Indiana Jones Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Register
Indiana Jones Wiki
Indiana Jones Wiki
6,791
pages
in: Archaeological Sites, Tombs and Gravesites

Changes: Well of the Souls

Back to page
Edit
No edit summary
No edit summary
Tag: Visual edit
(37 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Infobox Site
  
{{Infobox Site
⚫
|image=[[Image:CoverWell.jpg|250px]]
  
 
|name=Well of the Souls
  
|name=Well of the Souls
  ⚫
|image=[[File:CoverWell.jpg|250px]]
−
|culture=[[Ancient Egyptian]]
  
  +
|culture=[[Egypt|Ancient Egyptian]]<ref name="Raiders">''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''</ref>
⚫
|location=[[Tanis]], [[Egypt]]
  
  +
|established=c. 10th century BC<ref>Although the ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook]]'' has [[Shishak]]'s reign come later in the century, it does establish the Well of the Souls as having been built following his invasion of [[Jerusalem]], dated as around [[980 BC]] by the film.</ref>
⚫
|artifacts=[[Ark of the Covenant]]}}
  
  ⚫
|location=[[Tanis]], [[Egypt]]<ref name="Raiders" />
−
The '''Well of the Souls''' was a secret chamber located inside the ancient city of [[Tanis]] where the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was kept. The Well of the Souls was created after the Ark was taken to Tanis by [[Shishak]] in the year 980BC. Shishak created the Well of the Souls to hide the Ark of the Covenant from Amun-Ra, the Egyptian sun god.
  
  +
|structure=Vault<ref>{{IJ|url=marshall/artifact/arkofthecovenant/|text=Ark of the Covenant}}</ref>
  ⚫
|artifacts=[[Ark of the Covenant]]<ref name="Raiders"/>
  +
}}The '''Well of the Souls''' (or simply '''Well of Souls''') was a vault, part of a temple built within the ancient city of [[Tanis]], where the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was placed after [[Pharaoh]] [[Shishak]] stole it from [[Jerusalem]].
   
  +
==History==
⚫
The Well was infested with [[snake]]s that came through the wall. [[Indiana Jones]] and [[Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir|Sallah]] found the chamber and took the Ark back up, but Sallah dropped the rope and Jones was stuck there. Later, [[Marion Ravenwood]] was thrown into the chamber with Jones and locked in by Nazis.
  
  +
The Well of the Souls was built after the [[Ark of the Covenant]] was taken to [[Tanis]] by [[Pharaoh]] [[Shishak]] around the year [[980 BC]]. A vault, part of a temple commissioned to honor the [[Egypt]]ian war dead who fell in Shishak's military campaign against the [[Israel]]ites, was used to hide the Ark from [[Amun-Ra]], the Egyptian sun god.<ref name="RotLA Sourcebook">''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook]]''</ref>
   
  ⚫
By [[1936]], the Well was infested with [[snake]]s that slithered in through the walls. [[Indiana Jones]] and [[Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir|Sallah]] found the chamber and recovered the Ark, but Sallah was captured by [[Nazi]]s who dropped the rope, trapping Jones. [[Marion Ravenwood]] was thrown into the chamber with Jones and locked in by the Nazis despite [[René Emile Belloq]]'s protests. Under orders of [[Colonel]] [[Herman Dietrich]], the Nazis sealed the tomb with Jones and Ravenwood inside.<ref name="Raiders" />
⚫
During their escape, Jones broke through one of the walls of the chamber, revealing a room filled with many mummified corpses that frightened Ravenwood.
  
  +
−
{{Stub}}
  
  ⚫
During their escape, Jones broke through one of the walls of the chamber, revealing a room filled with many mummified corpses that frightened Ravenwood before the two made their way off the Well.<ref name="Raiders" />
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
  +
The Well of the Souls contains references to [[George Lucas]]' ''[[Star Wars]]'' film series. The first on a wall which featured the droids [[R2-D2]] and [[C-3PO]], while the another featured Princess [[Leia|Leia Organa]] inserting the Death Star plans into R2-D2.
⚫
[[Image:WellOfSouls.jpg|thumb|A pair of droids from ''a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....'']]
  
  +
−
One wall in the Well of the Souls features the droids [[R2-D2]] and [[C-3PO]].
  
