Ark carrier (3)

A Nazi soldier was present at the opening of the Ark of the Covenant at Geheimhaven, on the Aegean Sea, in 1936 as part of the German forces commanded by Colonel Herman Dietrich French archaeologist René Emile Belloq and Major Arnold Ernst Toht.

Biography
In 1936, the German soldier was among those present at Geheimhaven, a Nazi bass in the Aegean Sea, under Captain Mohler following the Nazis' discovery of the Ark of the Covenant at Tanis, an ancient destroyed city outside Cairo, Egypt, under the command of Colonel Herman Dietrich, French archaeologist René Emile Belloq and Major Arnold Ernst Toht.

The German soldier and many others formed a procession which headed across the island to open the Ark at the Tabernacle, lead by Belloq, Dietrich and Toht, and also carrying a captive Marion Ravenwood, with this soldier and three other men carrying the Ark itself. On the way to the Tabernacle, one officer who was lurking at the back of the group slipped away, and soon turned out to be American archaeologist Indiana Jones in disguise, having followed the Nazis to the island from Tanis to apprehend them, and take the Ark back to the United States for the National Museum. Jones threatened to blow the relic up using a rocket launcher, and all of the Nazis present moved away from it save for Dietrich and Belloq, the four Ark carriers dropping the relic. The latter told Jones to go through with his threat, and the Nazis all came closer to the Ark only for Belloq to threaten them with a machine gun, and repeat his command to Jones. However, the American could not bring himself to destroy the Ark, and was captured.

At the Tabernacle, the Nazis prepared to open the Ark with a Jewish ritual performed by Belloq, this soldier still bearing his flag. This soldier and his comrades stood amongst a large crowd as Belloq performed the ritual, before stepping back with Dietrich and Toht and allowing two other men to open the relic. When they discovered that the Ark contained nothing but sand, all of the men present were disappointed, but moments afterwards they were shocked by the sight of several ghosts emerging from the ancient relic. Soon, the ghosts started screaming wildly at the Nazis, and giant bolts of electricity suddenly fired from the Ark, impaling and killing soldiers left and right. The Nazis were all wiped out by the artifact, with their remains being pulled into the relic afterwards, leaving Jones and Ravenwood the only survivors of the whole ordeal.

Behind the scenes
The Nazi soldier was portrayed by an uncredited performer in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Appearances

 * Raiders of the Lost Ark