Light. — No natural light came into the house from roof or side wall : it depended, for what light it had, upon the lampstand.
Chambers. — On all sides except the east, where
« Jos. BJ v. V. 6; cf. Ant. vni. Hi. 9, xm. lill. e>
(3 Not called ' the Holy I'lace ' in the sources.
J- See SnEWBRKAD, Tablb of. 5 See LAUrSTiVIX
i Ct. Ex 2635 40-.:: 26. ; See below.
f) Twenty, according to Josephua
ff Josephus says 70 cubits high by 26 broad.
I Ann. V. 5. » Yama, v. 1.
X See Ml 2751 n Mk VJ^ || Lk 23«.
TEJIPLE
TEMPLE
■15
the porch was, tliere were small chambers in which temple utensils were kept and priests re- eiUcd. They were thirty - eight in number, and arranged in three storeys, in such a way that on the north there were five on each storey, makin" lifteen on that side : on the south there were also live on each storey. On the west there were three on the lowest and three on the nii<idle storey, two being on the top. The three storeys reached, together, the same height as the house. The main entrance was on the N.E. of the house, where a small door communicated directly from the porch with the nearest chamber. From this chamber there was a stairway leading to the upper and middle storeys. This stairway was erected at the N.E. corner ; just opposite, on the S.E. corner, there was an arrangement for carrying otl' the water. Above the house proper there was an upi)er room 40 cubits high, and of the same ground area as the house itself. The entire building, including the intervening wall and the ceiling, attained a height of 100 cubits, i.e. exactly that of the porch. The upper room h.ad on the south a door leadin" upon the roof of the upper chambers on tliat side. By means of the stairs on the N.E. the top chambers could be reached. I'assing round from N.W. to S. one came to the door leading into the top room of the house. In the lloor of this upper room tliere were trap- doors, through which workmen were let down in boxes, that liiey might not be able to see any part of the house excei)t where they were repairing.
Including the side chambers, the house had a width of 70 cubits, which is thus made up —
1. Wall of stairway 5 cubits.
2. Stainvay 3 „
3. Wall of cliamber ^ it
4. Chamber itself '5 ,,
B. Wall of Imuse « .,
6. S^tace within the house . . , . 20 „
7. U all of house t' „
8. Chamber <1 ..
9. Its wall !> ,.
lU Uoom for letting off water . . , S „
11. WoU behind 5 „
Total . . .TO cubits.
Altar of burnt ■ offerin/f. — In the east of tlie priests" court, iiiiincdiately in front of the porch, was the altur of buriil-oU'ering made of unliewn stone. It was larger than Solomon's altar, it being, according to the Rabbis, 32 cubits in length and breadth, and 10 cubits high. Joseplms, how- ever, gives 15 cubits as length and as breadth. The length and breadth given above are for the base, for it rose in three sections, so that at the top it formed a square of 24 cubits. According to Lv 6", fire was to be always burning on the altar. On the ea-st of the altar there was a stairway of unhewn stone leading up to the altar : it was 32 cubits long and 16 broad. Altar and steps were whitewa-shed twice in the year, viz. at Hassover and Tabernacles.a In the S.W. corner of the altar there were two holes for receiving the sacrificial blood, which passed thence to a i);issage in the ground, by which it was conveyed to the Kidron. Close by there was a marbled opening, down which men went to cleanse the channel along which the blood ran to the Kidron.
IJetween the altar and the house there was a space of 22 cubits, taken up largely by the twelve steps which led up to the porch. South of these steps there was a laver or wash-basin, in which priests wa-shed their hands and feet. It was sup- plied through two pipes from the tem]>lo spring : these two pipes were increased to twelve at a later time by a certain Ik'U Katin, who also made a^Tungcinonts by which the water could be regu- larly rcnewed.;3
■ ilidd liL l-«. 0 i'oma UL 10.
North (S) of the altar the sacrificial animals were slain, and to aid in this there were six rows of rings, four in each row, all fixed in the ground. The animals that had to be killed were attached first of all to these rings, and then despatched. Still farther north there were eight low pillars with boards on them, each board having three rows apiece of iron hooks from whic'h the animals after death were suspended. The spot would look much like a butcher s shop, lij' the side of these pillars there were eight marble tables on which the slain animals were flayed, washed, etc., ready for the altar, o
Priests' Court. — No one except a priest was usually permitted to enter the priests' court, which was regarded as more sacred than the men's court. Vet lay Israelites were allowed admission when they had sacrifices to oll'er, that they might, according to the ritual, lay their liands on the victim./3 As before stated, this court was bounded all round, and not merely on the east by the men's court, which was 11 cubits broad.