ABSTRACT
In addition to the manifestation of holiness at sacred sites, there is also the notion in many religions that holiness can be mediated to humanity via the divine word. In some cultures this process is by written texts and in others the transmission of holy words is purely oral. Nevertheless, there is a power which is communicated by engagement with holy words believed to be revealed by the gods and then transmitted to holy human beings who receive them and pass them on to other worthy individuals. In this chapter we want to examine the process of transmission of holiness through holy words. Certain questions will be addressed. How does rabbinic Judaism understand the process of holiness through sacred words? How does this understanding compare with other contemporary views in the first centuries CE?
