Modern phenomenologists often refer to the transcendent side of holiness as the “Other.”1 The “Other” is defined as that which is out of the ordinary sphere of existence. Most people in the GraecoRoman world would have agreed. The term hieros is the most frequent Greek term for “sacred.” Hieros marks out items which are in some way associated with the gods, often owned by the gods.2

The central element in the word is “outside the realm of the ordinary”; it usually refers as well to supernatural power.3 Similarly, the Latin term, sacer, refers to places, objects and people that are distanced from everyday use, either because they are special to the gods or because they are cursed. Sacer does not refer to the gods themselves, but rather to items and transactions, e.g. prayer and sacrifices, that relate to the worship of the gods. The terms hagios (Gk.) and sanctus (Lat.) refer both to gods and people and signify veneration. One finds these terms in descriptions of the majesty of the gods.4 Thus, the Greek and Latin terms support the argument that sanctity has a lot to do with “otherness.”