O Ye Fair Ones!

I, Jennifer, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, [and] ....the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians




We have been told to liken the scriptures unto us.  I know I am not Nephi, but today I felt closer to him than I could ever imagine before.

I have studied after the learning of the Jews because it has fascinated me and I have been drawn to it most of my adult life.
  I love studying Hebrew and the meaning of the words.

This morning as I was reading from the Book of Mormon I re-discovered a bookmark which I had placed in the pages which contained my name - "Jennifer" and a definition of my name

This had been a handout for a young women lesson a few months ago about, probably about the importance of names, although I don't really remember.
But, today I read it and suddenly I saw a similarity to Nephi.  It was amazing to see it!

When I saw the meaning of my name, -white, fair,
I was given the realization to my mind that this was the same root meaning as Nephi!!
How cool is that?

I had read an article some time ago about Nephi being an Egyptian name and had marked this in my scriptures in First Nephi chapter one verse one.

Egyptian Nehfee (nfr)  = good, goodly, fine, fair - O ye fair ones! Mormon 6:17.

This morning I now see that the meaning of my name-  white and fair, and the ending of my name
"nnifer" or without vowels in true semitic style, is in fact "nfr"  

 White and fair,  I believe to be a description of goodness and "light" of countenance.  I liken this meaning to my favorite scripture.

......and I say it that ye may know the truth that ye may chase darkness from among you.

The Nephites were fair were white because they had more light when they were righteous.
The Lamanites were darkened when they left the light.
Each group found themselves in light and darkness depending on their righteousness, the amount of light they let into their lives.

לָבַן lâban  to be white  to make white, become white, purify to show whiteness, grow white  to become white, be purified 

This Hebrew word for white shows you can become white, grow white and it has to do with purity.

I have a list of people I can't wait to meet someday and now Nephi is definitely one of them :)

I also remembered that my parents had given me a necklace with  my name on it in Egyptian
from their travels to Egypt.   I just got it out, and now this necklace means more to me than the
"slight excitement" I showed when they gave it to me over ten years ago.

My husband will die if I now start learning Egyptian. Ha!

I now include a quote from a paper entitled, 
Internal Textual Evidence for the Egyptian Origin of Nephi's Name
By Matthew L. Bowen.
A proposed etymology of the Book of Mormon name Nephi is that it derives from the ancient Egyptian word nfr,1 which as an adjective means "good," "fine," or "goodly" and as a noun denotes "kindness" or "goodness."2 By Lehi's time, this word was probably pronounced "nefe" (NEH-fee).3 Two Book of Mormon passages contain strong evidence for such an etymology.
In the opening verse of the Book of Mormon, Nephi introduces himself as follows:
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, . . . was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions . . . [and] having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. (1 Nephi 1:1)
Nephi's use of words that translate into English as "goodly" and "goodness" makes this passage even more beautiful and meaningful if we also understand the name Nephi to denote "good," "goodly," or "goodness." The wordplay perhaps suggests why the name Nephi so befits its bearer: he is nfr, or "goodly," because he was born of "goodly parents" and is one endowed with a "knowledge of the goodness and mysteries of God."
That Lehi would give his son an Egyptian name is not unlikely, since Lehi's language "consist[ed] of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians" (1 Nephi 1:2). One reason Nephi was quick to point out his father's knowledge of Egyptian may have been to explain the origin of his non-Hebrew name.
More evidence surfaces in Helaman 5:6-7, where Helaman explains to his two sons, Nephi and Lehi, why he gave them their names:
Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem . . . [so that] ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know . . . that they were good. Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them.
Where was it written that their namesakes were "good"? In 1 Nephi 1:1, Lehi is called a "goodly" parent, and Nephi's name corresponds to the Egyptian word meaning "good." Helaman 5:6-7 implies that Helaman was aware of the meaning of the name Nephi and that he hoped this honored name would also befit his own sons by virtue of their good works.
The wordplay in 1 Nephi 1:1 and Helaman 5:6-7 is not unlike that of the name etymologies in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in Genesis. Genesis 3:20 states that "Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living" (emphasis added). Here the Hebrew name hawwah ("lifegiver") is juxtaposed with the substantive participle Hay ("living"), both of which derive from the triliteral root Hyh or Hwh ("to live"). Many such examples could be cited from the Bible.

As research on the text of the Book of Mormon continues, evidence mounts concerning its antiquity and textual complexity. The interplay of the name Nephi with words that are translated "goodly," "good," and "goodness" provides further evidence that the Book of Mormon is, in fact, translation literature. !

