The Myth of the High Priest’s Rope
by WAVE NUNNALLY
Almost everyone has heard the explanation that when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor), he wore a rope around his waist or ankle.
In
this way, he could be removed if he was struck dead for his sinfulness. One
easy question we all need to learn to ask at this point is, "What is the source of that
material?"
In
fact, this story originates in the Zohar,
a 13th-century AD work that originated in Spain.
It
also teaches gnosticism, theosophy, mysticism, reincarnation, numerology, and
astrology.
It
is not a source that any version of Judaism has ever used to determine belief
or practice, and is rejected as a source for historical reconstruction by
Jewish scholars and religious leaders.
One
version of the story is found in Emor 102a:
A chain was tied to the feet of the High Priest
when he entered the Holy of Holies, so that if he dies there they will take him
out, since it is forbidden to enter there. How did they know whether he was
alive or not? By a crimson-colored strap. If its color did not turn white, it
was known at that time that the priest was there in sin. And if he came out in
peace, it was known and recognized by the crimson strap that turned white…If
not…all knew that their prayer was not accepted.
Note
the modern changes to the story: rope versus chain, ankle/waist versus feet, no
longer hearing bells tinkle versus
Note
also that it teaches that if a Day of Atonement ritual is not carried out
successfully, God cannot hear the prayers of his people.
So
since the Day of Atonement ritual has not been carried out properly since the
destruction of the temple in AD 70, this would mean that God has heard no
prayers since AD 70!
Another
version of the story appears in Acharei
Mot 67a:
Afterwards…he aims to enter…the Holy of Holies…A
knot of rope of gold hangs from his leg, from fear perhaps he would die in the
Holy of Holies, and they would need to pull him out with this rope.
Here,
the Zohar appears self-contradictory: chain
versus rope, feet versus leg, crimson strap versus no mention of the crimson
strap.
Truly
ancient Jewish texts demonstrate that the Zohar's story would create a problem known as chatsitsah.
Since
Scripture decrees what the High Priest must wear into the Holy of Holies, any
addition to his vestments would constitute disobedience to the divine command (Leviticus
16:4, 32, etc.).
Only
one rabbinic text describes the death of a High Priest in the Holy of Holies (Babylonian
Talmud Yoma 19b).
Much
later sources such as Maimonides, Rashi, and the author of Aruch HaShulchan indeed state that "many"
High Priests died in the Holy of Holies, but they do not mention a rope and
they date to medieval times and later.
Another
story describes a High Priest who delayed in prayer for so long that his
colleagues became worried, entered the Holy of Holies, and escorted him out (Yoma 53b).
Neither
of these stories mentions a rope or chain used to extract the High Priest. The
Bible itself is entirely silent on all these matters.
Such
"insider knowledge" is discouraging because it suggests that only
"special" people can really understand Scripture.
Trying
to add interest or excitement to the Scriptures is also dangerous because it
sends the message that the Bible is not sufficient "to equip [us] for
every good work" (2 Timothy 3:15, 17).
If we change and supplement the Scriptures to
serve our needs, then we quickly become relativistic and postmodern.
In
addition, this is the approach to the Bible taken by pseudo-Christian cults.
We
certainly do not want to desensitize ourselves by adopting their practices,
thus setting ourselves up to accept their false messages.
These
paths ultimately lead to our acceptance of the "word of man" in place
of the "Word of God."
One
is the truth, which sets us free; the other eventually leads to hurt and
bondage.
Context
and background indeed enable our understanding of the Scriptures, and ancient
sources are important in this process.
However,
as with the Scriptures themselves, honesty and sensitivity must be exercised to
use them properly!
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A primary goal of the Center for Holy Lands Studies is to help pastors and laymen connect with their
Bibles by giving careful attention to context and background.
Often, ancient Jewish texts shed light on difficult passages in much the
same way that archeological discoveries help us better understand the ancient
world of Scripture.
Unfortunately, like the Scriptures themselves, these ancient sources can
also be misused.
This article, written by Wave Nunnally, Ph.D., will deal with one
example of such misuse of ancient materials.
Nunnally is Professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Evangel
University and is a regular instructor in Israel and Jordan for the Center for
Holy Lands Studies.
http://penews.org/features/the-myth-of-the-high-priests-rope
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