What is wrong with this charming picture? For one thing, in real life, only the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, not little children: ". . .no
small enormities were committed about the temple itself, which,
in former ages, had been inaccessible, and seen by none; for Pompey
went into it, and not a few of those that were with him also,
and saw all that which was unlawful for any other men to see,
but only for the high priests. . ." (Josephus, Antiquities of the
Jews, Book XIV, Chapter IV, 4). Death is the penalty:
"Moreover, then the erection was in the dwelling-house of the governor;
but they say, that which is now contemplated is to be in the inmost part of the temple, in the
very holy of holies itself, into which, once in the year, the high priest enters, on the day
called the great fast, to offer incense, and on no other day, being then about in accordance
with our national law also to offer up prayers for a fertile and ample supply of blessings,
and for peace to all mankind. And if any one else, I will not say of the Jews, but even of
the priests, and those not of the lowest order, but even those who are in the rank next to the
first, should go in there, either with him or after him, or even if the very high priest himself
should enter in thither on two days in the year, or three or four times on the same day, he is
subjected to inevitable death for his impiety, so great are the precautions taken by our lawgiver
with respect to the holy of holies, as he determined to preserve it alone inaccessible to and
untouched by any human being." (Agrippa, quoted in Embassy to
Gaius,
Philo Judaeus, XXXIX)
One human creature, once in a year: "And in the center was the
temple itself, beautiful beyond all possible description, as one may
conjecture from what is now seen around on the outside; for what is
innermost is invisible to every human creature except the high
priest alone, and even he is enjoined only to enter that holy place
once in each year." (Philo Judaeus, On Monarchy, Book II, Chapter
II). Only the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, and then not without blood:
"Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always
went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But
into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed
in ignorance. . ." (Hebrews 9:6-7). Failure to observe these precautions
was potentially deadly: ". . .and the LORD said to Moses: 'Tell Aaron
your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the
veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will
appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.'" (Leviticus 16:2).
Not only was the author of this pseudepigraphic work not James, he
was not even Jewish. The reader can judge from this circumstance how
likely it is that this composition contains credible historical
information.
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