Under the gates they used to sell various mer chandises, provisions, victuals, e. g., at Samaria (2 Kings vii. I); and for this purpose tbere were generally recesses in the space under them (see IIero dian, vii. 6, sec. 6). The same is stated by Aris tophanes (Equit. 1245, ed. Dind.) of the gates of the Greeks. But with respect to the markets at gates, the present writer would note what has often occurred to his own notice in different parts of the East, which is, that the commodities sold at the gates are almost exclusively country produce, ani mal or vegetable, for the supply of the city, and not manufactured goods, which are invariably sold in the bazaars in the heart of the town. The gate markets also are only held for a few hours early in the morning.
On an uproar having broken out at Jerusalem, the heads of the people met under the New-gate (Jer. xxvi. io), where they were 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 caused some alteration of Eastern man the palace lounged about ; and here persons hay ing suits to offer, favours to beg, or wishing to re commend themselves to favourable notice, would wait day after day, in the hope of attracting the notice of the prince or great man at his entrance oi coming forth (Esth. 19, 21 ; 2).
Gates are put figuratively for public places of towns and palaces. The gates of a town are also put instead of the town itself (Gen. xxii. 17 ; xxiv. 60 ; Deut. xii. 12 ; Ps. lxxxvii. 2).
The gates of death, and of he//, occur in Job xxxviii. 17 ; Ps. ix. 13 ; cvii. 18. Doors and gates of hell are chiefly introduced, Is. xxxviii. zo ; Matt. xvi. 18 ; Rev. i. IS ; and the Jews go so far in their writings as to ascribe real gates to hell (Wagenseil, Sota, p. 22o). Virgil (7-En. vi. 127) also speaks of the atri janua Ditis.' The ori,gin of this metaphorical expression is not difficult to ex plain ; for it was very common to use the word gates as an image of large empires (Is. xxvi. 2) ; and in pagan authors the abode of departed souls is represented as the residence of Pluto (see Virgil, /Eh. vi. 417, sq.) In the passage, then, Matt. xvi. 18, by gates of hell' must be understood all aggressions by the infernal empire upon the Chris tian church.