The priestly tunic ( ''kutonet'') was as an undergarment or shirt worn by the
High Priest and
priests when they served in the
Tabernacle and the
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...
.
[Theological Dictionary of Rabbinic Judaism: Part Three Page 53 Jacob Neusner - 2005 "C. "This is in accord with the following teaching, which we have learned in the Mishnah . Yoma 7:5 "The high priest serves in eight garments, and an ordinary priest in four: tunic, underpants, head-covering, and girdle."]
Etymology
The Hebrew noun ''kutónet'' () is the generic term for a tunic in Hebrew. The first use is the "coats" of skins made for Adam and Eve in Eden, the best known use would be the
coat of many colours of
Joseph. It is related to, and may be the source of, the Greek noun ''kiton'' ''(chiton)'' "tunic."
Instructions for making the tunic
It was made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (); those of the priests were plain ().
On the
Day of Atonement, the High priest would change into a special tunic made of fine linen that was not embroidered when he would enter the
Holy of Holies
The Holy of Holies ( or ''Kodesh HaKodashim''; also ''hadDəḇīr'', 'the Sanctuary') is a term in the Hebrew Bible that refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where the Shekhinah (God in Judaism, God's presence) appeared. According ...
. This tunic could only be used once, with a new set made for each year.
According to the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
, the wearing of the tunic and the rest of the priestly garments
atoned for the
sin of bloodshed on the part of the
Children of Israel (B.
Zevachim 88b).
See also
*
Ephod
*
Kittel
*
Priestly breastplate
*
Priestly golden head plate
*
Priestly robe (Judaism)
*
Priestly sash
*
Priestly turban
*
Priestly undergarments
References
{{Jewish priesthood
Jewish religious clothing
Tunic
A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...