holy of holies

holy of holies
1. a place of special sacredness.
2. the innermost chamber of the Biblical tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, in which the ark of the covenant was kept.
3. Eastern Ch. the bema.
[1350-1400; ME, trans. of LL sanctum sanctorum (Vulgate), trans. of Gk tò hágion tôn hagíon, itself trans. of Heb qodesh haqqodashim]

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Innermost and most sacred area of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, accessible only to the Israelite high priest and only once a year, on Yom Kippur.

The Holy of Holies was located at the western end of the temple. At its entrance stood a small cedar altar overlaid with gold. In the First Temple (see Temple of Jerusalem) the Holy of Holies held the Ark of the Covenant.

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Hebrew  Qodesh Ha-qadashim,  also called  Devir,  

      the innermost and most sacred area of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, accessible only to the Israelite high priest. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, he was permitted to enter the square, windowless enclosure to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood. By this act, the most solemn of the religious year, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the priesthood.

      The Holy of Holies was located at the west end of the Temple, and in Solomon's Temple it enshrined the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of Israel's special relationship with God. At the entrance to the Holy of Holies stood a small cedar altar overlaid with gold. After his conquest of Jerusalem in 63 BC, Pompey desecrated the Temple by daring to enter the Holy of Holies. See also Jerusalem, Temple of.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Holy of holies — Holy Ho ly, a. [Compar. {Holier}; superl. {Holiest}.] [OE. holi, hali, AS. h[=a]lig, fr. h[ae]l health, salvation, happiness, fr. h[=a]l whole, well; akin to OS. h?lag, D. & G. heilig, OHG. heilac, Dan. hellig, Sw. helig, Icel. heilagr. See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • holy of holies — n [singular] 1.) humorous a special place where only a few people are allowed to go 2.) the Holy of Holies the most holy part of a Jewish temple …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • holy of holies — ► NOUN 1) historical the inner chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. 2) a place regarded as most sacred or special …   English terms dictionary

  • holy of holies — n. [transl. of Heb qōdesh haqadōshim] 1. the innermost part of the Jewish tabernacle and Temple, where the ark of the covenant was kept 2. any most sacred place …   English World dictionary

  • Holy of Holies — The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which referred to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem which could be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur. Contemporary Judaism and certain branches of… …   Wikipedia

  • holy of holies — [[t]ho͟ʊli əv ho͟ʊliz[/t]] N SING A holy of holies is a place that is so sacred that only particular people are allowed to enter; often used in informal English to refer humorously to a place where only a few special people can go. ...the holy of …   English dictionary

  • Holy of Holies — noun a) The most sacred place within a sacred building. The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets;… …   Wiktionary

  • holy of holies —    1. the vagina    The kind of tasteless pun which a libertine like Frank Harris would relish:     I want to see the Holy of Holies, the shrine of my idolatry. (F. Harris, 1925)    2. a lavatory    Again a tasteless double pun on what should be… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • holy of holies — noun 1. (sometimes upper case) the inner and smaller chamber of the Jewish tabernacle and temple entered only by the high priest and but once a year. 2. a place of special sacredness. 3. (often ironic) a cherished place: *here in the sweet… …  

  • holy of holies —    This term refers to the innermost part of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the repository for the Ark of the Covenant; only the high priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies and then only once a year …   Glossary of theological terms

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