In answer to the series by Orthodox Shahada "Quran In Context - Ark Of The Covenant"
Linguistically, the Arabic Tabut is closer in form to the Aramaic tebuta/tibu used in Targum Onkelos for both Noah’s ark and Moses’ basket. The HB also uses Tebat for both Gen6:14,Ex2:3. Tebat is an archaic word, not Hebrew in origin and scholars differ on its derivation. The HB then changes Tebat to Aron for the Ark built by Moses.
The inexplicable insistence of the writers of the HB to call the Ark of the covenant exclusively "Aron" is worth analysing.
Aron in the HB is only used for a box containing inanimate things like money, dead bodies and the law Gen50:26,Judges20:27,2Kings10:10 as well as the divine presence floating above it somehow Ex25:22. Did the scribes seek to implicitly denigrate an object of terror, that caused them horrible pain and death, by picturing its contents, as well as its representing the divine presence, as "dead"? They had openly disrespected and provoked throughout their history the divine presence, from their exodus to even while the temple was standing, as well as neglected the law, the covenant, for which they were eventually destroyed and humiliated. Why would they not do the same in this case in regards to an object that represents all these elements?
Alternatively, and assuming no denigration was meant, did they choose a word reminding them of the effects it had on them?
Interestingly the Quran consistently uses the same tabut for the basket that contained Moses as an infant, and the Ark of the covenant, just as the Ethiopic tabot (derived from the Aramaic tebuta) and the Syriac qebuta are used in both contexts. The 2 words overlap even in Rabbinic Hebrew where we see the Ark of the covenant called Aron in places, and Tebat in another (Shekalim 6:1).
There seems to be different chains of transmission of the Biblical tradition within Judeo-Christianity, and the Quran subtly brings attention to the correct one.
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