Bible Lexicons

καταπέτασμα, καταπετάσματος, τό (καταπετάννυμι to spread out over, to cover), an Alex. Greek word for παραπέτασμα. which the other Greeks use from Herodotus down; a veil spread out, a curtain — the name given in the Greek Scriptures, as well as in the writings of Philo and Josephus, to the two curtains in the temple at Jerusalem (τά καταπετάσματα, 1 Macc. 4:51; (yet cf. Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, 2:611)): one of them (Hebrew מָסָך) at the entrance of the temple separated the Holy place from the outer court (Exodus 26:37; Exodus 38:18; Numbers 3:26; Josephus, b. j. 5, 5, 4; it is called also τό κάλυμμα by the Sept. and Philo, Exodus 27:16; Numbers 3:25; Philo, vit. Moys. 3: §§ 5 and 9), the other veiled the Holy of holies from the Holy place (in Hebrew the פָּרֹכֶת; ἐνδοτερον καταπέτασμα, Josephus, Antiquities 8, 3, 3; τό ἐσωτατον καταπέτασμα Philo de gig. § 12; by the Sept. and Philo this is called pre-eminently τό καταπέτασμα, Exodus 26:31ff; Leviticus 21:23; Leviticus 24:3; Philo, vit. Moys. as above). This latter καταπέτασμα is the only one mentioned in the N. T.: τό καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ, Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; τό δεύτερον καταπέτασμα, Hebrews 9:3; τό ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος (cf. Leviticus 16:2, 12, 15; Exodus 26:33) the space more inward them the veil, equivalent to 'the space within the veil,' i. e. the Holy of holies, figuratively used of heaven, as the true abode of God, Hebrews 6:19; in a similar figurative way the body of Christ is called καταπέτασμα, in (Heb.) , because, as the veil had to be removed in order that the high priest might enter the most holy part of the earthly temple, so the body of Christ had to be removed by his death on the cross, that an entrance might be opened into the fellowship of God in heaven.