Notes:

1. See John Gee, "A Note on the Name Nephi," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1/1 (1992): 189-91; and "Four Suggestions on the Origin of the Name Nephi," in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon, ed. John W. Welch and Melvin J. Thorne (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1999), 1-5.
2. Raymond O. Faulkner, A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian (Oxford: Griffith Institute, 1999), 131-32.
3. The final r in nfr was dropped long before the time of Lehi, and evidence from the Coptic form and Aramaic transliteration of the word suggests that it ended in the vowel i. See the discussion in the articles by John Gee listed in note 1.

As a mother and now a grandmother, I yearn, I wish for my posterity to remember and to keep their covenants.  I understand Nephi's engraving upon plates to his "fair ones" that they would remember the LORD God and his covenants.   I deeply understand Mormons lament for his fallen people.

O ye fair ones, do not depart from the ways of the Lord!

O ye fair ones, remember that Jesus stands with open arms to receive you!

O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones.  I love you and Christ loves you.  Always Remember.

post update 2/18/21

I now believe the word used for white would be נבט (literally NEPHITE!) which means to illumine, to burst forth, to shine.  It is a sprout   It has similarities to  the Egyptian white lotus, a symbol of the sun, creation and rebirth.  The lotus grows in the murky mud of the nile but sprouts into a beautiful white water Lilly rising from the mud.  At night the flower closes and again sinks under the water waiting to rise again and open at dawn.    I believe the Egptian NFR glyph to be a combination of several things--heart, lungs, Kidneys.  And also an upside down flower.  The Nephite נבט Nabat or sprout! 

Salt-A Sweet Savor to the Lord

Adapted from an Ensign Article by LeGrande Baker, Apr 1999

See 3 Nephi 12:13, 16:15, D&C 101:39

We have observed that just as salt enhances the taste of certain foods, so we must be as salt, living our lives to bless and enhance the lives of others and make the gospel palatable to them. We may have also noted that salt is a preservative not unlike the preserving influence of righteous Saints who uphold gospel ideals in a world of shifting values.

Salt doesn't lose its savor with age; only through contamination and mixture with other substances.  We must remain from the corrupting influences of the world and remain pure and undefiled. 

While such applications are relevant and meaningful to Latter-day Saints worldwide, to the ancients the central figurative meaning of salt had to do not with taste but with smell.

When sacrifices were offered upon the altars of ancient Israel, the Israelites did not give the Lord the flesh of the animal, the fruit of the ground, or the ashes or smoke of such sacrifices. The acceptable part of the offering presented to the Lord was the smell, “a sweet savour unto the Lord” (Lev. 1:17). In the Bible, the word savour most often refers to the pleasant smell of burning sacrifice in the temple. To ensure that the smell would be sweet, the Mosaic law required that the offering be liberally sprinkled with salt.

The scent of an unsalted burnt offering would be the stench of scorched flesh. But if the meat were generously salted, the odor would be quite different, due to the reaction of the salt upon the cells that compose animal flesh. Under high-salt conditions, cellular fluid rapidly escapes the cells to dilute the salts outside cell membranes. When accentuated by heat, these fluids cause a sweet savor to emanate.

The Lord’s requirements concerning their offerings was clear. Referring to “the salt of the covenant,” the Lord instructed ancient Israel, “With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt” (Lev. 2:13). Flavius Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, explained how that was done. He wrote that the priests “cleanse the bodies [of the sacrificial animals], and divide them into parts, and salt them with salt, and lay them upon the altar, while the pieces of wood are piled one upon another, and the fire is burning. … This is the way of offering a burnt-offering” (Antiquities of the Jews, trans. William Whiston [1875], 3:9:1).

The purpose of the law of performances and ordinances given to the children of Israel through Moses was to point their souls to Christ and to bear witness of His gospel. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the law of Moses and ended blood sacrifice. The resurrected Lord explained the new law of sacrifice to His followers on the American continent: “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away. …

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Ne. 9:19–20).

In this context the charge to be the “salt of the earth” takes on marvelous significance. The Lord said, “I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted?” (3 Ne. 12:13). The Savior’s audience no doubt understood the law of Moses and the close connection between salt and acceptable sacrifice.

It is clear that under the new covenant the followers of Christ, as “salt,” are responsible for extending gospel blessings to the whole earth. “When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant,” the Lord explains, “they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men” (D&C 101:39). It is our privilege and blessing to lovingly lead our brothers and sisters to Christ, helping them receive their covenant blessings. As we do so, we become the figurative salt that makes it possible for them to offer the acceptable sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In addition, our own covenant sacrifice of time, talents, and means is pleasing to the Lord.

