Ark travels from Shiloh to Jerusalem

Eli’s immoral sons Hophni and Phinehas fought the Philistines at Aphek, on the coastal plain.  After losing badly on the first day of battle, they brought the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh  (in the mountains) to the battlefield on the second day. That battle went even worse and the  Philistines captured the ark. Eli died upon hearing of such a devastating loss (1 Samuel 4:18).  The Philistines took the ark to Ashdod, Gath and Ekron, only to realize they didn’t want the  sacred item in their possession. They sent it to Beth Shemesh, where even the Jewish men of that  community realized that the Ark was a dangerous item (1 Samuel 6:19-20). In time, David  managed to finally move the Ark back to Jerusalem, where it would await a permanent home in  the temple Solomon built.