Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 9/24/2007

Question

You have made a statement to which I agree, but have ben questioned by others and am now looking for some "proof" we are correct!  Your quote:  "Remember too that only the High priest was allowed access to the Holy of the Holies and that once a year. A rope was tied around his leg so that should he inadvertently offend God's holiness his body could be pulled out."

Question is whether or not the rope story is a truth or a legend that is false as some say?  

What Does the Bible Say About..A Rope on the High Priest?

I am trying to find any information on the High Priest having a rope tied to him, in case he needed to be pulled out of the Holy of Holies. Can you please give me any references you have concerning this?
Answer

I have read this in some books by Messianic Jewish writers. I can't seem to find the particular books where I read it. However, another source I looked at today says that no Jewish sources contain this story. That, also, is probably not true. I have used to story, but I preface it with the condition, "it is said." That may not be enough of a disclaimer if the story can not be properly traced, however.

As far as I can tell, the story can be traced back to a Jewish writer, the Zohar. The Zohar was one of the founders of that Jewish mystical sect called the Kabbalah. The story about the rope being tied to the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) can be found in two of his writings, but apparently nowhere else. Nobody seems to know where he got the story, but that is true of many Jewish stories.

It is probably not true that the Kohen Gadol had a rope tied to him when he went into the Holy of Holies. That would be an extra "garment" beyond what was prescribed. Also, he had already made atonement for his own sins, so it wouldn't be likely that he would die in that place. If he did die, then the next High Priest could be named immediately and go in and bring him out. Some sources even say that other priests regularly went into the Holy of Holies to offer incense, so there would be no reason they couldn't go in and retrieve the body. Therefore, it is not likely to be true.
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Did the high priest have a rope tied to him when he entered the Holy of Holies?

high priest rope

Question: "Did the high priest have a rope tied to him when he entered the Holy of Holies?"

Answer: There is a tradition that the high priest of Israel would enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle / Temple with a rope tied to his foot and/or with bells around his waist. It is said that when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies at Yom Kippur during the last couple of centuries of the Temple, a scarlet rope was tied to his foot. A priest in the Holy Place tended the other end of this rope. The rope had a purpose. If the High Priest's sins were not atoned for properly, he would die in the presence of the shekinah, the glory of God, that filled the Holy of Holies. Since nobody else could enter that part of the Temple without also dying, the priests felt they needed a way to retrieve the body of the High Priest, if necessary. That was the purpose of the rope - to pull the body out. The bells jingling would be the sign that the priest had fallen to the ground dead. If true, this is a powerful reminder of God's holiness - and how we should praise Jesus for the direct access to God's throne He provides! However, the Bible does not record such a concept. In fact, the Bible has specific instructions regarding what the high priest can and cannot wear (Exodus chapters 28-35). It sees highly unlikely that God would allow this practice.

Recommended Resource: Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns .


http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/anklerope.html


You may have heard this story before. It has been said that that because the high priest could be killed by God in Holy of Holies if not properly prepared according to Divine instructions, a rope was routinely tied around his ankle. Then, if he dropped dead, his body could be dragged out. Various versions of this claim have been repeated in Christian and Jewish circles.

As yet, we have not located the original source, but apparently it originated long after the last Jewish Temple was gone. The biblical and historical evidence indicates that there was no rope, at least not in any common use.
High priest.

Dr. W.E. Nunnally, a professor of Hebrew and early Judaism, has reported:

   "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." [ 2]

The Biblical Studies Foundation (loosely associated with Dallas Theological Seminary), similarly reports that their research has put the"the rope around the ankle-or-waist-or-maybe-the-leg" legend "to rest." They also point out that Aaron was to wear a blue ephod with bells on its hem (Exodus 28:31-35), when he entered the Holy Place (not the Holy of Holies) (Leviticus 16:2-4). When he enters the Holy of Holies, he washes and wears special linen garments, not the ephod with bells. "If there are no bells to jingle, there is no need for the rope either." [ 3]

A Messianic Jewish Fellowship points out the potential difficulty of dragging a dead priest out of the Holy of Holies:

   "You could only drag out the priest if he died in the Holy place. The way the curtains of the temple were designed, the priest could not have been dragged out of the HOLY of HOLIES. The veil was made using many layers of cloth. The thickness was over three feet. The curtains overlapped and made a small maze through which the priest walked…" [4]

References:

  1. Dr. W.E. Nunnally is Associate Professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Central Bible College and Adjunct Professor of Hebrew at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
  2. "All in the Family: The Visions and Vanities of Sam Hinn," The Quarterly Journal, Vol. 16, No. 4, (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach), http://www.pfo.org/allinfam.htm
  3. Biblical Studies Foundation (Garland, TX), http://www.bible.org/docs/qa/qa.asp?StudyID=462
  4. Zion Messianic Jewish Fellowship Congregation (Austin, Texas), http://tzion.org/articles/Temple1.html

Answer
Hi Stephen,
You have taught me. Thank you!

There are certain things that people tend to accept without question and these are well examined. I had not looked into this particular one before as I never saw the need to question it. As you have found, it appears to be legendary however.

The source is supposed to arise from Josephus' histories of the Jewish people and is said to have been by tradition rather than by Torah (Oral or Written), as much of Judaism is. I have deep respect for Josephus and had he said this practice was observed that would have sufficed for me. It appears however that he did not. To get a reference for you I naturally went to Josephus' writings and was surprised to find it is not there.

Barring further study, which I intend to do as time permits, I therefore have to conclude that it is in fact not a true statement and there is not, to my present knowledge, any support for it. Should I learn otherwise I'll let you know.

Thanks again,
~John of AllFaith