The preponderance of the historical evidence is that the Ark on earth no longer exists. The Babylonians looted Jerusalem and the temple, and they had to take all that 1,500 miles back by foot. They would have dismantled it. Supposedly there is a rumor that "the priests buried and hid the Ark," but that has about as much credibility as "Elvis is still alive." The priests, the kings, and the Israelites did not care much about God at the time--that was the reason they were being conquered. They cared about saving their own skins. And if that meant giving away everything they had as ransom, then that they did.