Holy of Holies
Preserved but no longer current.
The innermost apartment of the Jewish temple, in which the ark of the covenant was kept, and into which only the high priest was allowed to enter, and that but once a year on the Day of Atonement. Hence, a private apartment, a sanctum sanctorum (q. v.).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Holy of Holies” mean?
The innermost apartment of the Jewish temple, in which the ark of the covenant was kept, and into which only the high priest was allowed to enter, and that but once a year on the Day of Atonement. Hence, a private apartment, a sanctum sanctorum (q. v.).
Is “Holy of Holies” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.