20 Things You Didn't Know About Raiders Of The Lost Ark
17. How Did Indy Know Not To Look Inside The Ark?
Raiders concludes with the Nazis locating the Ark of the Covenant and capturing Indy and Marion. While Belloq prepares to open the Ark, Indy orders Marion to shut her eyes. When Belloq lifts the cover for the Ark, it releases spirits which kills everyone in the area save for the two heroes.
Because of the spectacular special effects in this scene, this moment is seen as one of the most iconic endings in film history. But there's one thing that bothers a lot of viewers; how did Indy know that shutting his eyes would spare him from suffering the same fate as the Nazis?
The answer to this enigma was explained in a deleted scene. In the original cut, Indy and Sallah meet a monk who can translate the inscription on the medallion, which belongs to the Staff of Ra. The monk reads it and warns Indy that the Ark should not be touched nor should its contents be witnessed. This is why nobody touches the Ark in the entire film until the end. This scene was probably cut so it remained a mystery what happened when the Ark was finally opened.