the ark, and then only with poles, themselves being overlaid with gold, that were fed through rings of gold attached to the sides of the ark. If in the Old Testament cult the ark, which was simply made of precious gold and wood, held such a place of honor because it mediated the presence of God, it is not surprising that Mary holds a