Sanctum sanctorum

The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of the Ancient Israelites, inside the Tabernacle and later inside the Temple in Jerusalem, but the term also has some derivative use in application to imitations of the Tabernacle in church architecture.

The plural form ''sancta sanctorum'' is also used, arguably as a synecdoche, referring to the holy relics contained in the sanctuary. The Vulgate translation of the Bible uses ''sancta sanctorum'' for the Holy of Holies. Hence the derivative usage to denote the Sancta Sanctorum chapel in the complex of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome.

In Hinduism, a temple's innermost part where the ''Murti'' of the deity is kept forms the ''Garbha griha'', also referred to as a sanctum sanctorum.

Etymology

The Latin word '' sanctum'' is the neuter form of the adjective "holy", and ''sanctorum'' its genitive plural. Thus the term '' sanctum sanctorum'' literally means "the holy lace/thingof the holy laces/things, replicating in Latin the Hebrew construction for the superlative, with the intended meaning "the most holy lace/thing.

Use of the term in modern languages

The Latin word ''sanctum'' may be used in English, following Latin, for "a holy place", or a sanctuary, as in the novel ''Jane Eyre'' (1848) which refers to "the sanctum of school room".

Romance languages tend to use the form ''sancta sanctorum'', treating it as masculine and singular. E.g., the Spanish dictionary of the Real Academia Española admits ''sanctasanctórum'' (without the space and with an accent) as a derivative Spanish noun denoting both the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem, any secluded and mysterious place, and something that a person holds in the highest esteem.

The term is still often used by Indian writers for the garbhagriha or inner shrine chamber in Hindu temple architecture, after being introduced by British writers in the 19th century.

German Catholic processions

Some regional branches of the Catholic Church, e. g. Germans, are wont to refer to the Blessed Sacrament, when adored in the tabernacle or in exposition or procession (e.g. on Corpus Christi), as the Holy of Holies. By custom, It is adored with genuflection; with a double genuflection, that is a short moment of kneeling on both knees, if in exposition; in the procession this ritual may be nonrigoristically alleviated, but at least a simple genuflection is appropriate when It is elevated by the priest for blessing or immediately after transsubstantiation. Personnel in uniform — which in Germany includes student corporations — give the military salute when passing by or in the moment of elevation.

The "enclosed house" of Hindu temple architecture

The ''garbhagriha'' in Hindu temple architecture (a shrine inside a temple complex where the main deity is installed in a separate building by itself inside the complex) has also been compared to a "sanctum sanctorum" in texts on Hindu temple architecture, though the Sanskrit term actually means "enclosed house" or "the deep interior of the house". However, some Indian English authors seem to have translated the Sanskrit term literally as "womb house".Mountains of the God — Page 49 Kuldip Singh Gulia The Architecture of Temples Most of the architectural elements are the same in all temples and each has a specific name. The sanctum sanctorum is called the garbha griha — the womb house. The garbha griha is a square cell that is.

References

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Vulgate Latin words and phrases
Superlatives in religion
Sacral architecture