The Ark: "It is not of this EARTH"

One of the first concepts for the ark was that it comes from UFOs, as we could read in the Raiders transference transcripts (1979):

LUCAS: "The Ark is like a radio transmiter. That's the real legend. That's what they used to do. The Israelis used to set up these tents and they would talk to God and God would tell them what to do. And then they would march with it in front of their army. The other Armies would be destroyed. Our idea was that there must actually be some kind of super high-powered radio from one of Erick Von Daniken's FLYING SAUCERS. The fact that it's electrical charges makes it vaguely believable."

Phillip Kaufman also mentions the extraterrestial connection:

" (...) when I was in college, a famous blood specialist had written
with another doctor an article on the Ark of the Covenant
and how he felt it provided a means of communication with some
other extra-terrestrial or God-like or whatever. It was in
a sense an elaborate radio setup. It contained silk curtains and
veils and other things."

So all the criticism against KOTCS about aliens in a Indy movie is strange. In fact the opening of the ark is very similar to the last section of Close Encounters (Released only 4 years before) and the warehouse with top secrets crates must have alien artifacts.

Wilhelm said:

One of the first concepts for the ark was that it comes from UFOs, as we could read in the Raiders transference transcripts (1979):

LUCAS: "The Ark is like a radio transmiter. That's the real legend. That's what they used to do. The Israelis used to set up these tents and they would talk to God and God would tell them what to do. And then they would march with it in front of their army. The other Armies would be destroyed. Our idea was that there must actually be some kind of super high-powered radio from one of Erick Von Daniken's FLYING SAUCERS. The fact that it's electrical charges makes it vaguely believable."

Phillip Kaufman also mentions the extraterrestial connection:

" (...) when I was in college, a famous blood specialist had written
with another doctor an article on the Ark of the Covenant
and how he felt it provided a means of communication with some
other extra-terrestrial or God-like or whatever. It was in
a sense an elaborate radio setup. It contained silk curtains and
veils and other things."

So all the criticism against KOTCS about aliens in a Indy movie is strange. In fact the opening of the ark is very similar to the last section of Close Encounters (Released only 4 years before) and the warehouse with top secrets crates must have alien artifacts.

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I appreciate all that you've written, but one important aspect you've not addressed is that along the long and winding road to "final cut" many things are proposed and many things dropped. It may very well be this is the inspiration for Sallah's line, it may very well be this "story transcript" is a fake, (although I choose to believe it's real).

Do you really believe: "all the criticism against KOTCS about aliens in a Indy movie is strange"? I don't, since I also believe Sallah's words...of course words chosen by a man whose english is a second language, may not necessarily indicate an extraterrestrial bent. It can be very simply explained away by this phrase: nor in Heaven or on Earth...

By Hamlet: O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else? And shall I couple hell?

I think to keep you thinking and focused on the prize they interjected many different points of view.

My opinion, Sallah wasn't talking about aliens, he was talking about it's power.

I agree that Sallah wasn't talking about aliens in the final version, but maybe that phrase is residual from Lucas' original ideas about mixing the ark with extra-terrestial life.

I always like the idea of aliens in the Indy universe. He investigates different aspects of the occult and strange things. It's a mix of James Bond and Twilight Zone. And in Twilight Zone we have episodes about ghosts, miracles, aliens etc... so Indy can investigate archaeological artifacts associated with the occult.

The concept of the warehouse in Raiders is very Close Encounters, X Files and conspiracy theories.

(Just for fun...)

The Ark did make an appearance in an episode of Clone Wars last season...

"The Ark is not of this Earth."

Well, that's just Sallah's opinion. He didn't have any proof or anything. It's really just mythology mixed in with urban legend and Chinese whispers.

Though it is left up to the viewers imagination, which increases the mystery - which I prefer rather than outright stating one way or the other.

It's just a sentence of dialogue. It doesn't go any further than that.

I can't see how you connect it to Aliens. He is referring to Heaven or the after life or whatever you like to call it. I don't think the line was bad after all Sallah is kind of a corny guy so the line fits him.

It was not a bull**** throwaway line at all. Sallah was another of a group of unrelated people who had a intuitive sense of wariness towards disturbing the Ark. It helped give the audience a growing sense of foreboding about the mystical powers of the Ark and all were justified by what happened when it was opened. Indy was remaining the impartial or even skeptical academic up until the end, but he wizened up just in time.

