Sanctuary (Hastings' Dictionary)

The ideas underlying .' sanc- tuary,' a sacred or 'holy place' (•>:V'?°. •>:'T — the foriiier, however, is rarely, the latter never, used ill 1 11" of the local sanctuaries, for which the C'anaanit« term ^7? is regularly employed *), form part of the larger group of ideas associated with 'holy,' 'holiness,' etc., which have been analyzed and "di.scussed in their manifold applications in the arti.le ni>I.INi;ss IN <)T (vol. ii., see esp. p. S<M>).

In dealing with early tSemitic religion, the term ' sanctuary ' is used in a wider and a narrower application. On the one hand, the whole territory ill which a particular deity is worshipped was in a .sense his sanctuary; in this sen.so Canaan, '.J"'s land' (Hos<)3), is also His house (8' fliii) and a 'holy land ' (Zeph 3"). < )n the other hand, in every such territory there were particular spots which were n".'

arded ;us the favourite haunts of the god, at wliiih he had manifested his power in the past, and was supposed to be still peculiarly accessible to his worshippers. Such primitive sanctuaries consisted of imposing natural objects— in particu- lar, mountains, springs of water with the fertile spots around them, a wide-spreading tree with the ground beneath it.s shade, or more arbitrarily .sele(!led sjjots associated with visible manifestalions of the deity (theophanies).

When the Hebrews entered r.ilestine they found the land thickly studded with such local sanctuaries, each of them a centre of Canaanite worship. As the country gradually came under their control, its sacred places 111 came ip.io fnHn sanctuaries of the national God, .lahweh. Only a few typical examples can be men- tioned lierc,t reference being made once for all to the special articles on the places named.

• That 'sanctnarv' <mH-rlt~iuh\ and 'high jilace' {Mmd/i) are svnonvmous In the' older literature Is evident from Am '•« and Is nai. Ct. Kzk 202«f- where ' high hill ' also appears as a syno- nvin of 'high place.' ' * A Oerriian scholar, Frelherr von Oall, has reoenUy Investi- gated over one hnmlrfd. V.. and W. of tho .Ionian. In Ills monograph on ancient laraellte sanctuaries (Alliiirael. Kult- uutttn, m»).

(a) Comparativelv Ihiiltcd in number arc the Instances where »pringM and uellD are attested as tho sites of sanctuaries in our extant literature. The best known are the ancient sanctuary ol Kkkiuiikha, associated by tradition with Abraham (Gn -'131) and Isaac CJlSaS), and reuiining its sanctity to a late date (see below) ; Kauesii (t:'.?!"" "holy place'), also named En-mishpator Judfnncnt- spring (14"), and Bkeb-lauai-roi (10". H).

Ginox, the modern Virgin's fountain, on the west side of the Kidron ravine, was the site of Solomon's consecration, and therefore a sanctuary of repute (1 K 133. 39) ; bis rival Adonijah assembled his friends by another sacred spot. ' the Serpent stone ' (Zoiieletii), which was bv En-rogel, the fuller's spring (1 K 19).

" (6) More numerous were the Micred trees, which played an Imiiurtant part In the religion of tho heathen Semites, and are still objects of veneration among the fellahln of Syria, as the pieces of cloth hung on their branches and the fragments of liroken pottery underneath amply testify.

Abraham's lirst altar on the soil o'f Canimn was raised beneath the shade of the terebinth of Moreu (Un ISC' UVm) at 'the place of Shechem,' an elo(|uent witness to the extreme antiquity of this oracular sanctuary. Here were buried the objectionable images of .Jacob's household (36'1) : and the same tree, no doubt, is associ. uted with Joshua (.Jos '^420^) and Abimelech (,lg i)6). Of equal antiquitv was another sanctuarv, the terebinths of Mamee at Hebron '(Gn 181S).

These tree-sanctuaries, indeed, figure with peculiar frequence in the legends of the patriarchs— a fact which is to bo interpreted as imiilving their existence long before the Hebrew conquest. Besides those already noted at Shechem and Hebron, others are found at Beersheba (Gn 2133), at a spot near Bethel (:i58), and, from alater period, at 0|>hrah (.Ig Mil- 24).

