| 1. | a place of special sacredness. |
| 2. | the innermost chamber of the Biblical tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, in which the ark of the covenant was kept. |
| 3. | Eastern Church. the bema. |
| holy of ho·lies (hō'lēz) n.
[Translation of Late Latin sānctum sānctōrum (ultimately translation of Hebrew qōdeš haq-qodāšîm) : sānctum, neuter of sānctus, holy + sānctōrum, neuter genitive pl. of sānctus.] |
Holy of holies
the second or interior portion of the tabernacle. It was left in total darkness. No one was permitted to enter it except the high priest, and that only once a year. It contained the ark of the covenant only (Ex. 25:10-16). It was in the form of a perfect cube of 20 cubits. (See TABERNACLE.)
holy of holies
A place of awe or sacredness, as in The corporate board room is the holy of holies here. This expression is a translation of the Hebrew term for the sanctuary inside the tabernacle of the Temple of Jerusalem, where the sacred Ark of the Covenant was kept (Exodus 26:34). Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1800s.