The innermost sanctuary of an ancient Greek or Roman temple that was forbidden to the general public and reserved for priests only.
From Latin adytum, borrowed from Greek adyton (ἄδυτον), meaning 'the inviolable place,' from a- (not) + dytos (enterable). The Latinized form became the standard term in academic and religious texts throughout medieval Europe.
Medieval Christian scholars used the word adytum to describe the most holy parts of their own churches—like where the Eucharist was kept—showing how they borrowed ancient pagan temple vocabulary to explain their religious architecture to educated readers.
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