holy of holies

A place of awe or sacredness, as in The corporate board room is the holy of holies here. This expression is a translation of the Hebrew term for the sanctuary inside the tabernacle of the Temple of Jerusalem, where the sacred Ark of the Covenant was kept (Exodus 26:34). Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1800s.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Nikoleta	-	Greek
Willemijn	vil-lə-MIEN, wil-lə-MIEN	Dutch
Obed	O-bed (English)	Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Augusta	[ɔ:'gʌstə]
Nelinho	-	Portuguese
Becci	BEK-ee	English (Modern)