[fi-lak-tuh-ree] 
| 1. | Judaism. either of two small, black, leather cubes containing a piece of parchment inscribed with verses 4–9 of Deut. 6, 13–21 of Deut. 11, and 1–16 of Ex. 13: one is attached with straps to the left arm and the other to the forehead during weekday morning prayers by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men. |
| 2. | (in the early Christian church) a receptacle containing a holy relic. |
| 3. | an amulet, charm, or safeguard against harm or danger. |
rion outpost, safeguard, amulet, equiv. to phylak-, s. of phylássein to protect, guard + -tērion n. suffix denoting place; r. ME philaterie < ML philatērium, for LL, as above
[fil-ak-ter-ik] , phyl⋅ac⋅ter⋅i⋅cal, adjective | phy·lac·ter·y (fĭ-lāk'tə-rē) n. pl. phy·lac·ter·ies
[Middle English filaterie, philacterie, from Old French filatiere, from Late Latin phylactērium, from Greek phulaktērion, guard's post, safeguard, phylactery, from phulaktēr, guard, from phulax, phulak-.] |
"Ye shall bind them [my words] for a sign upon your hands, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes." [Deut. xi.18]
Phylacteries
(Gr. phulakteria; i.e., "defences" or "protections"), called by modern Jews tephillin (i.e., "prayers") are mentioned only in Matt. 23:5. They consisted of strips of parchment on which were inscribed these four texts: (1.) Ex. 13:1-10; (2.) 11-16; (3.) Deut. 6:4-9; (4.) 11:18-21, and which were enclosed in a square leather case, on one side of which was inscribed the Hebrew letter shin, to which the rabbis attached some significance. This case was fastened by certain straps to the forehead just between the eyes. The "making broad the phylacteries" refers to the enlarging of the case so as to make it conspicuous. (See FRONTLETS.) Another form of the phylactery consisted of two rolls of parchment, on which the same texts were written, enclosed in a case of black calfskin. This was worn on the left arm near the elbow, to which it was bound by a thong. It was called the "Tephillah on the arm."