The priestly turban or mitre () was the head covering worn by the High Priest of Israel when he served in the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...

and the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...

Etymology

The Hebrew term for the priestly turban has been translated as "

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) or miter (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of ...

" ( KJV) or "headdress". It was most likely a

turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...

, as the word comes from the root "to wrap".

Hebrew Bible

The turban worn by the High Priest was much larger than the head coverings of the priests. It was wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban, resembling the blossom of a flower. The head covering of the priests was different, being wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a ''mīgbāʿā'' (). It was made of fine linen in Exodus 28:39, and like all the holy garments, it was made by "gifted artisans ... filled with the spirit of wisdom" according to Exodus 28:3.

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...

writes that the High Priests' turban was identical to the turbans of the other priests. The priestly golden head plate () was attached to the turban using two sets of blue cords: one going over the top of the head and the other around the sides of the head at the level of the ears according to Exodus 39:31.

Talmud

According to the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

, the wearing of the turban atoned for the

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

of arrogance on the part of the

Israelites Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...

according to Zevachim 88b.

Gallery

Image:PLATE4DX.jpg, The High Priest of Israel in his golden garments wearing the turban on his head. The priest on one knee beside him is wearing it wrapped conically, which was called a ''mig̲bāʿā''. Image:LEV 8- High priest in robes and breastplate.jpg, Another view of the turban.

Explanatory notes

References

{{Jewish priesthood Jewish religious clothing

Turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...