HOUSE
371
HOUSE
Israelites were directed to -write sentences from the Law over I heir gates. SeeMEZUZAir. Over the door is usu- ally llic kiosk (sometime^ projecting like a bay-window), or screened balcony, ludbably the "sum- nur parlor" in which Khud smote the king of Moab (Judg. iii, ^20), and the "cham- ber on the wall." which the Shunam- niite prejiared for the prophet (2 Kings iv, 10). Besides this, there may be a small latticed window or t^\•o high up the wall, giving light and air ti) upper chambers, v.hich, except in times of public cele- brations, is usually closed (2 Kings ix, 30; Shaw, Trdvels,]-). 207 ; Lane, J/of/. AVy. i, 27). The entrance is usually guarded within from sight by a V. all or some ar-
Eiitrance to a house in Caiio. (From Lane's Mod. Egnptians.)
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rangcment of the passages. In the passage is a stone seat for the porter and other servants (Lane, Mod. Ey. i, 32,- Chardin, Voij. iv, HI). See Dooit.
The buildings which form the house front towards an inner square or court. Small houses have one of these courts, but superior houses have two, and first-rate houses three, communicating v.'ith each other; for the Orientals dislike ascending stairs or steps. It is only when the building-ground is confined by nature or by fortilications that they build high houses; but, from the loftiness of the rooms, buildings of one story are often IS high as houses of three stories among ourselves. If there are three or more courts, all except the outer on 2 are much alike in size and appearance ; but the outer one, being devoted to the more public life of the occu- pant, awl to his intercourse with society, is materially different from all the others. If there are more than two, the second is devoted chiefly to the use of the mas- ter, who is there attended only by his eunuchs, children, and females, and sees only such persons as he calls from the third or interior court, in which they reside. In the history of Esther, she incurs danger by going from her interior court to that of the king, to invite him to visit her part of the palace ; but she would not, on any count, have gone to the outermost court, in which the held his public audiences. Some of the finest houses in the East arc to be found at Damascus, where in some of them are seven such courts. When there are only two courts, the innermost is the luirem, in which the women and children live, and which is the true domicile of the master, to which he withdraws wlien the claims of business, of society, and of friends have been satisfied, and where no man hut himself ever enters, or could be induced to enter, even by strong per- suasions (IJiirckhardt, Travels, i, 188; Van Egmont, ii, 211"), 253 ; Shaw, p. 207 ; Porter, Damascus, i, 34, 37, GO ; Chardin, Vojag(;s,\\, 6; Lane, Modern Eg. i, 179, 207). See below.
Entering at the street door, the above-named pas- sage, usually sloping downwards, conducts to the outer court; the opening from the passage to this, as before observed, is not opposite the gate of entrance, but by a side turn, to preclude any view from the street into the court when tiie gate is ojier.ed. Tiiis o])en court corre- sponds to the Roman impluvium, and is often paved with marble. Into this the principal apartments look, and are cither ojien to it in front, or are entered from it by doors. An awning is sometimes drawn over the court,
and the floor strewed with carpets on festive occasions (Shaw, p. 208). Around part, if not the whole, of the court is a veranda, often nine or ten feet deep, over which, when there is more tlian one floor, runs a second gallery of like depth, with a balustrade (Shaw, p, 208). The stairs to the upper apartments or to the roof are often shaded by vines or creeping-plants, and the courts, especially the inner ones, planted with trees. The court has often a well or tank in it (Psa. cxxviii, 3; 2 Sam, xvii, 18; Kussell, Aleppo, i, 24, 32; Wilkinson, i, fi, 8; Lane, Mod. Efj. i, 32 ; Vieus in Stp-ia, i, 50). See Cofin-, On entering the outer court through this passage we find opposite to us the jiublic room, in which the master receives and gives audience to I'lis friends and clients. This is entirely open in front, and, being richly fitted up, has a splendid ajjpearance when the first view of it is obtained. A refreshing coolness is sometimes given to this apartment by a foutaiu throwing up a jet of wa- ter in front of it. This is the icctrciXvf^a, or rpicst-cham- her, of Luke xxii, 11 ; not necessarily an avayaiov, or vpper chamber, as in verse 12. A large portion of the other side of the court is occupied with a frontage of lattice-work filled with colored glass, belonging to a room as large as the guest-chamber, and whicli in winter is used for the same purpose, or serves as the apartment of any visitor of distinction, who cannot, of course, be admitted into the interior parts of the house. The other apartments in this outer court are comparatively small, and are used for the accommodation of visitors, retainers, and s(>rvaiits. See <;ri:sT-riiAMP.i:i:.