Ancient religions In
ancient Roman religion, the concept of
sacrosanctity () was extremely important in attempting to protect the
tribunes of the plebs from personal harm. The tribunician power was later arrogated to the
emperors in large part to provide them with the role's sacred protections. In addition to sanctifying temples and similar sanctuaries, the Romans also undertook the ritual of the when founding a new cityparticularly
formal coloniesin order to make the entire circuit of the town's wall ritually sacred as a further means of protection. In order to allow the removal of corpses to graveyards and similarly profane work, the city gates were left exempted from the rite.
Indic religions Indian-origin religion, namely
Hinduism and its offshoots
Buddhism,
Jainism and
Sikhism, have concept of revering and conserving ecology and environment by treating various objects as sacred, such as rivers, trees, forests or groves, mountains, etc.
Hinduism Sacred rivers and their reverence is a phenomenon found in several religions, especially religions which have
eco-friendly belief as core of their religion. For example, the
Indian-origin religions (
Buddhism,
Hinduism,
Jainism, and
Sikism) revere and preserve the
groves,
trees,
mountains and rivers as sacred. Among the most sacred rivers in Hinduism are the
Ganges,
Yamuna, (in Tibet),
Nanda Devi,
Char Dham mountains and
Amarnath mountain,
Gangotri mountain.
Yamunotri mountain,
Sarasvotri mountain (origin of
Sarasvati River),
Dhosi Hill, etc.
Buddhism In
Theravada Buddhism one finds the designation of
ariya-puggala ('noble person'). Buddha described the
Four stages of awakening of a person depending on their level of purity. This purity is measured by which of the ten
samyojana ('fetters') and
klesha have been purified and integrated from the
mindstream. These persons are called (in order of increasing sanctity)
Sotāpanna,
Sakadagami,
Anāgāmi, and
Arahant.
Abrahamic religions Christianity The range of
denominations provide a wide variety of interpretations on sacredness. The
Anglican,
Catholic,
Lutheran, and
Methodist Churches, believe in
Holy Sacraments that the clergy perform, such as
Holy Communion and
Holy Baptism, as well as strong belief in the
Holy Catholic Church,
Holy Scripture,
Holy Trinity, and the
Holy Covenant. They also believe that angels and saints are
called to holiness. In Methodist
Wesleyan theology holiness has acquired the secondary meaning of the reshaping of a person through
entire sanctification. The
Holiness movement began within the
United States Methodist church among those who thought the church had lost the zeal and emphasis on personal holiness of Wesley's day. Around the middle of the 20th century, the
Conservative Holiness Movement, a conservative offshoot of the Holiness movement, was born. The
Higher Life movement appeared in the British Isles during the mid-19th century. Commonly recognized outward expressions or "standards" of holiness among more fundamental adherents frequently include applications relative to dress, hair, and appearance: e.g., short hair on men, uncut hair on women, and prohibitions against shorts, pants on women, make-up and jewelry. Other common injunctions are against places of worldly amusement, mixed swimming, smoking,
minced oaths, as well as the eschewing of television and radio.
Islam Among the
names of God in the Quran is
Al-Quddus (): found in
Q59:23 and , the closest English translation is 'holy' or 'sacred'. (It shares the same
triliteral Semitic root,
Q-D-Š, as the Hebrew
kodesh.) Another use of the same root is found in the Arabic name for Jerusalem:
al-Quds, 'the Holy'. The word
ḥarām (), often translated as 'prohibited' or 'forbidden', is better understood as 'sacred' or 'sanctuary' in the context of places considered sacred in Islam. For example: • the
Masjid al-Haram, or the 'Sacred Mosque in
Mecca', constituting the immediate precincts of the
Kaaba; •
al-Haramain, or 'the (two) Sanctuaries', a reference to the twin holy cities of Mecca and
Medina; and • the
Haram ash-Sharif, or 'Noble Sanctuary', the precincts of the
Dome of the Rock and
al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem.
Judaism The Hebrew word
kodesh () is used in the
Torah to mean "set apart" and "distinct."
Kodesh is also commonly translated as "holy" and "sacred." Holiness (
kedushah) is presented as something that is actively produced through their relationship to God or through designation for sacred purposes. This relational understanding is reflected in both ritual law and everyday practices, such as marriage. Classical and modern thinkers alike emphasize that holiness is not a physical property but a status shaped by divine command, communal recognition, and human intention. More broadly, Jewish thought maintains that holiness is not confined to extraordinary places or moments but can permeate ordinary life through attentiveness, ethical action, and ritual practice. In this view, holiness emerges through cooperation between divine presence and human response, transforming the everyday world rather than rejecting it. , one of the last relics of the
Temple in Jerusalem Holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. The
Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the
Temple in Jerusalem:
Holy of Holies, Temple Sanctuary, Temple Vestibule, Court of Priests, Court of Israelites, Court of Women,
Temple Mount, the walled city of
Jerusalem, all the walled cities of Israel, and the borders of the
Land of Israel. Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area. Time plays a particularly central role in Jewish conceptions of holiness, with
Shabbat and
Jewish holidays regarded as among the most enduring and accessible form of sanctity after the Temple’s destruction. Biblical and rabbinic sources describe the Sabbath as holy independent of human observance, yet insist that preparation and behavioral distinctions are necessary to experience its sanctity fully. Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists
39 categories of activity that are specifically prohibited. == See also ==