3. General Features and Purposes.
(1) Protection. Gates were generally pro tected by some works against the surprises of enemies (Jer. xxxix :4). Sometimes two gates were constructed one behind another, an outer and inner one ; or there were turrets on both sides (2 SaM. XViii :24, 33; see Faber's Archwol. p. 3o1). The gates of the ancients were generally secured with strong heavy bolts and locks of brass or iron (Deut. :5 ; t Sam.
xxiii :7; Kings iv :13 ; 2 ChrOtl. viii :5 ; Jer.
31; Ps. cxlvii :13). This was probably done with a view to the safety of the town, and to prevent hos tile inroads (Hartner's Observations, vol. i. p. 188). The keys of gates, as well as of doors, were generally of wood ; and Thevenot observes that gates might be opened even with the finger put into the keyhole—from which Harmer elucidates the passage in Cant. v:4.
The gates of towns were kept open or shut ac cording to circumstances: in time of war they were closed against the inroads of the enemy (Josh. ii :5), but they were opened when the ene my had been conquered. On festive occasions they were also thrown wide open; to which Ps. xxiv:7 alludes. This opening of the gates, as well as closing them, was done by means of keys. That near the gates towers were often construct ed, serving for defense against attacks of the enemy, may be inferred from Deut. :5 ; 2 Sam.
xviii :24 ; Judg. ix :35 , comp. with verse 52. Ene mies, therefore, in besieging towns were most anx ious to obtain possession of the gates as quickly as possible (Deut. xxviii :52 ; Judg. ix:4o; 2 SaM. x: 8; Kings xvii:to; Job v:4; Is. xxii :7; xxviii: 6); and generally the town was conquered when its gates were occupied by the invading troops (Deut. xxviii :57; Judg. v:8). In or near the gates, therefore, they placed watchmen, and a suf ficiently strong guard, to keep an eye on the move ments of the enemy, and to defend the works in case of need (Judg. xviii:t6; 2 Kings vii :3 ; Neh. xiii :22).
(2) Place of Judgment. Gates are often men tioned in Scripture as places at which were holden courts of justice, to administer the law and de termine points in dispute: hence judges in the gate are spoken of (Gen. xix :1 ; xxiii :to, z8; xxxiv: 6o; Dent. xvi:i8; xvii :8; xxi :19 ; xxv :6, 7; Josh.
xx :4; Ruth iv ; Sam. iv:18; 2 Sam. xviii:24 I xix :8; Kings xxii :to; Job. xxix :7 ; Prov. xxii:
22; xxiv:7; Lam. v:14; AMOS v:z2; Zech. viii: 16). The reason of this custom is apparent; for the gates being places of great concourse and re sort, the courts held at them were of easy access to all the people; witnesses and auditors to all transactions were easily secured (a matter of much importance in the absenr?. or scanty use of written documents) ; and confidence in the integ rity of the magistrate was ensured by the public ity of the proceedings. There was within the gate a particular place, where the judges sat on chairs, and this custom must be understood as re ferred to when we read that courts were held under the gates, as may be proved from Kings xxii:to; 2 Chron. xviii:9. Apart from the hold ing of courts of justice, the gate served tor read ing the law, and for proclaiming ordinances, etc. (2 Chron. xxxii :6; Neh. :1, 3). NVe see from Prov. xxxi:23; Lam. v:14, that the inferior mag istrates held a court in the gates, as well as the superior judges (Jer. xxxvi :to) ; and even kings, at least occasionally, did the same (1 Kings xxii: io; comp. with Ps. xxvii :5). The gates at Je rusalem served the same purpose; but for the great number of its inhabitants, many places of justice were required. Thus we find that Nehe miah (iii:31) calls a particular gate of this city the counsel-gate.or justice-gate, the gate Aliphkad, which seems to have had a preference, though not exclusive since courts must have been held in the other gates also.
(3) Place of Proclamations. In Palestine gates were, moreover, the places where, sometimes at least, the priests delivered their sacred ad dresses and discourses to the people; and we find tbat the prophets often proclaimed their warnings and prophecies in the gates (Prov. i:21; viii:3; Is. xxix :21 ; Jer. xvii :19, 20; xxvi:i0; xxxvi :10). On an uproar having broken out at Jerusalem, the heads of the people met under the New-gate (Jer. xxix :26), where they w-ere sure to find insur gents. The town-gates were to the ancient Orien tals what the coffee-houses, exchanges, markets, and courts of law, are in our large towns: and such is still the case in a great degree, although the introduction of coffee-houses has in this, and other respects, causcd some alteration of Eastern manners.