PHYLACTERY (4 vXaKTipwv)

This article appears in Volume V21, Page 546 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: PER-PIG

PHYLACTERY (4 vXaKTipwv) , a Greek word meaning " guard " (sc. against misfortune), i.e. an amulet. It is applied in the New Testament to the tefillin or "

prayer

-thongs " worn by orthodox

Jews

daily at morning-

prayer

(whether at

home

or in the

synagogue

SYNAGOGUE (avvaywyii)
SYNAGOGUE, UNITED

). The title employed in Hebrew, tefillin, seems really to be derived from an Aramaic

term

TERM

meaning " attachments," " ornaments "; it corresponds to the Biblical Hebrew word rendered " frontlets " (totafOth). The tefillin or phylacteries are worn, one on the left arm (the " hand-tefilla "), and the other on the head (the " head-tefilla "). In each case the leather thongs support a small satchel which is fastened to the arm and the forehead respectively, and contains certain passages of the Law written (in Hebrew) on parchment, viz. Exod. xiii. I- to amd II-16; Deut. vi. 4-9 and xi. 13-21. The custom of wearing phylacteries seems to have been derived in the first instance from the Pharisees. By the Sadducees and the generality of the people in the time of Christ it seems not to have been practised. Later it becamenot without protestone of the badges of orthodox Judaism. It is significant that the custom is entirely unknown to the Samaritan community.
The phylacteries, together with the " fringe " (tsitsth) and

door

DOOR (corresponding to the Gr. Bbpa,. Lat. fores or valvae; the English word, with other forms common in allied languages, comes from the same Indo-European
stem
- STEM (O. Eng. staefn, stemn, cf. Du. stain, Ger. Stamm, &c., probably related to " staff ")
as the Gr. Obpa and Lat. fares)

-post symbol (mezuza)which latter consists of a piece of parchment, containing the Hebrew text of Deut. vi. 4-9 and xi. 13-21 enclosed in a glass or metal tube, and fixed upon the right hand post of the

door

DOOR (corresponding to the Gr. Bbpa,. Lat. fores or valvae; the English word, with other forms common in allied languages, comes from the same Indo-European
stem
- STEM (O. Eng. staefn, stemn, cf. Du. stain, Ger. Stamm, &c., probably related to " staff ")
as the Gr. Obpa and Lat. fares)

of each dwelling-room in a houseform the three sets of visible signs by which the Israelite is constantly reminded of his duty to God (cf. Num. xv. 39-40; Deut. vi. 9; xi. 20). The " fringe " (or " tassels ") was originally attached to the common outer garmenta large square wrapthe loose end of which hung over the left

shoulder

SHOULDER (in O.E. sculder, cognate with Ger. Schulter, Dutch schouder, Swed. skuldra, &c; the root is unknown)

. This garment with tassels is mentioned in the New Testament (cf. Matt. ix. 2o; xiv. 36; xxiii. 5 and parallels). Among modern

Jews

it has survived in two forms: (I) the fringed praying shawl called talith worn by every male orthodox Jew at the

synagogue

SYNAGOGUE (avvaywyii)
SYNAGOGUE, UNITED

morning service; and (2) an under-garment, shaped like a chest-

protector

PROTECTOR

,one

part

PART

covering the chest, the other the back, which is worn continuously by male orthodox Jews. It is called Arba Kanfotla (i.e. " Four Corners," Deut. xxii. 12) or " little Talith," and is, of course, " fringed." Both phylactery and mezuza were supposed to keep off hurtful demons (Targ. on Cant. viii. 3).
See Surenhusius, Mischna, i. 9 seq.; and Bodenschatz, Kirch. Verf. d. heutigen Juden, iv. 9 seq. (W. R. S.; G. H. Bo.)

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