Jewish Jewelry

Was there Jewish jewelry in the fictional “Lost Ark?” Unless Hollywood creates a sequel, the world will never know. In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark only evil demons came out of the opened Ark. That was in the African desert. Later, after the same Ark got to Washington D.C. it was placed in storage. The world seemed to forget about its existence. No one seemed curious to discover what the Hebrews had placed inside that Ark. A creative screen writer might manage to create the script for a sequel to that movie. Perhaps such a movie could be about a search for Jewish jewelry.

The Middle East is home to certain subversive groups. Some of those groups would welcome an opportunity to seize Jewish jewelry. Still, the following story does not recount a recent event. It is about a ruler who tried to seize Jewish jewelry more than 3,000 years ago.

Soon after the Pharaoh of Egypt had given permission for the Hebrews to leave Egypt, he regretted his decision. He had second thoughts about that decision, but by then the Hebrews had already left the city. They traveled together in a long train, with their Jewish jewelry and other possessions in carts of varied sizes.

The Pharaoh knew that such a long line of nomads would move very slowly. He thus called on his men to chase the Hebrews, aided by the speed of their chariots. The Pharaoh’s men followed his orders. They set out after the recently freed Hebrews.

The Hebrews could hear the hooves of the Egyptian horses, as the men ordered to chase them came closer, pushing the chariot-pulling horses to run at top speed. The fearful Hebrews pleaded with Moses to save them from their would-be captors. They made that plea, while the entire group stood at the edge of the Red Sea.

Raising his eyes to God, Moses lifted his walking stick. He held it over the water. He prayed to God for help with their escape. To the amazement of the Hebrews, the waters of the Red Sea parted.

The Hebrews walked across the dry land that God had created for them. They carried their Jewish jewelry and their other possessions over to the opposite side of that large body of water. As the Hebrews made their journey over the newly-revealed path, a tower of fire blocked passage of the Egyptians.

After the last Hebrews had walked onto the distant shoreline, God removed the tower of fire that had prevented the Egyptians from following the Hebrews. The delighted Egyptians quickly proceeded down the path that had been used by the Hebrews. As the Hebrews watched, again terror-struck, the waters of the Red Sea poured over the once dry area of the Sea bed.

The Egyptians were not as lucky as the Hebrews. They were not able to complete their crossing of the dry bed in the Red Sea. The once-parted waters engulfed each and every man.

The Hebrews attained to a location of safety. Their possessions remained untouched. The Egyptians had failed to seize any of the Jewish jewelry. God had aided the Hebrews. Later the Hebrews foolishly forgot about God’s help. They used their jewelry to make an idol. They then danced around that graven image, that golden calf.