על חיי משה, ספר ב כ׳On the Life of Moses, Book II 20
א׳
1[95] The ark was placed on the forbidden ground of the inner sanctuary, within the veils. It was coated with costly gilding within and without, and was covered by a sort of lid, which is called in the sacred books the mercy-seat.
ב׳
2[96] The length and breadth of this are stated, but no depth, and thus it closely resembles the plane surface of geometry. It appears to be a symbol in a theological sense of the gracious power of God; in the human sense, of a mind which is gracious to itself and feels the duty of repressing and destroying with the aid of knowledge the conceit which in its love of vanity uplifts it in unreasoning exaltation and puffs it with pride.
ג׳
3[97] The ark itself is the coffer of the laws, for in it are deposited the oracles which have been delivered. But the cover, which is called the mercy-seat, serves to support the two winged creatures which in the Hebrew are called cherubim, but, as we should term them,
ד׳
4[98] recognition and full knowledge. Some hold that, since they are set facing each other, they are symbols of the two hemispheres, one above the earth and one under it,
ה׳
5[99] for the whole heaven has wings. I should myself say that they are allegorical representations of the two most august and highest potencies of Him that IS, the creative and the kingly. His creative potency is called God, because through it He placed and made and ordered this universe, and the kingly is called Lord, being that with which He governs what has come into being and rules it steadfastly with justice.
ו׳
6[100] For, as He alone really IS, He is undoubtedly also the Maker, since He brought into being what was not, and He is in the nature of things King, since none could more justly govern what has been made than the Maker.