Here also the first Christians could daily assem ble with one accord (Acts ii. 46). Within this outer court money-changers and cattle-dealers trans acted a profitable business, especially during the time of Passover. The priests took only shekels of full weight—that is, shekels of the sanctuary— even after the general currency had been deteri orated : hence the frequent opportunity of money changers to accommodate for agio the worshippers, most of whom arrived from abroad unprovided with the right coin. The profaneness to which this money-changing and cattle-dealing gave rise caused the indignation of our Lord, who suddenly expelled all these sharks from their stronghold of business (Matt. xxi. 12, seg. ; Mark xi. 15-17 ; Luke xix. 45, 46 ; John '3-'7) The surface of this outer court was paved with stones of various colours. A stone balustrade, nID, which according to some statements was three cubits high, and according to Micidoth ten hands high, was several steps higher up the moun tain than this outer court, and prevented the too near approach of the heathens to the next court. For this purpose there were also erected columns at certain distances within this balustrade, on which there were Greek and Latin inscriptions, interdict ing all heathens, under penalty of death, to ad. vance farther (Joseph. De Bell. .td. Vi. 2. 4 ; Philo, Opera, ii. 577). Comp. Acts :oci. 28, where Paul is accused of having brought Greeks into the temple, and thus polluting the holy place.
Higher up than this balustrade was a wall of the court called This wall was from its founda tion forty cubits high, but from within the court it appeared to be only twenty-five cubits high. To this higher court led a staircase and gate on the eastern side of the square. This staircase first led into the inn mu), yvvamovira, r6 Tc7m, yvvaucaw reptre(xurua, the court of Me 700Mell,WhiCh WaS 135 cubits square. Again, fifteen steps higher up was the principal entrance to the 1...1-1,v+ nitv, Me court of Me Israelites—i.e. the men—on the eastern side of the temple. On the otber sides only five steps led up from the court of the women to that of the men. But the fifteen steps, each of which was lovver than each of the five steps, seem to have terminated in the same level. Over the gates were structures more than forty cubits high, in which were rooms. Each of the gates was qdorned with two columns, which were twelve cubits in circumference. In these gates were folding-doors, each of which was thirty cubits high and fifteen wide : they were plated with gold and silver. The gate towards the east, being the principal one, was of Corinthian bra7s, and was higher, larger, and more adorned with precious metal than the rest. Within the walls of this court were halls supported by beauti ful columns. The court of the priests was sepa rated from that of the Israelites by a low stone bal ustrade one cubit high. The whole space which was occupied by the court of the Israelites and that of the priests, together with the temple, was from east to west 187 cubits, and from north to south 135 cubits. Each of these courts was eleven cubits wide, in which measurement that of the halls seems not to have been included (comp. ltliaVoth, ii. 6). The court of the priests surrounded the whole temple. On the northern and southern sides were magazines of salt, wood, water, etc., and on the south side also was the place of meeting for the Sanhedrin. Towards the east, with entrances from the court of the women, were two rooms in which the musical instruments were deposited ; towards the north-west were four rooms in which the lambs for the daily sacrifices were kept, the shewbread baked, etc. (comp. Chron. ix. 3 I, 3z). In the
four corners of the court of the women were lazar ettos and quarantine establishments for the re ception of persons suspected of leprosy and other infectious diseases ; there was also a physician appointed to treat the priests who were unwell, There were several alms-boxes within the various courts, which had the shape of trumpets, and which sometimes are called leag-ocpaciKca, or also collec tively rd -yai-ocpactIcLov. All thc courts were paved with flat stones. From the various statements con cerning the court of the women, it is evident that this appellation did not mean a place exclusively devoted to the women, but rather a place to which even women were admitted, together with other persons who were not allowed to advance farther. The temple itself (6 mos) was fifteen steps higher than the court of the Israelites, and stood, not in the middle, but rather towards the north-western corner of the court of the priests. In the usual plans of the temple the passage in Middoth (ii, i) 1ms been disregarded. This passage clearly states that the temple was not in the centre : The greatest space was from the south, the next greatest from the east, the third from tbe north, and the least from the west, The foundations of the temple consisted of blocks of white marble, some of which were forty-five cubits long, six cubits wide, and five cubits high. The porch measured externally a hundred cubits in width ; the remain ing- part of the building sixty or seventy cubits.' Thus it appears that tl3e porch projected on each side from fifteen to twenty cubits. The difference of measurement between Josephus and the Talmud may be accounted for by the difference of internal and external width. The projections of the porch were like shoulders (CO' orcp aigot). The whole building was a hundred or a hundred and ten cubits long, and a hundred cubits high. The internal measurement of the porch was fifty cubits by twenty, and ninety cubits in beight. The holy was forty cubits by twenty, and sixty cubits high ; the holy of holies was twenty cubits square and sixty cubits high. According to Middoth the porch vvas only zleven cubits, the holy forty cubits, the holy of holies twenty cubits, and behind this last there was a vestry of six cubits. The remaining twenty-three culyits were distributed among the diameters of the several walls, so that the whole was a hundred cubits long. In the eastern front, which was a hundred cubitc square, was a proportionate gate, seventy cubits high and twenty-five cubits wide. Above the holy and holy of holies were upper rooms. On the summit of the temple (Kara, Kopv kv) were spikes (iipeXoE), which resembled our con ductors in shape, and were intended to prevent birds from settling on the temple. Middoth (iv. 61 calls these spikes, which were one cubit long-, 417 aim seam-crows, or literally scare-ravens. It seems that the roof was flat, and surrounded by a balus trade three cubits high. On the north and south side of the temple were three storeys of chambers, which were much higher than those of the Solo monic temple, but did not entirely conceal the temple itself, because it projected above them. The spaces on the north and south side of the porch contained the apparatus for slaughtering the sacrifices, and were called mtS,riri roz, the nouce of kuives.