Just to keep you thinking...
This really does not require much gold at all for private explorations. And it does not require but a fraction of the tons found at Hathor Temple. But we get a glimpse of the payoff awaiting the diligent "slaves" who labored at building pyramids and such. Honest laborers and especially clear the Israelites had a sample of heavenly bliss in the manna from heaven.
And yes; it is applied by an Arc. A large arc would produce a cloud of nanoparticulate gold by day, and within the walls of the Tabernacle with the roof rolled open it would produce a pillar of fire. It is all right there.