Carrying Rings of the Ark of the Covenant

Metallic (depicted as golden) rings affixed to the four corners of the Ark of the Covenant and its surrounding wooden crate. These carrying rings are designed to receive wooden poles; Indiana Jones and Sallah thread poles through them to hoist and rig the Ark into a stout crate while extracting it from the snake-filled Well of the Souls. The rings function as attachment points enabling the lift and conveyance of the crated Ark, with nearby snakes reacting to the Ark's charged presence.

2 appearances

Purpose

Attachment points for poles to carry and rig the Ark into a crate for extraction

Significance

Enable Indy and Sallah to secure and lift the awe-inspiring Ark despite encroaching snakes and impending Nazi interception, shifting the scene from reverent discovery to urgent escape

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Ark Revealed — Awe, Fear, and the Rim's Mockery

The Ark's golden carrying rings serve as attachment points for the wooden poles Indy and Sallah thread through to hoist the Ark into the crate; they are also a visual focus that emphasizes ritualized handling.

Before: Affixed to each Ark corner, unused but visible.

After: Occupied by poles during the lift, then relinquished once the Ark is secured in the crate.

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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Stranded in the Serpent Pit

The Ark's golden carrying rings serve as the anchor points through which Indy and Sallah thread the wooden poles; they turn an immovable relic into a liftable object and are the mechanical interface between sacred object and human extraction.

Before: Part of the Ark, unengaged while the Ark remained sealed in the stone chest.

After: Occupied by the wooden poles and then used to secure the Ark inside the wooden crate.

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