The False Rope on the High Priests Ankle Legend

[mfblume]

Anybody heard this? The high priest had a rope on his ankle and in case he died, evident by not hearing the bells ring on the hem of his garment, he was dragged out. Since no man could enter without dying, except the high priest, they had to allegedly tie the rope to his leg to be able to drag him out lest he die due to uncleanness.

It's WRONG!

Thoughts?

[mfblume]

He could wear no bells, no blue, red, purple, scarlet or gold IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE. This picture shows the truth of it:

http://www.ellenwhite.info/images/chapt-illus/GC/PP-DayOfAtonement_JS_0010.jpg

Nothing BUT LINEN could be worn, so there were no bells on the hem to ring if he did die and stopped moving around.

This means the breastplate with all the precious stones could not be worn, either.

[Praxeas]

Its a denominal thang

[mfblume]

Saw this comfirming study after we came across this idea.

You may have heard this story before. It has been said that that because the high priest could be killed by God in Holy of Holies if not properly prepared according to Divine instructions, a rope was routinely tied around his ankle. Then, if he dropped dead, his body could be dragged out. Various versions of this claim have been repeated in Christian and Jewish circles.

As yet, we have not located the original source, but apparently it originated long after the last Jewish Temple was gone. The biblical and historical evidence indicates that there was no rope, at least not in any common use.


Dr. W.E. Nunnally, a professor of Hebrew and early Judaism, has reported:

“The rope on the high priest legend is just that: a legend. It has obscure beginnings in the Middle Ages and keeps getting repeated. It cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, Mishna, or any other Jewish source. It just is not there.” [2]

The Biblical Studies Foundation (loosely associated with Dallas Theological Seminary), similarly reports that their research has put the “the rope around the ankle-or-waist-or-maybe-the-leg” legend “to rest.” They also point out that Aaron was to wear a blue ephod with bells on its hem (Exodus 28:31-35), when he entered the Holy Place (not the Holy of Holies) (Leviticus 16:2-4). When he enters the Holy of Holies, he washes and wears special linen garments, not the ephod with bells. “If there are no bells to jingle, there is no need for the rope either.” [3]

A Messianic Jewish Fellowship points out the potential difficulty of dragging a dead priest out of the Holy of Holies:

“You could only drag out the priest if he died in the Holy place. The way the curtains of the temple were designed, the priest could not have been dragged out of the HOLY of HOLIES. The veil was made using many layers of cloth. The thickness was over three feet. The curtains overlapped and made a small maze through which the priest walked…”

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/anklerope.html

[mfblume]

FALSE:
http://www.pathlights.com/theselastdays/images/dan8full.jpg


TRUE:
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/images/burning_incense.jpg

[Timmy]

Oh, man, I thought sure that was in the Bible! How many of these Biblical urban legends are there?

[scotty]

Oh, man, I thought sure that was in the Bible! How many of these Biblical urban legends are there?


Trinity ? :stirpot

[Esther]

That teaching was originally in the Search for Truth series. My research has not found any source for that teaching either.

[Esther]

Saw this comfirming study after we came across this idea.

You may have heard this story before. It has been said that that because the high priest could be killed by God in Holy of Holies if not properly prepared according to Divine instructions, a rope was routinely tied around his ankle. Then, if he dropped dead, his body could be dragged out. Various versions of this claim have been repeated in Christian and Jewish circles.

As yet, we have not located the original source, but apparently it originated long after the last Jewish Temple was gone. The biblical and historical evidence indicates that there was no rope, at least not in any common use.


Dr. W.E. Nunnally, a professor of Hebrew and early Judaism, has reported:

“The rope on the high priest legend is just that: a legend. It has obscure beginnings in the Middle Ages and keeps getting repeated. It cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, Mishna, or any other Jewish source. It just is not there.” [2]

The Biblical Studies Foundation (loosely associated with Dallas Theological Seminary), similarly reports that their research has put the “the rope around the ankle-or-waist-or-maybe-the-leg” legend “to rest.” They also point out that Aaron was to wear a blue ephod with bells on its hem (Exodus 28:31-35), when he entered the Holy Place (not the Holy of Holies) (Leviticus 16:2-4). When he enters the Holy of Holies, he washes and wears special linen garments, not the ephod with bells. “If there are no bells to jingle, there is no need for the rope either.” [3]

A Messianic Jewish Fellowship points out the potential difficulty of dragging a dead priest out of the Holy of Holies:

“You could only drag out the priest if he died in the Holy place. The way the curtains of the temple were designed, the priest could not have been dragged out of the HOLY of HOLIES. The veil was made using many layers of cloth. The thickness was over three feet. The curtains overlapped and made a small maze through which the priest walked…”

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/anklerope.html

I found not been able to prove that out either, have also heard 5" thick.

