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What was actually inside the Ark of the Covenant? About one year after The Exodus of the Israelites, where they were delivered from slavery and began their journey to the Promised Land, they came upon Mount Sinai. Moses went up the mountain and stayed with God for forty days and forty nights. When he returned from the mountain to see the Israelites, he had with him the Ten Commandments. However, the Ten Commandments was not all that God had given to Moses on the mountain. On the mountain, he also received instructions on how to have his laborers construct the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22). What actually was inside the Ark of the Covenant? The Bible has sparse information on the exact contents of the Ark of the Covenant. In the Book of Hebrews, we learn it contains three items: the rod of Aaron, a jar of Manna, and the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Whenever the Ark of the Covenant was moved, it was always well concealed under the veil of l...

WHY ARE CATHOLIC PRIESTS NOT ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED? Save for the permanent diaconate, a vow of clerical celibacy is mandated for all newly ordained priests and clergy members within the Catholic Church. However, this was not always the case. For the first thousand or so years of Catholicism, priests would commonly marry and have children. The first pope himself, Saint Peter, was married and most likely had children, and many who came after him also had children. Last March, Pope Francis interviewed for the German magazine Die Zeit suggested that the Church may return to its early tradition by examining exceptions for married priests in isolated areas without clerical leadership. How did the priestly vow of celibacy evolve to be such an ingrained part of Catholic tradition? There are many reasons why priests practice celibacy. The Code of Canon Law has to say that “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and there...