Kapporet

Kapporet, also spelled kaporet and sometimes transliterated kapparat or kapporet, is the Hebrew term כַּפֹּרֶת that designates the lid or cover of the Ark of the Covenant in the Hebrew Bible. In English translations the term is commonly rendered as the mercy seat, a focal point for discussions of divine presence and atonement in ancient Israelite worship.

Description and construction: The kapporet is described as a gold lid that matches the dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant. Attaching to its ends are two cherubim crafted from hammered gold, with their wings spread upward and facing each other, forming a symbolic throne or dwelling place. The lid and the cherubim together are viewed as the place where God’s presence rests above the Ark.

Function and ritual significance: In biblical narrative, the kapporet is the sacred site where God is believed to meet with the high priest and communicate with Israel. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies and sprinkles the blood of sacrifice on the kapporet to make atonement for the sanctuary and for the people. This ritual is described in detail in the book of Leviticus and is central to the biblical concept of atonement.

Historical context: The kapporet was part of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and, later, of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Its physical fate after the Babylonian exile is unknown, and it is not mentioned in contemporary historical records. The term kapaoret is distinct from kapparot, a separate Yom Kippur ritual involving a chicken or money; the two share a root related to atonement but refer to different practices.

In modern usage, kapporet remains a biblical term associated with the Ark, the divine presence, and the concept of atonement in ancient Israelite religion.