This tremendous responsibility of helping bring salvation to others is coupled with caution: “But if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men” (3 Ne. 12:13). Salt used anciently for sacrifice could easily lose its savor, and always for the same reason—impurity. If such impure salt was heated, the combination of impurities and salt can result in an unpleasant odor. It was therefore discarded, lest its use desecrate the sacrifice and offend the Lord.

Likewise, we are displeasing to the Lord to the degree that we are impure and ineffective “not the saviors of men,” but instead “as salt that has lost its savor” (D&C 103:10).

So how do we become the salt of the earth? The Apostle Paul points out that charity is a key to this process: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:1–2). We must seek to love others purely, as the Savior loves us. It is through this love that we can help bring souls to Him, that they and we might be found acceptable—“unto God a sweet savour of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15).

Yom Kippur Day of Atonement יוֹם כִּפּוּר

The Day of Atonement

I had the special privilege to attend a Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur service the year.

The cantor had a beautiful melodic voice.  My favorite part was the blowing of the shofar.

On Yom Kippur I joined the jewish world in a 25 hour -to make sure 24 hours are kept - The Jewish Way :)- Fast.  After the 2 hour service a beautiful end the fast dinner was served with pita and hummus, yummy polenta salad, fruit and honey cake.  Of course there is always cut up apples

to drizzle honey over for the sweetness of repentance.  

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for a Jew.  After a period, starting with Rosh Hashanah, of deep personal reflection and repentance, the evening service ends joyfully, proclaiming, "Next year in Jerusalem" 

Leviticus 16:29-31

29	"This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;
30	for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31	"It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.

The Week Before

A week before the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would leave his own house, and took up his quarter in the side chambers in the Temple. A substitute was appointed for him, in case he should die or become Levitically unfit for his duties. During the whole of that week, he would perform all the temple duties, such as burning the incense, lighting the lamps, offering the daily sacrifice, etc. In addition, he would study two Torah portions and learn them by heart to make sure he didn't make any mistakes.

The Eve

On the eve of the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would stay up all night learning Torah and preparing himself spiritually. If he fell asleep, young priests woke him up by reciting psalms. Sometimes they would make the High Priest stand all night on the cold, stone floor.

The Morning Service

On the Day of Atonement, not ordinary priest, but the High Priest alone officiated. Throughout the day, he would wash his whole body five times, and his hands and feet ten times.

When the first dawn of morning came, the High Priest bathed and put on his usual priestly garments - the golden garments.

Exodus 28:4, 36, 42 (NASB)
4	"These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me.
36	"You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, 'Holy to the LORD.'
42	"You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs.

The golden garments

The golden garments consisted of eight items: tunic, belt, turban, pants, breastplate, ephod, robe, and a golden head plate. Over the white tunic, he put on the sky-blue robe, hemmed with decorative pomegranates and bells which rang as he moved around. Then he put on the ephod, which looked like an apron and was fastened by a long belt. There were two shoulder-straps sewn onto the belt. These straps went behind, up and over the priest's shoulders. Two sardonyx stones were attached at the ends of these straps, on the shoulders. He also put on a breastplate, set with twelve precious stones, one stone representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel. His turban differed from those of the ordinary priests, and had in front a golden plate inscribed "Holy to the Lord". These were called "golden garments," because gold, the symbol of splendor, appeared in them.

He then washed his hands and feet, and proceeded to perform the regular morning service, including the morning's sacrifice, the lighting of the lamps and the burning of incense. 

This was one of the seven high days, which were to be treated like Sabbaths. Therefore two additional lambs were to be offered as burnt offering after the morning service.

The Yom Kippur Services

Before the High Priest began the peculiar part of the day's services, he washed his hands and feet, put off his "golden garments", took a bath and changed into a simple robe made of white linen, and again washed his hands and feet.

Leviticus 16:4 (NASB)
4	"He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.

The white garments

Only on the Day of Atonement would the High Priest wear the white garments: tunic, belt, turban and pants. This signifies that the High Priest came before God within the Most Holy Place humbly and simply. He did not come in the outward splendor of gold and rich colors, but in pure white. Furthermore, white is the color of forgiveness, and forgiveness is what the High Priest is seeking for himself and all Israel as he came before the Ark.

Sin Offering 

Leviticus 16:6 (NASB)
6	"Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household.

He walked over to a young bullock stood between the Temple-porch and the great bronze altar. Standing towards the east (that is, the worshipers), he turned the head of the bullock towards the west (that is, to face the sanctuary), laid both his hands on the head of the bullock, and prayed for himself and for his family a prayer of confession. 