[RandyWayne]

That teaching was originally in the Search for Truth series. My research has not found any source for that teaching either.

I was just gonna say, that is where I heard it first! During the Search for Truth sessions.

[Timmy]

Trinity ? :stirpot

:heeheehee

[Scott Hutchinson]

If we are searching for truth,how can we embrace truth if we aren't willing to forsake time honored tradition ?

[Michael Phelps]

Anybody heard this? The high priest had a rope on his ankle and in case he died, evident by not hearing the bells ring on the hem of his garment, he was dragged out. Since no man could enter without dying, except the high priest, they had to allegedly tie the rope to his leg to be able to drag him out lest he die due to uncleanness.

It's WRONG!

Thoughts?

I don't know about the rope, but I wouldn't be so quick to discount the multicolored garments and bells.

Exodus 28 describes the robes of purple and gold and scarlet, and describes the hem of the garment as having "bells of gold" and pomegranates, etc.

And this is what vs. 35 says:

Exodus 28:35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that?

[mfblume]

I don't know about the rope, but I wouldn't be so quick to discount the multicolored garments and bells.

Exodus 28 describes the robes of purple and gold and scarlet, and describes the hem of the garment as having "bells of gold" and pomegranates, etc.

And this is what vs. 35 says:

Exodus 28:35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that?

The colours were all removed so that only linen was left on him since the colours were glory and beauty. No flesh shall glory in his presence.


Lev 16:4 KJV He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

[Digging4Truth]

Yep... I've heard that too... and probably taught it back when I taught Search For Truth.

All of a sudden there is such irony in the title.

[Michael Phelps]

The colours were all removed so that only linen was left on him since the colours were glory and beauty. No flesh shall glory in his presence.


Lev 16:4 KJV He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

I saw that too, but there seems to be a discrepancy here. What does "and his sound shall be heard" mean here? It's clearly talking about when he's in the Holy Place.

[Nitehawk013]

I foudn out I am one of the few folsk I know who believe the high priest was translated into the Holy of Holies.

When I read the real descriptions of the veil, and found that it was so thick and heavy that it took 200 men to hang it I started questioning the idea that the one single priest just managed to lift up the bottom of it and crawl under it. Then I read thatthe veil was held to the sides of the tabernacle/temple so that rule sout just sliding the side of it back a little.

I beleive it was JOsephus said the veil weighed more than a coupel tons and that horses could not tear it in half if they were tied to the sides of it. It was more like a wall than a veil. We tend to think of it like a simple curtain. It wasn't at all.

I don't think there was any way for that priest to get in unless God brought HIm in. Which also does away with the need for the mythical rope around the ankle. God brought HIm in, God would put him out if he hadn't properly prepared and fell dead. That of course assuming God would actually bring him in if the sacrifice was not proper and he had not prepared himself correctly.

Food for thoguht: Is there any actual record of the High Priest ever not bringing the proper sacrifice and being struck dead in the Holy of Holies?

[Nitehawk013]

The Holy Place was before the veil. It held the Table of shewbread, the alter of incense and the golden candlestick. The High Priest could wear the priestly garments to minister in this room.

He had to wash and put on simple linen when he intended on entering the Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant.

See, as beautiful and intricate those fancy priestly articles were as mandated by the law, when you stand before the presence of God your righteousness truly is just filthy rags. You get stripped down in God's presence and realize you really are nothing without Him.

[Michael Phelps]

The Holy Place was before the veil. It held the Table of shewbread, the alter of incense and the golden candlestick. The High Priest could wear the priestly garments to minister in this room.

He had to wash and put on simple linen when he intended on entering the Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant.

See, as beautiful and intricate those fancy priestly articles were as mandated by the law, when you stand before the presence of God your righteousness truly is just filthy rags. You get stripped down in God's presence and realize you really are nothing without Him.

Interestingly enough, the command to put on the linen garments was not given until after Aaron's sons offered "strange fire" in the holiest of holies. (A term which is not used in the Bible, incidentally). Before that, I can find no record of Aaron or his sons having to divest themselves of the fancy garments that God commanded them to create.

