ISRAEL – JNS.org A giant replica of the Ark of the Covenant went on display for the first time Tuesday on a truck opposite the Israeli Supreme Court and Foreign Ministry, Israel Hayom reported. The replica was conceived, constructed and donated to the state of Israel by Grace Gupana, a 52-year-old Christian businesswoman from the Philippines.
The replica weighs 800 kg (1,760 pounds), and measures 3 meters tall, 5 meters long, and 1.6 meters wide. It is made of special wood, with staves of iron as well as stone-carved cherubim painted gold.
After its display in Jerusalem, the ark will remain in Israel as a gift. The ark took 12 artists and artisans four months to build. It is a replica of the original Ark of the Covenant as described in Exodus, Chapter 25. Gupana hopes it will enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest such replica in existence.