 Choosing the Scapegoat 

Leviticus 16:7-10 (NASB)
7	"He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
8	"Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9	"Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering.
10	"But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

The High Priest then walked over to two identical goats. He cast a lot to choose which of the two goats was to be "for JEHOVAH" and the other, a scapegoat, bore the collective sins of the people. 

Having designated each of the two goats, the High Priest tied a piece of red wool around the horns of the scapegoat, then a piece was cut off and tied to the temple door. Another piece of red wool was tied around the throat of the goat for Jehovah, which was to be slain. 

According to Jewish tradition, each year when the scapegoat died, the red wool on the temple door turned white as if to signify the atonement of another Yom Kippur was acceptable to the Lord. But 40 years before the second Temple was destroyed the red wool stopped turning white.

The scapegoat, was now turned around towards the people, and stood facing them, waiting, as it were, till their sins should be laid on him. With this presentation of the scapegoat before the people commenced the third and most solemn part of the expiatory services of the day. 

The Confession and the Sacrifice 

Leviticus 16:11-12 (NASB)
11	"Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
12	"He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil.

The High Priest now once more returned towards the sanctuary, and once again laid his two hands on the same bullock, which still stood between the porch and the altar. Once again the High Priest made the confession, over the bullock, this time for himself, his family and also the priesthood.

The young bullock was then slaughtered and its blood collected in a basin for later use. An attendant received the basin and kept it stirring so that the blood would not coagulate. 

Then came the most important part of the ceremony. The High Priest walked up the ramp to the altar, filled a gold censer with coals and a golden ladle with incense. Then, with everyone watching, he walked into the Most Holy Place, where no one but the High Priest entered except on Yom Kippur. 

Inside the Most Holy Place 

Leviticus 16:13 (NASB)
13	"He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die.

The veil was folded back, and the High Priest stood alone and separated from the people outside. He placed the censer between the staves of the Ark. He now carefully put the incense into his hand, and threw it on the coals of the censer. He waited until the smoke filled the Most Holy Place, and if all went well, emerged unscathed from the inner sanctuary.

While the incense was being offered in the Most Holy Place, the people withdrew from proximity to it, and worshiped in silence. At last the people saw the High Priest emerging from the sanctuary, and they knew that the service had been accepted.

 The Sprinkling of the Blood

Leviticus 16:14-19 (NASB)
14	"Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15	"Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
16	"He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities.
17	"When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel.
18	"Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.
19	"With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

The High Priest took from the attendant, who kept it stirring, the blood of the bullock. Once more he entered into the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled with his finger once upwards, towards the Mercy Seat, and seven times downwards. Coming out from the Most Holy Place, the High Priest now placed the basin of blood before the veil.

Next, the remaining goat was slaughtered. The High Priest then entered the Most Holy Place the third time, and sprinkled as before, once upwards and seven times downwards. He then came out and again placed the basin with the blood of the goat before the veil.

Now he took the basin with the bullock's blood, he sprinkled once upwards and seven times downwards towards the veil, outside the Most Holy Place, and then did the same with the blood of the goat.

Finally, he poured the blood of the bullock into the basin containing the blood of the goat, then poured the mixed blood back into the basin which had held the blood of the bullock, so that the two were thoroughly mixed together. He then sprinkled each of the horns of the altar of incense, and then seven times on the top of the altar of incense.

He then took the remaining blood outside to the inner court and poured out on the west side of the base of the altar of burnt offering.

Now the High Priest had cleansed the sanctuary in all its parts: the Most Holy Place, the veil, the Holy Place, the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering. The continuation of typical sacrificial communion with God was once again restored.

 The Scapegoat

Leviticus 16:20-22 (NASB)
20	"When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
21	"Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
22	"The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

All this while the scapegoat was standing looking eastwards, facing the people, and waiting to bear the sins of all the people to a solitary land. Laying both his hands on the head of this goat, the High Priest now confessed and pleaded for all the people.

The scapegoat was then led through the temple's east gate to a waiting priest whose job was to take it to a predetermined spot about ten to twelve miles away. Along the way, there were ten stations with food or drink in case the tired priest needed to break his fast. When the priest came to the final station, he pushed the goat off a cliff. Using a system of signal flags, the priest leading the animal would message back to the Temple that the sins of the people were forgiven.

And, tradition has it that when the sacrifice was fully accepted the piece of red wool on the temple door would turn miraculously white, to symbolize the gracious promise in Isaiah 1:18; but it adds that this miracle did not take place for 40 years before the destruction of the second Temple, that is, after Christ Himself completed the final sacrifice.

 The Carcasses Burnt "Outside the City"

Leviticus 16:27 (NASB)
27	"But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire.

