<human>:  Why did God command the Israelites to build the Ark of the Covenant?
<bot>: The Ark of the Covenant was a box that was supposed to contain the Ten Commandments. It was built by the Israelites during the time of Moses. The Israelites were commanded to build the Ark by God as part of their covenant with him. The Ark was supposed to protect them from the plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians.