erlay it with pure gold: within and without shalt thou
overlay it.' "(645) "And what is the meaning of saying, 'thou shalt
overlay it'?" "It means that he covered the upper edges (with) gold." The
golden mercy-seat was placed above upon it; as is said, "And thou shalt
put the mercy-seat above upon the ark."(646) And four rings of gold were
fastened in it, two on the north and two on the south, and in them the
staves were put, and they were never moved from thence; as is said, "The
staves shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from
it."(647) Even though Solomon made the pattern of all the vessels, the
pattern of the ark he did not make; as is said, "And all the elders of
Israel came, and the priests took up the ark."(648) The ark was placed in
the midst of the House, and divided the House ten cubits by ten cubits.
And two cherubs of gold stood on their feet on the ground. From the wall
to the cherub there were five cubits, and from the cherub to the wall five
cubits. "Where is it mentioned, that as soon as the priests brought in the
ark the staves were drawn out, and they reached to the vail, and they
touched the entrance?" As is said, "And they drew out the staves, that the
ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the
oracle."(649) For that reason the doors of the Holy of Holies were never
closed. "And they were not seen without."(650) It is not possible to say
that they were not seen, since it was already said "they were seen."
Neither is it possible to say that they were seen, since it is already
said "they were not seen." "How is it?" "They were pushing out in the
vail, and were seen in the sanctuary like the two paps of a woman." "And
from whence (do we know) that they were drawn out from the inside?" As is
said, "And they were not seen without." There we learned that they were
drawn out from the inside. And from thence (we learned) that they were
drawn out to the outside, as is said, "And the ends of the staves were
seen." And where thou sayest that as the staves were drawn out, so were
drawn out the wings of the cherubim, and they covered the ark, and
overshadowed the house from above, as is said, "And the cherubims covered
the ark and the staves thereof, above."(651) "And where was the ark
concealed?" Rabbi Judah, the son of Lachish, said, "in its place in the
house of the Holy of Holies, as is said, 'And there they are unto this
day.' "(652) But the Sages say, "in the chamber of