all of brass, the fire continually burning upon the top of it would so beat the whole, and especially that part of it next the hearth, that it would be impossible for the priests to stand on it, when they were come thither to officiate in tending the altar, and offering the sacrifices thereon; and that especially since they were always to officiate barefooted, without any thing at all upon their feet to fence them from the heat of it. It is not indeed any where commanded, that the priests should officiate barefooted; but among the garments assigned for the priests (Exod. xxviii,) shoes not being named, they were supposed therefore to be forbid, and the text saying, (ver. 4,) these are the garments which they shall make, this (they say) excludes all that are not there named. And Moses being commanded, at the burning bush, to put off his shoes, for that the ground on which he stood was holy, because of the extraordinary presence of God then in that place; this they make a further argument for it: for, say they, the temple was all holy for the same reason, that is, because of the extraordinary presence of God there residing in Shechinah over the mercy-seat. And for these reasons it was most strictly exacted, that the priest should be always barefooted in the temple, although their going there with their bare feet upon the marble pavement was very pernicious to the health of many of them. On the four corners of the altar, on the last benching-in, where the priests stood, when they offered the sacrifices, there were fixed four small pillars of a cubit height, and a cubit on every side, in the form of an exact cube. And these were the horns of the altar so often mentioned in Scripture. The middle of each of them was hallow, because therein was to be put some of the blood of the sacrifices. The ascent up to the altar was by a gentle rising on the south side, called the Kibbesh, which was thirty-two cubits in length, and sixteen in breadth, and landed upon the upper benching-in next the hearth, or the top of the altar; forf to go up to the altar by steps was forbid by the law.

e Exod. iii, 5. Acts vii, 33.

f Exod. xx, 26.

n i ne court or the women; so called, because thus far the women wigin enter to worship, but not further; it was one hundred and thirty-five cubits Y Cloisters on three sides of the court of the women, over which square.

But their zeal for the temple being that had brought most of them back again into Judea, the rebuilding of this was what they had their hearts most intent upon. And there

which

An. 534.

Cyrus 3.

* An explanation of the Ichnography of the Temple of Jerusalem.

AAAA The outer wall of the Temple, which was a square of five hundred cubits on every side, i. e. two thousand in the whole circuit. It was twenty-five cubits high measuring on the inside, which was the size of all other the walls of the temple, as well in the inner part as the outer, excepting only that of the Chel; every cubit was a foot and an half. B The east gate or gate of Shusham. CC The shops where wine, oil, salt, meal, and other things used in the sacrifices. were sold; with chambers over on either side. D The north gate called Tedi. EE The porter's lodges, and chambers over on either side. Between this gate and the western corner, upon a jetting out of the mountain stood the castle Antonia, formerly called Baris, where the Romans kept a garrison to overawe the temple; from hence the captain of it was called the captain of the temple, Luke xxii, 52; Acts iv, 1. It was a square pile two furlongs in compass, standing at a little distance from the temple wall, and from which there was a passage by stairs down into the cloisters at the north-west corner, through which the soldiers ran down to appease the tumult risen about Paul, Acts xxi, 32, and from which Paul spoke to the people, v. 40. FF The two gates in the south side, called the gates of Huldah. G The porter's lodges, and chambers over on either side. H The gate Challecheth or Coponius on the west side. I The gate Parber on the same side. K The porter's lodges, and chambers over on either side of the said two gates. L The two gates of Asuppim on the Bame west side. M The rooms and chambers over on either side of the paid two gates, where a treasury of the temple was kept; the pile of each gate was fifteen cubits broad and thirty high, and the entrance ten cubits broad and twenty cubits high. And all the gates, as well in the inner parts of the temple as the outer, were every one of them of the same size. N The portico or cloisters round the temple, that on the south side was called the royal cloisters, because of its largeness, for it contained three isles, the middle forty-two cubits and an half broad, and fifty cubits high; the other two, each fifteen cubits broad, and twenty-five cubits high, which was the size of all the other cloisters of this court; that on the east side was called Solomon's porch, because it stood upon that vast terrace which Solomon built up from the valley beneath, of four hundred cubits height, which was the only work of Solomon's temple that remained in our Saviour's time, and therefore it was called Solomon's porch or cloister, John x, 23; Acts iii, 11. O The outer court of the temple called the court of the Gentiles. P The outer enclosure of the inner courts, being a wall curiously wrought of three cubits height, within which no Gentile was to enter, or any polluted with the dead. The wall enclosing the inner court of the temple. R The space between the said wall and the outer enclosure ten cubits broad, called the Chel. S The stairs on the east end leading from the court of the Gentiles into the Chel, consisting of fourteen steps, each nine inches high. T The stairs from the Chel into the court of the women, consisting of five steps, each nine inches high. V The gate entering into the court of the women on the east, called the beautiful gate of the temple, Acts iii, 2, because of its sumptuousness and beautiful adornments. W Other two gates entering into the court of the women, one on the south, and the other on the north. X The court of the women; so called, because thus far the women might enter to worship, but not further; it was one hundred and thirty-five cubits square. Y Cloisters on three sides of the court of the women, over which

