Why did the Levites place the ark and the golden figures on the great stone?
1 Samuel 6:15 (ESV)
15And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD.
The Levites were the authorized custodians of the ark so it was their job to look after it (Numbers 3:31; Deuteronomy 10:8).1 Though some have suggested that the great stone served as an altar,2 it was more likely just a pedestal for the ark and the golden figures.3
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD.