Bible Dictionaries
Pinnacle

Holman Bible Dictionary

(pihn' na cle) The highest point of a structure. NRSV referred to the pinnacles of the Temple or the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 54:12 ). The underlying Hebrew suggests a structure catching the sun's rays. Other translations include battlements (NAS, NIV, REB), towers (TEV), and windows (KJV). The pinnacle (literally, “little wing”) of the Temple (Matthew 4:5; Luke 4:9 ) is not mentioned in the Old Testament, intertestamental literature, or rabbinic sources. Possible identifications include the southeastern corner of the royal colonnade which overlooked the Kidron valley and a lintel or balcony above one of the Temple gates. The account of the martyrdom of James the Lord's brother by Hegesippus relates that James was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple and then stoned and clubbed. This (likely conflated) account suggests a high structure overlooking the Temple court.