The fact that justice was uniformly dispeni-cd under religious sanction and iirotection Implies the' [iresence of a sanctuary at the palm of Deborah (.Ig 45)— by several recent scholars ideiili- fled with the 'oak of weeping' (see Aelon-Baci-tu) of Gn :).)»— and at Gibeah, where, according to the better Greek text, Saul sat under the tamarisk 'at the high place' (see p. liiTb note), apparently to administer justice.

Under the monarchy, indeed, these tree-sanctuaries were multiplied indefinitely, as we learn from the vigorous polemics of the later [irophets against the 'altars upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree and under every thick oak, the |ilaco where thev did" ofl'er sweet savour to all their idols' (Kzk CIS; cf. l)t 122,' ,Ter 220 and often, Is .')T-').

* For the sacred [lolc or 'ilHhfrah, wliieh some authorities regard as a substitute for the hving tree, see Asuekaii, vol. 1. p. 16.') , , .„ (<■) The special sanctity of mouiila inn anA hig/i hilbi wui a widespread belief, not confined to the Semites, in the ancient world. The earliest sanctuary of whh-h wo have any historical, as distinguished fl-om legendary, record In OT is the mountain sanctuary of IIokeu-Sixai, 'the mountain of (iod' (KxS', cf.

1 K lllS), IIermos, as its name implies, was invested with similar sanctitv. Within tho limits of Canaan the names of C'akmel 1 1 K lsl9ir.), the opposing peaks of Khai. and Gekizim, Taiiok (llos .■>!), and tho Mr. or Olives (2 S l.')32) nt once suggest theiu- selves. These, after all, are insignificant In number conipan .1 with the innumerable 'high places' or .V/oi/.Wiwith which the land was studded (see Hi.oi Place, vol. il. ii. «sl, for ample retl.) Down to the Vth cent. n.c.

the religious customs of the Hebrews reciuired that everv town and village should have its local sanctuarv, just as In Christian lands every j-arish has its church. Kroiii th'e interesting narrative 1 S !ll2tl'. in-', we learn that these sanctuaries were situated on tho nearest commanding eminence. Where no such eminence was available, the sanctuary, it has been supposed, was erected upon an artillclal mound (cf. ler. 731, 2 K 179).

The usual tvpo, however, of the artllicial sanctuary, that Is, a sanctuarv created bv human hands to mark the site ol a special Divine m'anifestation, was the sacred pillar or maszibah or the sacred stone-circle (y^,>) or cromlech (see, for details. Pillar, vol. 111., and cf. Altar, vol. I. p. 75). Several of the above-mentioned sanctuaries had a more than local reputation. Those of greatest repute in the Northern Kingdom were Bethel, the chief 'royal sanctuary' (1^5 i^'lC"?

, AV 'the king's chapel,' Am T'), with its companion sanctuary Dan ; Gilgal (Am 4, Hos 41^ etc.); and the far dis- tant Beersheba (Am ifi 8'*), A favourite sanctuary 1 was at (Jibeon, 'the great high place' (1 K :!<"), I where Solomon's inaugural .sacrifices were offered. In the period from the comiuesl to the building of th(! temple, the presence of the ark gave a special sanctity to the place of its location. Thus there can be no doubt that Sim.

oH was the principal sanctuary in the time of the judges; a special temple (T~ ) was built for the greater safety of the ark, with the house of F.li as its miiiistrant priests. Hence the annual religious festival at Shiloh was one of exceptional importance (.Ig 21'^ 1 S I''-').

Whether the impculant sanctuary at Nob was contemporary with that at Shiloh is uncertaui ; • We do not Include here the gmven of the Hebrew patrlarchn and heroes, since It Is still a moot point to what extent, If at all, these were places of worship for their descendants. 396 SANCTUAKY SANCTUAEY the first mention of it occurs after the destruction of the latter (1 S 2V''-), but this may be accidental.

All the sacred places of the South, however, were soon eclipsed by the royal sanctuaiy at Jerusalem, raised on the spot consecrated by the theophany at the threshing, floor of Araunah (2 S 24'8- "i, 2Ch3'). Round these ancient shrines centred the religious life of the Hebrews in early times. Hither they flocked as the annual festivals came round, at the recurring new moons and sabbaths, to otter their tithes, their fir?t-fruits, and their sacrifices.

