Why couldn’t the ark be carried on an oxcart? The Lord had commanded that the ark should be carried with long poles (Ex. 25:12–15). Transporting the ark on an oxcart instead demonstrated a lack of reverence for this representation of God’s presence. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah touched the ark to steady it, and the Lord struck him dead. Even those whose job it was to carry the ark were forbidden to touch it (Num. 4:15).