  ⚫
[[File:WellOfSouls.jpg|thumb|A pair of droids from [[Star Wars|''a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....'']]]]
  +
  +
Three thousand snakes were ordered months in advance, but when the production crew laid out the snakes, they discovered that 3,000 was no where near enough to carpet the set as the scenes called for. Another 7,000 snakes were procured, for a total of 10,000 snakes.
  +
  +
The wide shot of [[Indiana Jones]] and the Arab diggers at sunset digging over the Well of Souls were partly inspired by the one of the many vistas represented in [[Wikipedia:David Lean|David Lean]]'s film ''[[Wikipedia:Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', which is considered by director [[Steven Spielberg]] as his favorite film and the one which inspired him to became a filmmaker.<ref>''A Conversation with Steven Spielberg''</ref> When Jones is dressed as an [[Egypt]]ian worker during the Map Room scenes, he closely resembles the on-screen [[T.E. Lawrence]] after the grateful Arabs give him Bedouin clothes.<ref>[http://www.theraider.net/information/influences/lawrence_of_arabia.php Lawrence of Arabia - Indiana Jones' Influences] at [[TheRaider.net]]</ref>
  +
  +
While the Well of Souls featured in the film is depicted in Egypt, there is an actual "[[Wikipedia:Well of Souls|Well of Souls]]" from which the legend of the Ark is based. It can be found under the [[Wikipedia:Foundation Stone|Foundation Stone]] under the [[Wikipedia:Dome of the Rock|Dome of the Rock]] in [[Jerusalem]]. The well is accessable to visitors as a stairwell has been made for storing the Ark beneath the stone in case of war.<ref>[http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/well-of-souls/ Jerusalem's Mysterious Well of Souls May Hold Ancient Secrets] at [http://science.nationalgeographic.com National Geographic]</ref>
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
Line 20: Line 31:
 
*''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
  
*''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
 
*''[[Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures]]''
  
*''[[Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures]]''
  +
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures]]'' {{Nc}}
  +
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues]]'' {{Nc}}
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
 
*''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook]]''
  
*''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook]]''
  +
*{{IJ|url=marshall/artifact/arkofthecovenant/|text=Ark of the Covenant}}
  +
*''[[Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide]]''
  +
  +
==Notes and references==
  +
{{Reflist}}
   
 
==External links==
  
==External links==

Revision as of 04:50, 11 December 2019

The Well of the Souls (or simply Well of Souls) was a vault, part of a temple built within the ancient city of Tanis, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed after Pharaoh Shishak stole it from Jerusalem.

History

The Well of the Souls was built after the Ark of the Covenant was taken to Tanis by Pharaoh Shishak around the year 980 BC. A vault, part of a temple commissioned to honor the Egyptian war dead who fell in Shishak's military campaign against the Israelites, was used to hide the Ark from Amun-Ra, the Egyptian sun god.[4]

By 1936, the Well was infested with snakes that slithered in through the walls. Indiana Jones and Sallah found the chamber and recovered the Ark, but Sallah was captured by Nazis who dropped the rope, trapping Jones. Marion Ravenwood was thrown into the chamber with Jones and locked in by the Nazis despite René Emile Belloq's protests. Under orders of Colonel Herman Dietrich, the Nazis sealed the tomb with Jones and Ravenwood inside.[1]

During their escape, Jones broke through one of the walls of the chamber, revealing a room filled with many mummified corpses that frightened Ravenwood before the two made their way off the Well.[1]

Behind the scenes

The Well of the Souls contains references to George Lucas' Star Wars film series. The first on a wall which featured the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, while the another featured Princess Leia Organa inserting the Death Star plans into R2-D2.

WellOfSouls

A pair of droids from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

Three thousand snakes were ordered months in advance, but when the production crew laid out the snakes, they discovered that 3,000 was no where near enough to carpet the set as the scenes called for. Another 7,000 snakes were procured, for a total of 10,000 snakes.

The wide shot of Indiana Jones and the Arab diggers at sunset digging over the Well of Souls were partly inspired by the one of the many vistas represented in David Lean's film Lawrence of Arabia, which is considered by director Steven Spielberg as his favorite film and the one which inspired him to became a filmmaker.[5] When Jones is dressed as an Egyptian worker during the Map Room scenes, he closely resembles the on-screen T.E. Lawrence after the grateful Arabs give him Bedouin clothes.[6]

While the Well of Souls featured in the film is depicted in Egypt, there is an actual "Well of Souls" from which the legend of the Ark is based. It can be found under the Foundation Stone under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The well is accessable to visitors as a stairwell has been made for storing the Ark beneath the stone in case of war.[7]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Raiders of the Lost Ark
  2. ↑ Although the Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook has Shishak's reign come later in the century, it does establish the Well of the Souls as having been built following his invasion of Jerusalem, dated as around 980 BC by the film.
  3. ↑ IndianaJones Ark of the Covenant on IndianaJones.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  4. ↑ Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook
  5. ↑ A Conversation with Steven Spielberg
  6. ↑ Lawrence of Arabia - Indiana Jones' Influences at TheRaider.net
  7. ↑ Jerusalem's Mysterious Well of Souls May Hold Ancient Secrets at National Geographic

External links

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms