Holy of Holies, Hebrew Qodesh Ha-qadashim, also called Devir, the innermost and most sacred area of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, accessible only to the Israelite high priest. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, he was permitted to enter the square, windowless enclosure to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood. By this act, the most solemn of the religious year, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the priesthood. The Holy of Holies was located at the west end of the Temple, and in Solomon’s Temple it enshrined the Ark of