dwells inside the holy of holies above the ark of the covenant, and entry into this area is dangerous. The smoke acts, in part, to protect Aaron from direct encounter with the divine presence. At the same time—and the juxtaposition is of importance—the smoke functions as an indication that Yahweh is indeed present in the holy of holies. In all probability, this smoke is associated with the smoke on top of Sinai. The priestly traditionists emphasize that the glory of Yahweh took up residence in the