pillars, to which the priests were not admitted, its exact conjunction. There were also two is, as it were, a heaven, peculiar to God: but golden rings belonging to each of the longer the space of the twenty cubits, is, as it were, boards, and passing through the entire wood, sea and land, on which men live, and so this part and through them gilt bars passed along each is peculiar to the priests only. But at the front, board, that it might thereby be moved and carwhere the entrance was made, they placed pil-ried about, as occasion should require; for it lars of gold, that stood on bases of brass, in num- was not drawn in a cart by beasts of burden, ber seven; but then they spread over the taber- but borne on the shoulders of the priests. Upon nacle vails of fine linen, and purple, and blue, this its cover were two images, which the Heand scarlet colours, embroidered. The first vail brews call Cherubims; they are flying creatures, was ten cubits every way, and this they spread but their form is not like to that of any of the over the pillars which parted the temple, and creatures which men have seen, though Moses kept the most holy place concealed within: and said he had seen such beings near the throne of this vail was that which made this part not visi- God. In this ark he put the two tables whereon ble to any. Now the whole temple was called the ten commandments were written, five upon The Holy Place;' but that part which was with-each table, and two and a half upon each side of in the four pillars, and to which none were ad- them; and this ark he placed in the most holy mitted, was called 'The Holy of Holies.' This place. vail was very ornamental, and embroidered with 6. But in the holy place he placed a table like all sorts of flowers which the earth produces, those at Delphi: its length was two cubits, and and there were interwoven into it all sorts of its breadth one cubit, and its height three spans. variety that might be an ornament, excepting the It had feet also, the lower parts of which were forms of animals. Another vail there was which complete feet, resembling those which the Doricovered the five pillars that were at the entrance : ans put to their bedsteads, but the upper parts it was like the former in its magnitude, and tex- towards the table were wrought into a square ture, and colour; and at the corner of every pil- form. The table had a hollow towards every lar a ring retained it from the top downwards side, having a ledge of four fingers depth, that half the depth of the pillars, the other half af- went round about like a spiral, both on the upper fording an entrance for the priest, who crept and lower part of the body of the work. Upon under it. Over this there was a vail of linen, every one of the feet was there also inserted a of the same largeness with the former; it was ring, not far from the cover, through which went to be drawn this way or that way by cords, bars of wood beneath, but gilded, to be taken whose rings, fixed to the texture of the vail, out upon occasion, there being a cavity where it and to the cords also, were subservient to the was joined to the rings: for they were not entire drawing and undrawing of the vail, and to the rings, but before they came quite round they fastening it at the corner, that then it might be ended in acute points, the one of which was inno hinderance to the view of the sanctuary, serted into the prominent part of the table, and especially on solemn days; but that on other the other into the foot; and by these it was car days, and especially when the weather was in- ried when they journeyed. Upon this table, clined to snow, it might be expanded, and afford which was placed on the north side of the tem a covering to the vail of divers colours: whence ple, not far from the most holy place, were laid that custom of ours is derived, of having a fine twelve unleavened loaves of bread, six upon each linen vail after the temple has been built, to be heap, one above another: they were made of two drawn over the entrances. But the ten other tenth deals of the purest flour, which tenth deal curtains were four cubits in breadth, and twenty- [a homer] is a measure of the Hebrews, containeight in length, and had golden clasps, in ordering seven Athenian cotylæ; and above those to join the one curtain to the other, which was loaves were put two vials full of frankincense. done so exactly that they seemed to be one Now after seven days other loaves were brought entire curtain; these were spread over the tem-in their stead, on the day which is by us called ple, and covered all the top, and parts of the the Sabbath; for we call the seventh day the walls, on the sides and behind so far as within Sabbath: but for the occasion of this invention one cubit of the ground. There were other cur- of placing loaves here, we will speak of it in tains of the same breadth with these, but one another place. more in number, and longer, for they were thirty 7. Over against this table, near the southern cubits long, but these were woven of hair, with wall, was set a candlestick of cast gold; hollow the like subtlety as those of wool were made, within, being of the weight of one hundred pounds, and were extended loosely down to the ground, which the Hebrews call cinchares; if it be turned appearing like a triangular front and elevation into the Greek language, it denotes a talent. It at the gates; the eleventh curtain being used was made with its knops, and lilies, and pome for this very purpose. There were also other granates, and bowls, (which ornaments amount. curtains made of skins above these, which af-ed to seventy in all,) by which means the shaft forded covering and protection to those that were woven, both in hot weather, and when it rained. And great was the surprise of those who viewed these curtains at a distance, for they seemed not at all to differ from the colour of the sky. But those that were made of hair, and of skins, reached down in the same manner as did the vail at the gates, and kept off the heat of the sun, and what injury the rains might do. And after this manner was the tabernacle reared.

5. There was also an ark made, sacred to God, of wood that was naturally strong, and could not be corrupted: this was called Eron, in our own language. Its construction was thus: its length was five spans, but its breadth and height were each of them three spans. It was covered all over with gold both within and without, so that the wooden part was not seen. It had also a cover united to it, by golden hinges, after a wonderful manner; which cover was every way evenly fitted to it, and had no eminences to hinder

elevated itself on high from a single base, and spread itself into as many branches as there are planets, including the sun among them. It terminated in seven heads, in one row, af standing parallel to one another; and these branches carried seven lamps, one by one, in imitation of the number of the planets; these lamps looked to the east and to the south, the candlestick being situate obliquely.

8. Now between this candlestick and the table, which, as we said, were within the sanctuary, was the altar of incense, made of wood, indeed, but of the same wood of which the foregoing vessels were made, such as was not liable to corruption: it was entirely crusted over with a golden plate. Its breadth on each side was a cubit, but the altitude double. Upon it was a grate of gold, that was extant above the altar, which had a golden crown encompassing it round about, whereto belonged rings and bars, by which the priests carried it when they journey.