While the scapegoat was being led into the wilderness, the High Priest proceeded to cut up the bullock and the goat, put the "inwards" (internal organs) in a vessel, and sent their carcasses to be burnt outside the city, in the place where the Temple ashes were usually deposited.

Then the High Priest, still wearing the linen garments, offered with a series of prayers and read the passages concerning the Day of Atonement, i.e. Leviticus 16; 23:27-32; also repeating by heart Numbers 29:7-11.

Conclusion of the Yom Kippur Services

Leviticus 16:23-25 (NASB)
23	"Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.
24	"He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25	"Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

The High Priest again washed his hands and feet, put off his linen garments, bathed, put on his "golden garments," and once more washed hands and feet.

He now appeared again before the people as the Lord's annointed. Before he offered the burnt offerings for the afternoon service, he sacrificed a male goat as a sin offering. The flesh of this sin offering was eaten at night by the priests within the sanctuary. 

Next, he sacrificed the burnt offerings for the people and that for himself, and finally burned the "inwards" of the special offerings. This, properly speaking, finished the services of the day.

Evening Service

Although the special Yom Kippur service was concluded, the regular evening temple service still had to be completed.

He offered the ordinary evening sacrifice, then washed his hands and his feet, once more put off his "golden garments," bathed, and put on his "linen garments," and again washed his hands and feet. Then he entered the Most Holy Place a fourth time, to fetch from it the censer and incense dish which he had left there.

On his return he washed once more hands and feet, put off his "linen garments", which were never to be used again, bathed, put on his "golden garments," washed hands and feet, burnt the evening incense on the golden altar and lit the lamps.

Finally, he washed his hands and feet, put off his "golden garments," and put on his ordinary layman's dress.

When he finally went home, he was accompanied by well wishers, who after praying and fasting all day, wanted to thank the High Priest for a successful Yom Kippur. At home, however, he could still not relax. As High Priest, it was his duty to invite fellow priests and dignitaries to a feast.

It was also the custom following Yom Kippur, for unmarried young men and women to go dancing in the vineyards to find mates. All the young women wore white so the rich would not have an advantage over the poor who could not afford finer clothes.

References

Edersheim, Alfred. "The Temple - Its Ministry and Services As They Were at the Time of Jesus Christ." http://www.ccel.org/e/edersheim/temple/temple.htm [Originally published: 1874]

Kramer, Amy J. "Yom Kippur." http://www.everythingjewish.com/YomK/YK_origins.htm [1999]

HOPE of ISRAEL

I love the scriptures.  They are heaven's fountain.   They pour down upon me and quench my thirst for truth.  They immerse my soul with peace and light.

Learning Hebrew has especially opened up the scriptures to me in beautiful symbolism.

Today, after church, I was studying the creation story in Genesis.
I was reviewing notes from Rebecca Stay.  Day 3 of creation was when the water and seas were GATHERED together, and the dry land appears.    

The 2nd half of Day 3 was when the earth brought forth grass, herbs and SEED and trees yielding fruit.   This directly corresponds to day 6.    With the dry land - Animals could be placed on the earth.  The 2nd half of day 6 was when man and woman were placed on the ground (Adamah).   Males who bare SEED and females who bare fruit.   The males are responsible to GATHER the seed.  The field is white already to harvest.  They gather and bring the seed (Children) of God to the font.   Women bare fruit and bring the first fruits to God.   As Rebecca Stay told us, read Alma 32 from a woman's view.  Find the imagery of a woman's womb where a seed is planted and grows with swelling motions.   Woman are also a symbol of God.  No other religion has our view of God.  He bares children with a female counterpart.  

The Hebrew verb to GATHER is qavah קָוָה.    
It means to gather together.  Another meaning is to wait eagerly for.  
It means Hope.

“Mikvah” מִקְוֶה is used in scripture in the context of "gathered water".  A mikvah is a font, a place of cleansing for ritual purity.  

The mikvah offers the individual, the community and the nation of Israel the remarkable gift of purity and holiness. 
The world’s natural bodies of water—its oceans, rivers, wells and spring-fed lakes—are mikvahs in their most primal form. They contain waters of Divine source, and thus, tradition teaches, the power to purify. Created even before the earth took shape, these bodies of water offer a quintessential route to consecration.

Remember, The word “mikvah” also means hope.  The hope that goes with the act of immersion, the hope or expectation of being cleansed and being able to start fresh. 

So the root kvh to gather goes with mkvh a place of gathering associated with hope. 

