Comments on BiblePlaces Blog: That Rope around the High Priest’s Ankle

If the high priest did die in the holy of holies, ...

2009-08-02T07:18:29.444-05:00

If the high priest did die in the holy of holies, everyone knew who the next high priest was, and presumably he could enter the holy of holies and retrieve the body.

I have always understood Ex 28:33-35 to mean that ...

2009-04-09T08:37:53.498-05:00

I have always understood Ex 28:33-35 to mean that God promises that the high priest will not die whilst carrying out this most holy task.

I see that the Aramaic of the Zohar does not match...

2009-02-09T17:19:56.928-06:00

I see that the Aramaic of the Zohar does not match the English. This portion is an interpolation of the Kabbalah Center:

FROM FEAR PERHAPS HE WOULD DIE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES, AND THEY WOULD NEED TO PULL HIM OUT WITH THIS ROPE.

I am trying to find out if these words are based on an authoritative commentary, or are just a totally imaginative idea to try to explain the original text, which only says:

a knot of gold hangs from his leg...

Ze'ev, who knows what was in the heads of the auth...

2009-01-14T00:48:45.139-06:00

Ze'ev, who knows what was in the heads of the authors of the Zohar?! That book is, essentially, nuts.

>It's as if the Biblical commandments were put asi...

2009-01-13T23:32:50.953-06:00

>It's as if the Biblical commandments were put aside to come up with a "cute" idea to answer some hypothetical question...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That said, look at all the crazy stuff that gets invented in the Middle Ages about Christianity.

You could ask "Why would anyone make up St. George killing a dragon if he didn't?"

It appears that lots of stuff gets made up for all sorts of reasons all the time, expecially in religion.

I agree with the criticism. If the 13th C AD is the first mention of this, I would tend to assume it not true until an earlier source is found.

BTW, this sounds like the kind of fact that Josephus would have loved to recount if it was true (if fact, even if it wasn't).

Todd, perhaps that could be the explanation, howev...

2009-01-13T23:23:21.965-06:00

Todd, perhaps that could be the explanation, however in the face of the fact that there seems to be explicit guidelines as to exactly what the High priest can wear, and nothing else - how something would get added to the list.

It's as if the Biblical commandments were put aside to come up with a "cute" idea to answer some hypothetical question...

Ze'ev - I haven't spent much time reading medieval...

2009-01-13T18:34:47.129-06:00

Ze'ev - I haven't spent much time reading medieval Jewish (or Christian) works, but based on other studies, it's easy to see how traditions evolve or are created. This one certainly seems logical. One only has to ask the question, what would happen if the high priest died when he was in a place no one else could go. Someone theorized that if a rope was tied on his ankle, that would solve the problem. Over time, a theory became a reality.

wow, that is weird...i always thought it was in th...

2009-01-13T16:32:31.740-06:00

wow, that is weird...i always thought it was in there...this reminds me of what CW always told us to just stop reading what others told us was there and just read what it says...wow!

i am kinda sad, but no reason i guess

John Gill was a hyper-Calvinist.

2009-01-13T13:22:20.759-06:00

John Gill was a hyper-Calvinist.

If there is no basis to the custom, what's the rat...

2009-01-13T13:16:09.121-06:00

If there is no basis to the custom, what's the rationale in bringing it up (creating it) nearly 13 centuries after the Second Temple had already been destroyed?

You Don't Mess with the Zoharcoming to theaters ne...

2009-01-13T09:40:07.461-06:00

You Don't Mess with the Zohar

coming to theaters near you