Note 122 — Chapter I · The Religious Origin of the Yezidis

R. Smith, ibid, p. 49; cf. Ex. 3: 5, “And he said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground”; and Josh. 5: 15, “And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua: Loose thy shoe from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”

In idolatrous days the Arabs did not wear any clothing in making the circuit of the Kaaba. In Islam, the orthodox way is as follows: Arrived within a short distance of Mecca, the pilgrims put off their ordinary clothing and assume the garb of a hajjee. Sandals may be worn but not shoes, and the head must be left uncovered. In Mandeanism, each person as he or she enters the Miškana, or tabernacle, disrobes, and bathes in the little circular reservoir. On emerging from the water, each one robes him or herself in the rasta, the ceremonial white garment.—The London Standard, Oct. 19, 1894. Prayer Meeting of the Starworshippers.