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The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a Latin translation of the biblical term "Holy of Holies" which generally refers in Latin texts to the Holiest place of the Tabernacle of Ancient Israel and later the Temples in Jerusalem, but also has some derivative use in application to imitations of the Tabernacle in church architecture. The Latin word ''sanctum'' is the neuter form of the adjective "holy," and ''sanctorum'' its genitive plural. Thus the term ''sanctum sanctorum'' literally means "the holy () of the holy ()," replicating in Latin the Hebrew construction for the superlative, with the intended meaning "the most holy ()." The plural form ''sancta sanctorum'' is also used, arguably as a synecdoche referring to the holy relics contained in the sanctuary. The Vulgate translation of the Bible uses ''Sancta sanctorum'' for the Holy of Holies.〔2 Chronicles 5:7, in Latin (Vulgate): "Et intulerunt sacerdotes arcam foederis Domini in locum suum, id est, ad oraculum templi, in Sancta sanctorum subter alas cherubim." In English (King James Version): "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim."〕 Hence the derivative usage to denote the Sancta Sanctorum chapel in the complex of St John Lateran, Rome. ==Use of the term in modern languages == The Latin word ''sanctum'' may be used in English, following Latin, for "a holy place," or a sanctuary, as in the novel ''Jane Eyre'' (1848) which refers to "the sanctum of school room." Romance languages tend to use the form ''sancta sanctorum'', treating it as masculine and singular. E.g., the Spanish dictionary of the Real Academia Española admits ''sanctasanctórum'' (without the space and with an accent) as a derivative Spanish noun denoting both the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem, any secluded and mysterious place, and something that a person holds in the highest esteem. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「sanctum sanctorum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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