328 THE LAND OF THE MONUMENT

desire of the offerer to do the will of God and to be

perfectly obedient to his laws. The god in return
gave endless life ! The figure of the Goddess of
Truth or her emblem, the ostrich plume, conveyed
to the mind of the intelligent Egyptian as high a
standard of purity and integrity as the figures of the
cherubim which were placed upon the top of the
ark of the covenant suggested to the Hebrew mind.

The great difference which existed between the
ark of the covenant and all other arks consisted in
their contents. The ark of Jehovah held only his
written Law, which required spotless holiness and a
perfect obedience. "This do, and thou shall live ! "

All other arks contained emblems, "an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed
beasts and creeping things." The use of such port-
able shrines was not Confined to the Egyptians and
the Israelites; neighbouring nations possessed them
also. One object of their use was undoubtedly to be
able to cany the shrine of their national god with
an invading arm)-, and thus arouse the enthusiasm of
the soldiers, both by its presence and also in its
defence, a circumstance which must have influenced
and probably determined many a conflict.