And, if I read correctly, Aaron had to wash and cleanse himself, put on the linen garments, go in and minister, and then take the garments off and leave them in the holy place before coming back out. The priests who would go in and minister after him would put on the same linen garments.

Is that what you read?

[Nitehawk013]

I will have to give it a read when I get home.

[mfblume]

I foudn out I am one of the few folsk I know who believe the high priest was translated into the Holy of Holies.

When I read the real descriptions of the veil, and found that it was so thick and heavy that it took 200 men to hang it I started questioning the idea that the one single priest just managed to lift up the bottom of it and crawl under it. Then I read thatthe veil was held to the sides of the tabernacle/temple so that rule sout just sliding the side of it back a little.

Sounds too sensational to me. Reminds me of one man who felt the bloody mess that would accumulate on the mercyseat from atonement every year necessitated a zapping of the blood into oblivion to keep the mercyseat clean and sparkling. lol

I beleive it was JOsephus said the veil weighed more than a coupel tons and that horses could not tear it in half if they were tied to the sides of it. It was more like a wall than a veil. We tend to think of it like a simple curtain. It wasn't at all.

I don't think there was any way for that priest to get in unless God brought HIm in.

I disagree. The bible would have said something about that if that was the case.

Which also does away with the need for the mythical rope around the ankle. God brought HIm in, God would put him out if he hadn't properly prepared and fell dead. That of course assuming God would actually bring him in if the sacrifice was not proper and he had not prepared himself correctly.

Food for thoguht: Is there any actual record of the High Priest ever not bringing the proper sacrifice and being struck dead in the Holy of Holies?

I never heard.

[mfblume]

I saw that too, but there seems to be a discrepancy here. What does "and his sound shall be heard" mean here? It's clearly talking about when he's in the Holy Place.

Lev 16:2 KJV And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

We know they called the MOST HOLY PLACE the "HOLY PLACE" in this verse, since the ark was in there. Sometimes it was called the MOST HOLY PLACE and other times, as here, simply THE HOLY PLACE. But the preceding section of the tabernacle, outside this holiest was also called the HOLY PLACE.

Lev 6:16 KJV And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.


Notice Aaron and his sons ate in the HOLY PLACE. We know that is not the MOST HOLY PLACE because only the high priest could go in there once a year, and Aaron AND HIS SONS eat in the holy place.

Therefore, it is evident that the MOST HOLY PLACE is called the HOLY PLACE as well as the other section where the table, candlestick and incense altar stood. And in the case where the LINEN IS WORN ALONE it is to be understood as the MOST HOLY PLACE. And in the case where the bless were to be heard, that was not the most holy place but this inferior section outside the veil.

[mfblume]

Exo 39:1 KJV And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.


Exodus makes the distinction between HOLY PLACE and MOST HOLY PLACE, and says the colours were for the holy place, not most holy..

Exo 26:33 KJV And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

Exo 28:29 KJV And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

Exo 26:34 KJV And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

[houston]

The stuff people make up. So now the priest was raptured to the other side of the curtain? Reminds me of the time someone said that there is no record of Eve freaking out when the serpent talked to her because ALLthe animals could speak. The animals were FRIENDS with Adam and Eve. Well that must have been great inspiration for A.A. Miline.

[RandyWayne]

The stuff people make up. So now the priest was raptured to the other side of the curtain? Reminds me of the time someone said that there is no record of Eve freaking out when the serpent talked to her because ALLthe animals could speak. The animals were FRIENDS with Adam and Eve. Well that must have been great inspiration for A.A. Miline.

So life was like your average PIXAR movie. I wonder who the animals sounded like?

[mfblume]

So life was like your average PIXAR movie. I wonder who the animals sounded like?

Now THAT'S WHY all the cartoons are about animals talking like people. Always wondered about that....

[houston]

Bwahahaha!

[acjcpastor]

For those who are bashing the Search for Truth bible study, you need to check your facts. I dug up my SFT Manual in pdf format, did a quick word search and found this on page 38: "Jewish tradition teaches that a rope was tied around his leg..." It never claimed it as fact and I can honestly say that I've never taught it as fact, just folklore.

I also did a quick search through the later SFT2 manual and to their credit; I couldn't find anything about the rope around the ankle tradition in that lesson. Not saying it's not in there somewhere. I just couldn't find it.

