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 the wood.” “And who concealed it?” Rabbi Judah the Holy said, Josiah concealed it, as it is said, “And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel, did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders.”(653) He said to them, “it shall not be carried captive with you to Babylon, that you should bear it upon your shoulders.” Rabbi Eleazar said, “it went to Babylon, as is said, ‘Nothing shall be left saith the Lord,’(654) nothing, not even the words in it.” The house of the Holy of Holies, which Solomon made for it, had a wall, entrance, and doors, as is said, “And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.”(655) But in the latter house there was no wall, only two boards were there, and the length of each one was a cubit and a half. And two vails of gold were there, spread over them from above, and it was called the place of Partition.(656) Chapter VIII