When Alma brought forth the believers to the Waters of Mormon.  They entered into a covenant and they clapped their hands for joy.  They certainly felt the hope of a new life beginning a they came out of the waters of baptism.  They returned to the womb to be born again.  This was a place of hope actualized.   Alma, as a priest, had the authority of the priesthood to perform these baptisms because the priesthood holds the keys of gathering.  I have joy in the symbolism of the different responsibilities of woman and men in God's plan. Woman bare fruit from the seed.  They bring Heavenly Father's children through the first veil into mortality.   Men plant the seed and later gather it to the "place of gathered waters" (mvqh)  so that the soul can pass through the 2nd veil back to the Father.   

All this is possible because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who along with the Father is the author of this plan. 

I found beautiful word play in Jeremiah 17:13 when he gives the LORD two names.  The Hope מִקְוֶה  of Israel and The Fountain of living waters.*  

The linked concepts of mikvah (collected pool of water) and tikvah (hope, confidence) are played out  where the prophet poetically expresses the ideas through the metaphor of trees either rooted and flourishing beside water when we trust in God, or drying up for the lack of water when we put our trust in man.

¶Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departethfrom the Lord.

 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not seewhen heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

 A few verses later, Jeremiah summarizes:

O Lord, the hope (Heb: mikveh) of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.

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Notes:

“Mikvah” מִקְוֶה

The KJV translates Strongs H4723 in the following manner: linen yarn (4x), hope (4x), gathering together (1x), pool (1x), plenty (1x), abiding (1x). 

*Living water was the preferred source for a mikvah immersion. 

The linen yarn is also an interesting meaning.  King Solomon had linen yarn brought.  

Was it to make garments fit for a king?

The binding together, or twisting together, of yarn, gives us a good mental picture of what it means to align ourselves with God, and wait for him. We gather ourselves and bind ourselves to his word and to him, we line ourselves up with him, and wait for him in confidence and hope. קָוָה is the word used in Psalms to 'Wait upon the Lord'.

kaph כ

Kaph

Early Hebrew		Middle Hebrew		Late Hebrew		Modern Hebrew

Ancient Name:	Kaph
Pictograph:	Open Palm

The Ancient form of this letter is  the open palm of a hand. Some ideas of this letter are "bend" and "curve," from the shape of the palm, as well as to "tame" or "subdue" as one who has been bent to another's will.  

The Modern Hebrew name for this letter is kaph, a Hebrew word meaning "palm" and is also the ancient name for this letter. The word Kaph is also H3709 the Hebrew word for spoon.  

This letter is pronounced as a "k," as in the word kaph, when used as a stop or as a "kh" (pronounced hard like the "ch" in the German name Bach).

The hand was an important part of the ancient temple ceremony as an offering of incense.   The Lord had shown Moses  the pattern of the Tabernacle, with its furnishings, vessels, and rituals. One commandment Moses received from the Lord was, "thou shalt make the...spoons...of pure gold" (Ex. 25:29).  In fact, each  of the 12 tribes donated a golden spoon of 10 shekels weight, filled to overflowing with frankincense (Num. 7:84-86).

The spoon was termed kaph in Hebrew, which means literally "hollow of the hand," כַּף kaph, ; from H3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power:—branch, foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.


It is also very interesting that the hand-shaped fronds of a palm tree are called Kaph.  Now I will think of the palm of Christ. 

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle or temple by passing through the veil. He carried frankincense and the spoon as he passed through (Lev. 16:12-13). 

It was considered especially difficult for the priest to take up the raw incense in the hollow of his hand, not with his fingers, without dropping one small grain, and to pour it on to the fire (Lev. 16:12; also Yoma 1, 5, 47b). This important ceremony, including the complete incineration of the frankincense, along with the high priest shouting the sacred name "Yahweh" (Jehovah)  (יהוה), had to precede immediately the roasting and burning of the flesh of the animal sacrifice outside on the large altar of burnt offerings. On some occasions, an altar of incense was used in the temple in lieu of the spoon to burn the incense. 

13th century BC Ramesseum in Thebes/Luxor.

Incense Dish  The word kaph is also used to indicate a shallow bowl used as a censer, for burning incense. The RSV renders this term “incense dish.” Archaeological discovery of shallow stone bowls, with a hand carved on the bottom that appears to be a cupped palm have been found in temple excavation sites.   Incense dishes are mentioned in various priestly texts ( Exod 25:29; Num 4:7) which deal with the tabernacle, and they appear in other parts of the Bible in relationship to temple equipment (see 1 Kgs 7:50; 2 Kgs 25:14). The incense dishes were made of gold and weighed ten shekels (Num 7:14). In the tabernacle, they were placed on the small golden table which held various other receptacles for food as well as the bread of the Presence.

terracotta cupped hand holding an incense bowl. It's Hellenistic period, from the Antioch Museum in Turkey.

