(6) Discovery of an Ancient Tablet. A re cent and important discovery is a tablet with the following inscription: "No foreigner to proceed within the partition wall and enclosure around the sanctuary ; whoever is caught in the same. will on that account be liable to incur death." The reason for this notice was that Herod was conscious that many of Isis subjects, resident in Jerusalem, were Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans. In the time of Solomon's Temple only Jews were allowed within the walls. but Herod felt that he must let all nationalities into some part of the sanctuary, for the sake of policy. There fore he constructed a large outer court, open to all who wished to walk or talk in this cloister. This was the Court of the Gentiles.
Next to this was The Court of the Israelites. into which no Gentile was allowed to enter on any pretext under penalty of death. It has been doubted whether a tolerant people like the Ro mans would empower the Jews to put men to death for trespassing in the inner courts of the Temple ; but the discovery of this tablet and in scription dispels all doubts. This tablet throws light on three important passages. The Greek words used for the Sanctuary are contained in it, Ta lep6v, /oh hee-er-on', the same as used in the sentence, 'He drove them all out of the Temple' ; that is. the inner court, the Court of the Israel ites. Again (Acts xxi :28, 29), when the Jews cried out against Paul for bringing a man, as they thought, into Ta lep6v, it is not the Court of the Gentiles they meant, hut the Court of the Jews. Again, Ta itecofrotxop To() Opayktoti, /oh-Ines oroy-kon, frair-moo', the middle wall of partition, between the Jews and Gentiles (Eph. ii:r4) was a figure which 'Paul drew from the Temple. He had noticed the dividing wall and the inscribed tablets, threatening death to strangers, that separated the Court of the Gentiles from that of the Jews, and looked upon it as a standing monument of the ex ple was in ancient warfare almost impregnable, from the ravines at the precipitous edge of which it stood ; but it required more artificial fortifica tions on its western and northern sides, which were surrounded by the city of Jerusalem ; for this reason there was erected at its northwest ern corner the tower of Antonia. which although standing on a lower level than the Temple itself, was so high as to overlook the sacred buildings with which it was connected, partly by a large staircase, partly by a subterrancous communica tion. This tower protected the Temple from sud den incursions from the city of Jerusalem, and from dangerous commotions among the thousands who were frequently assembled within the precincts of the courts ; which also were sometimes used for popular meetings. Under the sons of Herod, the Temple remained apparently in good order, and Herod Agrippa, who was appointed by the Em peror Claudius its guardian, even planned the re pair of the eastern part, which had probably been destroyed during one of the conflicts between the elusiveness of Judaism as opposed to the univer sality of Christianity, and as such used it in his letter to the Ephesians.
(7) Holy of Holies. The 'holy of holies' was entirely empty (Joseph. De Bell. Ind. v. 5. 5); however, there was a stone in the place of the ark of the covenant on which the high-priest placed the censer. Before the entrance of the 'holy of holies' was suspended a curtain, which was torn by the earthquake that followed after the crucifixion.
(8) Site of Herod's Temple. The Temple was situated upon the southeastern corner of Mount Nloriah, which is separated to the east by a pre cipitous ravine and the Kidron from the Mount of Olives : the Mount of Olives is much higher than Moriah. On the south, the Temple was bounded by the ravine which separates Moriah from Zion, or the lower city from the upper city. Opposite to the Temple, at the foot of Zion, were formerly the king's gardens, and higher up in a southwesterly di rection, the stronghold of Zion or the city of Da vid. on a higher level than the Temple. The Tem Jews and Romans of which the Temple was re peatedly the scene (Antiq. xvii. to). Many savants have adopted a style as if they possessed much information about the archives of the Tem ple; there are a few indications from which we learn that important documents were deposited in the Tabernacle and Temple. Even in Dent. xxxi: 26, we find that the book of the law was deposited in the ark of the covenant (2 Kings xxii :8) Hilkiah rediscovered the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. In 2 Macc. :t3, we find a Bibliothaka mentioned. apparently consisting chiefly of the canonical books. and probably de posited in the Temple. In Josephus (De Bell. hid. v. 5) it is mentioned that a book of the law was found in the Temple. It appears that the sacred writings were kept in the Temple (Antiq. v. 1.7). Copies of political documents seem to have been deposited in the treasury of the Temple (1 Macc. xiv :49): (9) Temple Treasury. This treasury was managed by an inspector, and it contained the great sums which were annually paid in by tl Israelites, each of whom paid a half shekel, and many of whom sent donations in money, and precious vessels. Such costly presents were es pecially transmitted by rich proselytes, and even sometimes by pagan princes (2 Macc. iii :3 ; Jo seph. Antiq. xiv. 16. 4; xviii. 3. 5; xix. 6. 1; Dc Bell. hid. 11. 17. 3 ; V. t3. 6; c. Apion. ii. 5; Philo, Opp. ii. 59. sq.; 569). It is said especially that Ptol. Philadelphus was very liberal to the Temple, in order to prove his gratitude for having been permitted to procure the Septuagint translation (Aristeas, Dc Translat. LXX, 109, sq.). The gifts exhibited in the Temple are mentioned in Luke xxi :5 ; we find even that the rents of the whole town of Ptolemais were given to the Tem ple (i Macc. x :39). There were also preserved historical curiosities (2 Kings xi:to), especially the arms of celebrated heroes (Joseph. Antiq. xix. 6. I) : See PLAN OF HEROD'S TEMPLE.