Judges 20:27

‘ And the children of Israel enquired of Yahweh, for the Ark of the Covenant was there in those days.'

This confirms that at this time for some reason the Ark was at Bethel, and probably the Tabernacle, although it was mostly at this time at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1; Joshua 18:8; Joshua 19:51; Jdg 18:31; 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 1:24; 1Sa 2:14; 1 Samuel 3:21; 1 Samuel 4:3; 1 Samuel 14:3). (Although ‘Beth-el' can translate as ‘the house of God (or El)' it was not the usual expression for ‘the house of God' when spoken of as such, which was Beth ha-elohim - Genesis 28:17; Jdg 18:31; 1 Chronicles 6:48 (33); 1 Chronicles 9:11 etc. Beth-el naturally means Bethel).

There they ‘enquired of Yahweh', again through the Urim and Thummim or by lot. The mention of the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the ten commandments against which the men of Gibeah were judged, stresses the fact that they saw their activity as very much involved with the covenant.