fore having employed the first years in preparing materials, and contracting with carpenters and masons for the work, in the second month of the second year they laid the foundation of the house; which was done with great solemnity: for Zerubbabel the governour, and Jeshua the high priest, being present, with all the

were galleries for the women. ZZ Two rooms under the floor of the court of Israel, where the musicians did lay up their instruments.

1, 2, 3, 4. Four smaller courts in the four corners of the court of the women, each forty cubits long, and thirty broad. 1 Where the Nazarites performed what the law required. 2 Where the wood for the altar was wormed by the blemished priests before it was used. 3 Where the leper was cleansed. 4 Where the wine and oil was laid up for the use of the altar in cellars built round it on the inside. 5 The treasury chests, where our Saviour saw the widow cast in her two mites, he then sitting on the bench in the cloisters. For all the cloisters of the temple had benches next the inner wall for the people to sell in this court as well as in the outer. And of some place nigh these chests is it to be understood where our Saviour is said to preach in the treasury, John viii, 20. 6 The semi-circular stairs leading up from the court of the women to the great brazen gate, consisting of fifteen steps. 7 The great brazen gate, or the gate Nicanor, leading into the inner court, in which the temple and altar stood, which court represented the tabernacle, and contained that part which was properly called the sanctuary; it was one hundred and thirty-five cubits in breadth, and one hundred and eighty-seven in length 8 The wall parting the sanctuary from the court of the women. 9 The place within the sanctuary, properly called the court of Israel: for here stood the stationary men who represented the whole people of Israel at all times of public worship, and hither came up all other Israelites when they had any sacrifice to be offered the ordina ry place where all the rest worshipped was in the court of the women, the men on the floor, and the women in the galleries.) It contained the first isle of the double cloisters on the east end, and both the single cloisters on the north and south sides 10 The place properly called the court of the priests, it contained the second isle of the double cloisters at the east end of the sanctuary the first two cubits of its breadth next the court of Israel were taken up by the desks of the singers and musicians, the other part was the place where the priests did worship that were out of attendance The king's seat near the pillar, 2 Chron. vi, 13; xxviii, 13. 12 Winding stairs leading up to the rooms over the gate Nicanor, that on the right hand to the wardrobe, where the vestments for the priests were kept, and that on the left to the room where were provided the cake for the high priest's daily meat-offering. 13 The room Gazeth, where the Sanhedrim sat, part was within the sanctuary and part without; the Sanhedrim sat in that part which was without. 14 The well-room, where was a well from whence water was drawn for the use of the temple. 15 Three gates leading into the sanctuary on the south side, the first next the draw-well room was from thence called the well-gate, over which was the room of Astines where the incense was made, the second was the gate of Firstlings, and third the gate of Kindling 16 The wood-room; where the wood for the altar, after it had been wormed was laid ready for use; over it was the chamber of the high priest called Paradrin, where he held the council of the temple. 17 A guard room for the Levites. 18 A treasury room. 19 The common fire-room and chief guard-room for the Levites. 20 The common fire-room and chief guard-room for the priests. 21 A stone in the middle of the said room, under which the keys of the temple were laid every night. 22 The

g Ezra iii, 7.

h Ezra iii, 8-10, &c.

11