Wilhelm said:

maybe that phrase is residual from Lucas' original ideas about mixing the ark with extra-terrestrial life.

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Maybe it's the implication, not directly, but indirectly the suggestion that religion here on Earth has some of it's origins in extra-terrestrial life.

Either way it's definitely a line that deserves closer inspection and can now be connected with ideas from the forth film. Making everything more interesting.

Also it connects with the warehouse in Raiders being Hangar 51 and the Roswell affair. It's a nice relation between the first and last film.

Each film show us a different interpretation of paranormal / occult themes from religions. In fact the interdimensional beings were treated as Gods by the Ugha Tribe so it's the same case of God /Human interaction of Moses, Sankara or José de Arimatea with a different object (Ark, Stones, Grail, Skull) as proof of their existence.

It was merely a mood setting statement. A counter balance to Indy's skepticism is Sallah's superstition.

I think he meant not of this earth...as in of heavenly, divine or mystical origin. Not alien as in other planets or dimensions as this would be based on more scientific rationale rather than the religious belief or even superstition which appears to be more in keeping with the charatcer.

Sallah strikes me as more of a believer of the boogeyman than little green men from Mars.

Whichever way you look at it though, he was wrong.

The ark was supposedly built by man on Earth in accordance with God's instructions in which to contain the stone tablets God carved the 10 commandments into.

It may have been bestowed with divine powers but it was built on earth according to the bible, scholars etc etc.

Wilhelm said:

One of the first concepts for the ark was that it comes from UFOs, as we could read in the Raiders transference transcripts (1979):

LUCAS: "The Ark is like a radio transmiter. That's the real legend. That's what they used to do. The Israelis used to set up these tents and they would talk to God and God would tell them what to do. And then they would march with it in front of their army. The other Armies would be destroyed. Our idea was that there must actually be some kind of super high-powered radio from one of Erick Von Daniken's FLYING SAUCERS. The fact that it's electrical charges makes it vaguely believable."

Phillip Kaufman also mentions the extraterrestial connection:

" (...) when I was in college, a famous blood specialist had written
with another doctor an article on the Ark of the Covenant
and how he felt it provided a means of communication with some
other extra-terrestrial or God-like or whatever. It was in
a sense an elaborate radio setup. It contained silk curtains and
veils and other things."

Click to expand...

At the very least these words by Lucas and Kaufman indicate the ideas that they were floating around prior to making Raiders. Lucas really wanted to get aliens and UFOs into Indy 4, so those initial ideas from 1979 hadn't gone away.

The source of the power of the Ark is ambiguous in Raiders. It isn't proved, and therefore remains a mystery. The audience will react individually according to their beliefs.

When Lucas was finally able to get his 'aliens' and UFOs into Indy 4, he presents another aspect to the mystery. The Ark has remained a powerful symbol throughout the Indiana Jones series of films - it's appeared in 3 out of 4 of the films.

In KOTCS the interdimensionals are clearly shown to be beings recognized as gods, who impart knowledge to men. The Ugha recorded this on their temple walls. The treasure room of artifacts next to the 13 Crystal Skeletons is full of artifacts from all over the world, and from different periods of human history, implying that the interdimensionals had contact with many varied civilizations throughout history. Unless they are emissaries from a one true God, then these 'aliens' are the gods of men.

The idea can also be connected to Lucifer (the 'light-bringer') who was supposedly cast out of heaven for bringing fire to men, or Prometheus who was punished by the gods for doing the exact same thing in Greek mythology. Bringing light is the equivalent of bringing knowledge. What the aliens represent is the unification of the varied yet connected mythologies that exist around the world.

KOTCS is a very von Daniken inspired movie. Much of what Daniken wrote is bad history, sensationalist, even blatantly fake, yet, it does make for great ideas for fiction.

If you watch Raiders without including KOTCS as part of the series, then Sallah's comment that the Ark is not of this world, is very likely a reference to the unearthly (or godly) power of the Ark.