 John A. Tvedtnes has said  that the Hebrew  word "consecrate," refering to the ordination of priests in Old Testament times, literally means "to fill the hand."
מָלָאmale'   יָד yad.

Exodus 29:9 "thou shalt fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons" (KJV "thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons")

Another example from Blue Letter Bible: 

Masoretic Text   Reverse Interlinear English (KJV)   [?] Strong's Root Form (Hebrew) Parsing And he that is the high h1419    גָּדוֹל gadowl  priest h3548    כֹּהֵן kohen  among his brethren h251    אָח 'ach  upon whose head h7218    רֹאשׁ ro'sh  the anointing h4888    מָשְׁחָהmishchah  oil h8081    שֶׁמֶן shemen  was poured h3332    יָצַק yatsaq  and that isconsecrated h4390    מָלָא male'  ↑ h3027    יָד yad  to put h3847    לָבַשׁ labash  on the garments h899    בֶּגֶד beged  shall not uncover h6544    פָּרַע para`  his head h7218    רֹאשׁ ro'sh  nor rend h6533    פָּרַם param  his clothes h899    בֶּגֶד beged

The Hand hieroglyphic  (yod) looks like an Egyptian censer or incense vessel. 

According to Hugh Nibley, The filled hand is the widespread sign of offering sacrifice. 

I am reminded of Isaiah 6, also 2 Nephi 16 and his vision of the temple.  "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple (1).  Above it stood the seraphim(2)....and the house was filled with smoke (4).....  Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips (5)....Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; (6)  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."

The smoke in the ancient tabernacle came from the altar of incense before the Holy of Holies.  The coal taken from this altar and used as a symbol of cleansing and atonement.

the incense holder I have from Nepal, India so used in other religions as well. 
Burning incense is an important ritual in all major Buddhist traditions, but the purpose and symbolism of incense are slightly different for each tradition. In Buddhism, incense acts as an offering to Buddhas, or enlightened ones, as well as a symbol for various aspects of Buddhist belief and an aid to positive thoughts and actions. 
These beautiful Terracotta Hand Shaped Incense Holder(also known as Incense Burners) holds the incense in a right manner to collect all the ash and remains after the incense has burnt. These are handmade by Prajapatis (A local caste/tribe living in Bhaktapur, Nepal). The lovely design of a hand is a sign of devotion and sacrifice. In India hand is "kara"

Which leads us to another root to study - Kaphar.   I wrote an entry about this word and bitumen here.  This is the word for atonement.

Strong's H3722 כָּפַר kâphar, kaw-far'; a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:—appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).

From the same root we get kaphoret, the mercy seat.  The mercy seat was the "covering" for the ark of the covenant. 

It was on the mercy seat that sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the day of atonement.  
Lev 17:11 reads:  "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  

In Mosiah 2:36 we read that if we "should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken (commanded), that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you.....therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.   Verse 38 reads "Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever.  vs 39  And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man."
But then we read in Mosiah Chapter 3 vs 3 of the glad tidings of great Joy!  For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare....that with power, the Lord Ominipotent who reigneth, who WAS, and IS (יהוה) from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men and shall dwell שׁכנ in a tabernacle משׁכנ...and he shall suffer; for blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.’
   
Why blood?   It is a real sacrifice.  It goes all the way.  Eternal life is not cheaply bought.  Blood gives life.  
In verse 16:  The blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.  Verse 18....men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. (יהוה)

Christ bought (purchased with his blood) the rights to mercy.  In Moroni 7:27-28 we read:  "... Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men.   For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him.....he advocateth the cause of the children of men..."

A sacrificial animal's blood sprinkled on the kapporeth symbolically represented the life of the people who were condemned to die.  It represents the innocent taking the place of the guilty.  Christ shed his blood for us in our place.  The substitutionary shedding of blood, the life-for-life principle is the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He bought the rights of mercy with his blood and allows us, upon repentance, to be forgiven and made At-ONE again with God.   Because of his sacrifice, the paroketh - (wall like covering or vail) separating the Holy of Holies was rent, allowing the bride to be in the chamber with the Bridegroom.

I love C.S. Lewis and his beautiful stories of Narnia.  Aslan is an allegory for Christ, who stands in opposition to the White Witch, who holds the world of Narnia captive – “always winter, never Christmas.” But when a group of children stumble through an old wardrobe to discover this world, it is young Edmund who betrays Aslan and his friends.

“You have a traitor there, Aslan,” said the Witch…

“Well,” said Aslan. “His offense was not against you.”

“Have you forgotten the Deep Magic?” asked the Witch.

“Let us say I have forgotten it,” answered Aslan gravely. “Tell us of this Deep Magic.”

