Abstract
The story of the lost (stolen) ark of the covenant of the Lord gives us an insight in the causes and principles of holy war. Due to this event, the tribal union of Israel was transformed and the relations in the Philistine territory were disrupted.
The Philistines’ conversion brought about by the power of the ark of the covenant of the Lord is a model of what needs to happen in Israel as well or of what Israel needs to go through.