Literally translated as “it is true,” “so be it” or “may it become true.” This word is used as a formula to endorse a blessing said privately or heard as part of a synagogue service. It is found thirty times in the Bible as an interjection of communal confirmation. Reciting amen after a blessing is equivalent to having said that blessing yourself. In this way, the interjection of amen was the main form of communal participation in the Temple and Talmudic period.