If you accept that KOTCS is part of the series, then his comment has other meanings (albeit probably unintentionally). I do think that the quote is connected to Lucas' early idea about the source of the Ark. After all, the Ark was built by men, so it is of this earth. What is unearthly is the power that resides in it.

Attila the Professor said:

There are always throwaway lines, even in Shakespeare. That doesn't make them flaws; it's just part of what writing dialogue entails. When every line is portentous and meaningful, then you've got problems.

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Sound's like an Indy Message forum, if you ask me. Thank goodness there are throwaway posts here, too.

Montana Smith said:

At the very least these words by Lucas and Kaufman indicate the ideas that they were floating around prior to making Raiders. Lucas really wanted to get aliens and UFOs into Indy 4, so those initial ideas from 1979 hadn't gone away.

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Even more than that, what they ultimately reveal is how Lucas has always viewed the character and world of Indiana Jones.

Fans may consider him a hero of realistic period films, but to Lucas, he is a character that can be used to explore everything from ghosts to ufos to the wrath of God.

James said:

Fans may consider him a hero of realistic period films, but to Lucas, he is a character that can be used to explore everything from ghosts to ufos to the wrath of God.

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No doubt, as an expert on the occult.

They also meant HALF of his adventures would uncover hoaxes, which Sallah's line could have just as likely been setting up.

James said:

Even more than that, what they ultimately reveal is how Lucas has always viewed the character and world of Indiana Jones.

Fans may consider him a hero of realistic period films, but to Lucas, he is a character that can be used to explore everything from ghosts to ufos to the wrath of God.

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That's precisely what I found fascinating in Lucas's comments. The transcript wasn't 1979, but January 1978. I found the complete document here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13153501/Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-1978-Story-Conference-Transcript-

Reading this makes KOTCS all the less alien to the story of Indiana Jones.

Rocket Surgeon said:

No doubt, as an expert on the occult.

They also meant HALF of his adventures would uncover hoaxes, which Sallah's line could have just as likely been setting up.

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Which also accounts for Indy's constant skepticism, which, in turn, heightens the sense of wonder experienced by the audience.

Montana Smith said:

Reading this makes KOTCS all the less alien to the story of Indiana Jones.

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Investigating sure, finding it credible, while fitting the tone of "Mr Jones Wild Refridgerated Ride", is a shame.

Too bad he didn't uncover a ufo hoax perpetrated by the Soviets and the "Supernatural" aspect turned out to be something else...

Rocket Surgeon said:

Investigating sure, finding it credible, while fitting the tone of "Mr Jones Wild Refridgerated Ride", is a shame.

Too bad he didn't uncover a ufo hoax perpetrated by the Soviets and the "Supernatural" aspect turned out to be something else...

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I just downloaded the full transcript - it's 126 pages of conversation between Lucas, Spielberg and Kasdan and it looks an interesting read.

On the first page Lucas is suggesting that they make it more realistic than "James Bond [which] tends to get a little outrageous at times". Lucas even says that the cliffhangers have to be escaped from in a "believable way" (!) Things obviously changed en route to the fridge!

Montana Smith said:

I just downloaded the full transcript - it's 126 pages of conversation between Lucas, Spielberg and Kasdan and it looks an interesting read.

On the first page Lucas is suggesting that they make it more realistic than "James Bond [which] tends to get a little outrageous at times". Lucas even says that the cliffhangers have to be escaped from in a "believable way" (!) Things obviously changed en route to the fridge!

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That they did...

There's an entire thread, (or two) about the transcript buried somewhere around here.

Rocket Surgeon said:

That they did...

There's an entire thread, (or two) about the transcript buried somewhere around here.

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Reading the transcript is really reading about the birth of Indy.

On the first two pages they're trying to bring together the idea of a Republic serial with cliffhangers every 10 minutes, with a character inspired by Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery and John Wayne, in a serious 1930s period film, which will still remain more realistic than James Bond.

Yet, I think that Lucas will be constantly undermining his own remit, in the search for greater adventure.

Here's a link to the longer thread relating to this transcript:

http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?t=10435&highlight=1978+transcript

My take on the line is Sallah just meant the Ark was weird and mysterious and not to be trifled with. Which later turns out to be absolutely true. "Not of this Earth" in this that it may not even technically be meant to exist, or meant to be coveted by mortal men.