<P> The Holy of Holies (Tiberian Hebrew: קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים ‎ Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm) is a term in the Hebrew Bible which refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle where God dwelt . The Ark is said to have contained the Ten Commandments, which were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai . It is thought to be located under the Dome of the Rock . </P> <P> The area was defined by four pillars which held up the veil of the covering under which the Ark of the Covenant was held off the floor by two staves . Three hundred years later, it was the Temple in Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept during the First Temple . </P> <P> The construction "Holy of Holies" is a literal translation of a Hebrew idiom which is intended to express a superlative . Examples of similar constructions are "servant of servants" (Gen 9: 25), "Sabbath of sabbaths" (Ex 31: 15), "God of gods" (Deut 10: 17), "Vanity of vanities" (Eccl 1: 2), "Song of songs" (Song of Songs 1: 1), "king of kings" (Ezra 7: 12), etc . </P> <P> In the Authorized King James Version, "Holy of Holies" is always translated as "Most Holy Place". This is in keeping with the intention of the Hebrew idiom to express the utmost degree of holiness . The King James Version of the Bible has been in existence for over four hundred years . For most of that time, it was a primary reference in much of the English speaking world for information about Judaism . Thus, the name "Most Holy Place" was used to refer to the "Holy of Holies" in many English documents . </P>

Day of atonement high priest holy of holies