{"id":49699,"date":"2016-12-30T20:25:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T02:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=49699"},"modified":"2022-07-09T20:27:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-10T01:27:59","slug":"did-the-priests-have-a-rope-tied-to-their-ankles-when-entering-the-tabernacle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-the-priests-have-a-rope-tied-to-their-ankles-when-entering-the-tabernacle\/","title":{"rendered":"Did the priests have a rope tied to their ankles when entering the tabernacle?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I have heard all my life that priests in the Old Testament when entering the tabernacle had a rope tied to their leg in case they were killed because of some sin in their life, they could be pulled out since no one else could enter the Tabernacle.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

This is a myth that has been traced to the Middle Ages. “The rope on the high priest legend is just that: a legend. It has obscure beginnings in the Middle Ages and keeps getting repeated. It cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, Mishna, or any other Jewish source. It just is not there.” [Dr. W.E. Nunnally]. The source appears to be a text on Jewish mysticism.<\/p>\n

“It would seem that the first traceable reference to this custom is in the\u00a0Zohar<\/em>, a thirteenth century mystical Jewish commentary on the Torah written by Moses de Leon. The\u00a0Zohar\u00a0<\/em>is the basic text of Kaballah, the practice of Jewish mysticism.<\/p>\nHere’s the reference: “Rabbi Yitzchak said, 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… Then there is joy among the higher and lower beings. If not, they were all in sorrow and all knew that their prayer was not accepted.”
\nZohar Vol. 16 Emor, Section 34. Yom Kippur, Par. 251.<\/em>\n

[Dustin Germain, “The Rope Around The High Priest’s Ankle- Myth’s That’ll Preach<\/a>“].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are biblical flaws in the myth. There are multiple priests and any priest can enter the tabernacle’s holy place. There was a room at the back of the tabernacle, the holy of holies, that only the high priest could enter once a year. However, on the day of atonement, prior to entering the holy of holies, the high priest made sacrifices for his personal sins. Thus, there would be no sins attributed to the high priest prior to entering the holy of holies. “And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded<\/em>.\u00a0… And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people<\/em>” (Leviticus 9:7, 23; see also Leviticus 16).<\/p>\n

Some versions of the myth claim that people would know when to pull out the priest when the bells on his garments ceased to tinkle. The problem is that before the priest entered the holy of holies, he changed into plain linen garments. “He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on<\/em>” (Leviticus 16:4).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I have heard all my life that priests in the Old Testament when entering the tabernacle had a rope tied to their leg in case they were killed because of some sin in their life, they could be pulled out since no one else could enter the Tabernacle. Thank you. Answer: This is a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[907,277,92],"class_list":["post-49699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-myths","tag-priests","tag-tabernacle"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86619,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-tabernacle-of-witness\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":0},"title":"The Tabernacle of Witness","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Why was the Tabernacle in Israel referenced as \"the Tabernacle of Witness?\" The inspired scriptures may provide several different reasons. It was designed to testify to God's Presence in the pillar of cloud and in the pillar of fire that demonstrated His Presence in the midst\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22029,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-was-worship-conducted-in-israel-when-the-temple-was-destroyed\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":1},"title":"How was worship conducted in Israel when the temple was destroyed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 18, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question regarding the Tabernacle and the first Temple in the Old Testament: Was the Tabernacle the dwelling place of God and was the Temple the place of worship for the people? If so, when the first Temple was destroyed and tabernacle removed, how did the people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33221,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-many-priests-carried-the-ark-of-god-across-river-jordan\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":2},"title":"How many priests carried the ark of God across river Jordan?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How many priests carried the ark of God across river Jordan? Answer: In the building of the ark we find: \"You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12244,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-jesus-enter-the-holy-of-holies-twice\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":3},"title":"Did Jesus enter the holy of holies twice?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Did Jesus enter the holy of holies twice? Answer: The writer of Hebrews mentions that Jesus entered the true holy of holies, that is he entered into heaven. \"For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19481,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-was-the-significance-of-anointing-aaron-as-high-priest\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":4},"title":"What was the significance of anointing Aaron as high priest?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What was the significance of anointing Aaron as high priest? Answer: Anointing was a representation of setting something or someone apart for a special purpose. Thus, the altar was anointed before offerings were placed on them to God. \"And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4044,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-was-the-sea-of-bronze\/","url_meta":{"origin":49699,"position":5},"title":"What was the Sea of Bronze?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is the Sea Of Bronze? Answer: One of the furnishings in the tabernacle and the temple was a laver to hold water so that God's requirements for the priests to wash before doing certain ceremonies could be done. \"You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/scan0002-300x211.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}