“Tell you?” said the Witch, her voice growing suddenly shriller. “Tell you what is written on that very Table of Stone which stands beside us?…You at least know the magic which the Emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning. You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill…And so, that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.” […]

“It is very true,” said Aslan, “I do not deny it.”

“Oh, Aslan!” whispered Susan in the Lion’s ear, “can’t we – I mean, you won’t, will you? Can’t we do something about the Deep Magic? Isn’t there something you can work against it?”

As we read on, we see that there is an even “deeper magic” to be counted on.

Susan and Lucy had just witnessed the horrific death of Aslan, and were now said to be “walking aimlessly,” unsure of how to proceed.

At that moment they heard from behind them a loud noise — a great cracking, deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giant’s plate…. The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end; and there was no Aslan.

“Who’s done it?” cried Susan. “What does it mean? Is it more magic?”

“Yes!” said a great voice from behind their backs. “It is more magic.” They looked round. There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.

“Oh, Aslan!” cried both the children, staring up at him, almost as much frightened as they were glad….

“But what does it all mean?” asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer.

“It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”

The kapporeth foreshadows the atonement of Jesus Christ who gave his life for all.  As the great high priest, He delivers mercy to us at the Heavenly throne of God.

USE FOR KAF 

The COVERINGS of the Tabernacle held symbolic meaning as well.  

בגד Beged is a garment, covering.  It was the raiment of any kind from the holy robes of the high priest to the covering of the poor. 

It is also the word used for covering or wrapping the tabernacle furniture as it was transported in the wilderness. 

A Hebrew verb to cover is כפר, and this is also the word for at-one-ment.    We are covered by the atonement of Christ.

Another word for covering is כסה kacah which means to hide.

Exodus 26:14 (KJV) - And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.

It was so interesting when I found that the translation for "dyed red" was the word Adam.  אָדַם

The KJV translates Strongs H119 in the following manner: dyed red (5x), red 4 ruddy (1x).

(There will be a post in Shin/Sin about the dye used for the covering)

There is obvious symbolism in the ram and a dyed red skin.  Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God called out for him to stop. Abraham saw a ram with his horns caught in a thicket.  The ram became the substitute sacrifice.   Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our ram in the thicket. The color red foreshadows the blood covering of God's Sacrificial Lamb. 

Matthew 23:37 (KJV) - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings (coverings), and ye would not!

Christ desires to gather Israel under His covering of the "ram's skin dyed red". The covenant is the covering under which God blesses His children.

Our Savior descended to take on a covering of mortal skin (eventually dyed red - my thoughts)

The actual word used  for covering is H3680 kacah; a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy).

The ancient Mosaic tabernacle covering represented the heavens.  Psalm 104:2 reads..."who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:" 

One of the coverings of the temple was made from badger skins (Tachash #H8476)

Tachash means a clean animal with fur. Literally speaking, badgers' skins were used in the Old Testament not only as a covering for the tabernacle tent, but also to cover the tables, altar, lamp stand and the Ark of the Covenant during travel. Badgers' skins were also used for the shodding of the feet of the Israelites while in the desert.  And special mention is given to Ezekiel 16 where Bridal garments are described and the bride is given special footwear made of Badgers skins.   Badger skin was used for protection, not so much for beauty.    I think of how the Savior is described as having no comeliness that man should desire him.  Perhaps this is why Badger skins were used as an outer covering.  It could help with protection from the elements as well as not bringing attention to the sacred tent to anyone passing by Israel's camp.

The Linen Curtain

Exodus 26:1-2  Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. (2) The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.  

Blue, purple and scarlet represent the colors of royalty and the royal priesthood. 
Cherubim were again used showing covering and protecting sacred things.

40. quppu : a box / a basket  of reeds / of wood , a box for money, food, tablets ... , a cage , a guffa (reed-made circular craft)

Further study:
LDS Bible Dictionary   Priests

The god Kothar (i.e., skilled one) was very popular at Ugarit and was regarded as a divine craftsman.41 Several texts indicate that he was a magician, master builder, seaman, and a maker of weapons (including the composite bow). It is he who makes the palace for Baal after Baal's "resurrection" from the dead (KTU 1.4: v. 50ff). He is often identified with the Babylonian god Ea, who himself was a god of wisdom, both practical and theoretical.



kanaph  - wing  also kappi in Assyrian

Psa 91:4

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield H6793and buckler.

possible??

khru oar ḫru

1-(kh)ru-(ḫrw) 2-wsr

oar (a spoon- (shape))

1. Determinative for usr-(wsr), "oar"; 2. Tril. phonogram, (kh)ru-(ḫrw)