Un- fortunately, we can only partially reconstruct either the equipment of these sanctuaries or the cere- monies which characterized the worship of an- tieiuitj', with its sacrificial meal and the joyous intercourse of the sacral community. ^\ ituout unnecessarily repeating the facts already given in the article High Place (§ iv. vol. ii. p. 382), we may note the indispensable altar with its almost universal adjuncts, the sacred i>i\\a.

r [mazzibah) and the sacred pole ('asherah), the hall (ns^'^ 1 S 9^) or halls in wliich the sacrificial feast was held, a temple or shrine (ni03 r"? 1 K 12^' and elsewhere) for the protection of the sacred images which formed part of the equipment of some sanctuaries at least, such as the mysterious Ephod and the almost equally mj'sterious Teraphim (see commen- taries on Hos 3^ 5h»llc Cutt.no im t»i Roc 20 Flet nQt(r . ^•l6)N.Dt(» til. 1. 1, 1. 1, 4ti«.0tt* IfiliiOtUk— PLA.

N OP UIQH PLACR, PETRA. The recent discovery of what must have been the royal Banctuan- of Ecioin, close to the ruins of Petra, affords very material aid in the reconstruction above desiderated.

Near tli'e summit of a mountain overlooking Petra • were found two rock- The following is bn-sed on an article by Professor Robinson of Chicago (who, though not the first to visit the site, was the flret to realize its importance, April 1900\ entitled "The High Place at Petra in Edoin,' in the Biblical World, Jan. isni ; and on an earlier article bv Professor Ives Curtifis (who visited the tife in July 1900) in PKt'St. Oct. 1900. cut obelisk -like columns,' about IS ft.

in height, and soini 100 ft. apart, clearly the mazzebahg of OT. On the actuaj summit was a large court, 47 ft. by 20, hewn in the rock to the depth in parts of 18 in., and approached from below by a etair cut in the rock. Near the centre of the court sufficient rock haa been left to form a raised platform 5 It. by 2^, and 4 in. in height. It has been suggested that here the wor- shipper stood whose victim was being offered, the rest of the worshippers standing in the surrounding court.

On the west of the latter, facing the raised platform, stands the altar, 9 ft. by 6, in height 3 ft., cut free on all sides from the surrounding rock, and furnished on the side towards the court with a short flight of four steps. On the topmost step, which is considerably the largest, stood the officiating priest. In the centre of the upper surface of the altar a rectangular depression has been hewn out to serve as the altar-hearth.

Immediately to the south of the altar, and approached from it by steps, the rock presents a flat surface with two large ' circxilar and concentric ' cups hewn out with vertical sides, the larger 3 ft. 10 in., the smaller 1 ft. o in. in diameter. Here the sacrifices may have been prepared, as a conduit leading from the lower cup seems to have sensed to carry away the blood of the victims.

For further details reference must be made to the articles cited, both of which ore illustrated by photographs and drawings. From the time when the Hebrews served them- selves heirs to the sanctuaries of Canaan, the worship of J" was there celebrated for several centuries with the full approval of Israel's religions guides (see 1 S 7", 1 K S-" IS** and oft.)

Such local worship is alone contemplated in the oldest Hebrew legislation (' in every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee,' Ex 20**). But by this multiplicity of sanctuaries the religion of J" was exposed to two great dangers, against which the prophets of the 8th century repeatedly utter the most solemn warnings.

In the first place, there was an ever-increasing admixture of lieathen Canaanite elements with the purer and more spiritual elements of the true Hebrew cultus, until Hosea could truthfully declare that the worship of J" had practically degenerated into idolatry (13-) and its ministrants into idol-priests (see Chemarim). In the second place, the native religion, with its multiplicity of local Baalim, exerted a baneful influence on the Mosaic doctrine of the unity of J".

The Northern Kingdom came to an end before a reformation could be eli'ected. In the South, thanks to the unique position of its royal sanctuary and the comparative purity of the cultus as there practised, this twofold danger was not felt to quite the same extent.

