When the Ark of the Covenant was transported from one place to another, the priests would carry it on their shoulders. In pictures we tend to see them carrying out in the open, but this is not accurate. The Ark was never exposed to the elements. As it says in Numbers 4:4-6, 15a:
“When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant. Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place . . . After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, the camp is ready to move...”
When the priests went to prepare the Ark for transport, they would unhook the veil (aka. covering) and carry it backward, draping it over the Ark without looking at it. This was done as a gesture of respect for the Father.
Interestingly, this is the way Shem and Japheth covered their father, Noah. Genesis 9:23 reads, “But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.”
