I've heard that the cope originated as a raincoat the priests would wear in outdoor processions, and it was never dropped as part of priestly vestments per the mode of the Church in general, not to drop traditional things.
However, when looking at some photos of some paintings in the (one of, if not the) oldest (discovered) Synagogue—Dura Europos—, I was shocked to find what looked like a Cope (worn by priests, but especially part of the Papal regalia) on the Highpriest Aaron.
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I was shocked because it looks identical to a papal cope, worn here for instance by Pope Benedict XVI (minus the [Papal Tiara](http://biblelight.net/PiusXIcrowned.jpg) , but complete with *fabulous* shoes):
Clearly its being the 'same thing' as what Aaron is wearing (a distinctly liturgical piece of clothing) is incompatible with its having been a raincoat which was 'never dropped.' But it could of course have been eventually changed to represent symbolically that the Pope is a kind of 'highpriest' among the other bishops (and bishops a kind of 'highpriest' over the priests, I guess you could say—a picture St. Clement draws in the first century), but I find it unlikely that they would have known this is what vestments Aaron wore would look like, as the language of the Bible isn't exactly unambiguous, and seems like more of a summary of the fact that God commanded holy vestments to be a thing. And some kind of 'divine recapiulation'/coincidence is more or less out of the question.
And it goes back quite a long timr, it isn't something purely recent due to 'scholarly research.'
I found [this](https://i.sstatic.net/62rad.jpg) painting from just over 500 years ago, for instance. If it basically hasn't changed since then, the changes must be very, very gradual, meaning we can interpolate a much earlier date, then, for its origin.
Question
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Just what is the origin of the 'highpriestly-looking' cope as used by the Church in her sacred vestments, and when did it first come into use? Does any source mention its development or what is the first mention of its use, for example?
" class="img-fluid rounded" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 10px 0;" loading="lazy">
I was shocked because it looks identical to a papal cope, worn here for instance by Pope Benedict XVI (minus the [Papal Tiara](http://biblelight.net/PiusXIcrowned.jpg) , but complete with *fabulous* shoes):
Clearly its being the 'same thing' as what Aaron is wearing (a distinctly liturgical piece of clothing) is incompatible with its having been a raincoat which was 'never dropped.' But it could of course have been eventually changed to represent symbolically that the Pope is a kind of 'highpriest' among the other bishops (and bishops a kind of 'highpriest' over the priests, I guess you could say—a picture St. Clement draws in the first century), but I find it unlikely that they would have known this is what vestments Aaron wore would look like, as the language of the Bible isn't exactly unambiguous, and seems like more of a summary of the fact that God commanded holy vestments to be a thing. And some kind of 'divine recapiulation'/coincidence is more or less out of the question.
And it goes back quite a long timr, it isn't something purely recent due to 'scholarly research.'
I found [this](https://i.sstatic.net/62rad.jpg) painting from just over 500 years ago, for instance. If it basically hasn't changed since then, the changes must be very, very gradual, meaning we can interpolate a much earlier date, then, for its origin.
Question
--
Just what is the origin of the 'highpriestly-looking' cope as used by the Church in her sacred vestments, and when did it first come into use? Does any source mention its development or what is the first mention of its use, for example?
Asked by Sola Gratia
(8517 rep)
Feb 6, 2019, 12:32 AM
Last activity: Feb 9, 2019, 12:49 PM
Last activity: Feb 9, 2019, 12:49 PM