Yet the de- struction of Samaria, the strongest possible proof of the Divine commission of her prophets, could not fail to make a profound impression on the best religions spirits of the South, while, at the same time, the greatly enhanced importance of the temple at Jerusalem would gradually tend to diminish the popularity and prestige of the local sanctuaries. Whether Hezekiah really made the attempt at centralization with which he is credited (2 K IS'') must be left an open question.

The reform, at the best, was shortlived. Not till the far-reaching reformation of Josiah, under the im- mediate inspiration of Deuteronomy (B.C. 622-621), were eflective measures taken for the destruction of the local sanctuaries and the deportation of their priests to Jerusalem (2 K 23). The losses as well as the gains of so drastic a measure of reform have been set forth under the article HIGH Place (with which compare Deuteronomy, Josiaii).

In the Priestly document (P) the battle has long been won, and scarcely an echo remains. The law and practice of one central sanctuary are transferred to the period of the desert wanderings (see Taber- nacle), an unhistorical presentation of the religious history of the Hebrews which dominates the whole subsequent literature, and has prevailed to our own day. In what has been said up to this point, the Eurely religious a.spect of the ancient sanctuaries as been properly kept in the foreground.

But, in early times at least, these sanctuaries were also the seats of justice [Siiut), of which their priests SAND SANHEDRIN 397 were tlip ailmiiiistraturs. In general, where the consueuuliiiary hiw ol the clan ur irlbe proved inailcquate, a fresh tonili or Divine and authorita- tive decision was sought from J'".; representatives at the nearest sanctuary of repute.

Tlie extant law-codes, further, make provision for the inter- position ill specilied cases of tile priests of the local sanctuaries in their judicial capacity — whence their peculiar title Elohim (see = n'?.-! in Or/. Heb. Zcr.), though .some of the passages in iiuestion (Ex. 21« 22»f- [lleb. "■] ; cf. W^« , 1 S 2-0 are of doubtful interpretation. More explicit are the reconiniendations of Deut. regulating the procedure of the supreme court at the central sanctuary (l)t 17"'').

Passing from the law-codes to the history, we finil. as has been pointed out above, repealed eviileiice of the leailers of the people dispensing ju-stiee at the various sanctuaries, e.g. Mcses at Kn-niishpat or Kadesh (see Law in ()T, vol. iii. p. 07'), Deborah, Samuel, — who.se circuit included IJelhel, Gilgal. and Mizjiah, all notable sanctuaries (1 S 7"'), — and Saul (relT. above).

Every i)rimitive sanctuary, further, in virtue of its inviolability as the abode of deity, was an asylum or place of refuge. This riglit of a.sylum is expressly recognized in the oldest legislation, only cases of premeditated murder being excluded (Ex 21'» »; see GOKI,, vol. ii. p. 223f. ; ALT.vu. vol. i. p. "7»). The later institution of cities of refuge (see Refugk) was the necessary corollary of the destruction of the local sanctuaries.

For the so-called 'shekel of the sanctuary,' see MiiXEY (vol. iii. p. 422). A. R. S. KliNNEUY. SAND (""n iniwt) consists of an aggregate of iiicolnrent grains of silex, generally mixed with others of different mineral substances, such as mira. felspar, and gems. It was a familiar object witii writers of the Bible, and is therefore used emblematically, the expression '.as the sand which is bv the seashore' being found in several pa.s.sages (in 22's Jos US 1 S l:;'-, 1 K4»'etc).

The refer- ence is to the line of sandhills along the coast of the Mediterranean (see SEA (GREAT)) and Lower Egypt (Ex 2'-). In the following pa.s.sages the word is tised to represent — (1) Xiimbcrli'mint^ss, vastHPss : the de- scendants of Abraham (Gn 22'", .Jer :',:i, , Ko 0^, lie 11'-); the store of corn gathered by .loseph in Egj-pt ((Jn 41*') ; the nations of Canaan (.Jos IP) ; the I'hilistines (1 S i;5'') ; the Lsraelites (2 S 1711, 1 K 4^'.

Is 102-* 48'») ; the captives of the Chakhcans (Ilab P) ; Solomon's largeness of heart, i.f. wisdom (1 Iv429 [Ileb. 5']) ; (2) heaviness (Job 0', I'r 27') ; (3) an insecure foundation (Mt 7-'°). E. llfLL.