[mfblume]

Interestingly enough, the command to put on the linen garments was not given until after Aaron's sons offered "strange fire" in the holiest of holies. (A term which is not used in the Bible, incidentally). Before that, I can find no record of Aaron or his sons having to divest themselves of the fancy garments that God commanded them to create.

What is interesting is that the veil they walked past had cherubims embroidered into it, just as cherubims were in entrance of the Garden of Eden blocking the way. And the FIRE that fell and slew the priests is like the flaming sword in the Garden entrance as well.

And, if I read correctly, Aaron had to wash and cleanse himself, put on the linen garments, go in and minister, and then take the garments off and leave them in the holy place before coming back out. The priests who would go in and minister after him would put on the same linen garments.

Is that what you read?

No, I think it is speaking about Aaron as the high priest going into the most holy place, not all the priests going into the holy place. Only the high priest could. Lev uses the term "THE HOLY PLACE" at times for the "MOST HOLY PLACE."

[Nitehawk013]

Sounds too sensational to me. Reminds me of one man who felt the bloody mess that would accumulate on the mercyseat from atonement every year necessitated a zapping of the blood into oblivion to keep the mercyseat clean and sparkling. lol



I disagree. The bible would have said something about that if that was the case.



I never heard.

Correct em if I am mistaken, but the Bible doesn't say teh priest crwlerd in under it on his hands and knees or pulled back the side of the veil to come in beside it either. There is no description of how he got intot he Holy of HOlies. So if the veil was a huge and heavy as Josephus says, how else could the priest have gotten in?

It's odd that one would say it is too sensational to think God translated the priest in. God created everythign with a word, spoke through a burning bush, manifested as a pillar of cloud and fire, healed all sorts of disease instantly, raised the dead, translated Philip hundreds of miles and generally did things beyond human skope and we believe them. We still believe in the God of miracles right!? And yet the idea of His translating a priest form one side of the veil to the other is "too sensational"? Hmmm.

[Steve Epley]

Things which are not said:
1. How the High Priest passed into the Most Holy Place
2. Nothing is said about him having a rope on his ankle


Elder Blume is correct he wore the plain linen garment worn by the regular priest on that day which is a picture of the incarnation of God laying aside His garments of splendour and majesty and wearing our garment of flesh and bone. He became us.

[Nitehawk013]

Things which are not said:
1. How the High Priest passed into the Most Holy Place
2. Nothing is said about him having a rope on his ankle




Agreed. Which is why I feel it is just as plausible, rather IMO probable, that God translated the priest into the Holy of Holies.

[commonsense]

Anybody heard this? The high priest had a rope on his ankle and in case he died, evident by not hearing the bells ring on the hem of his garment, he was dragged out. Since no man could enter without dying, except the high priest, they had to allegedly tie the rope to his leg to be able to drag him out lest he die due to uncleanness.

It's WRONG!

Thoughts?

I just read through the whole thread. I remember hearing about the rope but couldn't have said where....no doubt, from some SFT lesson I heard ages ago.

We often believe things just because a preacher said it!

[mfblume]

Correct em if I am mistaken, but the Bible doesn't say teh priest crwlerd in under it on his hands and knees or pulled back the side of the veil to come in beside it either. There is no description of how he got intot he Holy of HOlies. So if the veil was a huge and heavy as Josephus says, how else could the priest have gotten in?


I believe he simply pulled it aside and entered through that way.


It's odd that one would say it is too sensational to think God translated the priest in. God created everythign with a word, spoke through a burning bush, manifested as a pillar of cloud and fire, healed all sorts of disease instantly, raised the dead, translated Philip hundreds of miles and generally did things beyond human skope and we believe them. We still believe in the God of miracles right!? And yet the idea of His translating a priest form one side of the veil to the other is "too sensational"? Hmmm.
It is sensational since the bible would have mentioned a miracle like that.

[berkeley]

LOL. Just accept it by faith, Mike. LOL.

[Esther]

For those who are bashing the Search for Truth bible study, you need to check your facts. I dug up my SFT Manual in pdf format, did a quick word search and found this on page 38: "Jewish tradition teaches that a rope was tied around his leg..." It never claimed it as fact and I can honestly say that I've never taught it as fact, just folklore.

I also did a quick search through the later SFT2 manual and to their credit; I couldn't find anything about the rope around the ankle tradition in that lesson. Not saying it's not in there somewhere. I just couldn't find it.

So citing a source is not bashing?